Culloden Battlefield

The last few days of our trip have been great. We have loved driving through Scotland -- from Oban we went North to the Isle of Skye for a couple days and then over to Inverness for a night before finishing up our time here in Edinburgh.

Two days ago, we went to the Culloden Battlefield just outside of Inverness. The visitor's center was amazing -- what every museum/exhibit should be. It was balanced and interactive -- using everything from touch screen maps and video to screens and plaques to tell the story of the final stand of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Once you make your way through the center, they hand you a gps audio guide and send you out on the field. As you walk the paths, the gps triggers your audio guide to start telling you about what happened at the place you're standing. We were both really impressed by it.

I was very moved by the story of Culloden. Surprisingly so. There's something sort of heartbreaking about all of these Highlanders (and Irish and French) fighting on the front lines for a Prince who can't seem to admit he's been beaten. They were forced to make their final stand on a field that left them no chance again the government army (which included Highlanders) and then -- after they retreated -- they were hunted down over the next few days and killed. Though we learned that there were Scots fighting on both sides and that it wasn't actually a battle of independence, it still sort of feels like their last stand against the British. After this loss, their country was cleared of all heritage and tradition.

As they suggested in the visit, it's hard not to wonder, "What if?"

*photos borrowed from flickr users winninator and john forbes.