Here he lies, the alleged grandson of a king and not just any king, the famous, romantic, tragic so called Pretender - Charles Edward Stuart. This is the grave of John Sobieski Stuart also known as “The Chevalier”, both names weren’t real, you could indeed call them his stage names because he went into the... Continue Reading →
the chieftain Hitler wanted dead
St Mary's chapel was built by Lord Lovat, chief of the clan Fraser, in the early 19th century and is currently being restored. Normally mass is held once a month. Many of the old unusually shaped gravestones in the kirkyard are decorated with fleur de lys crosses, a pattern not very common in the Highlands.... Continue Reading →
Kilmorack’s Jacobites
Few graveyards in the Scottish Highlands have rebel graves of the 1745 uprising to visit; for obvious reasons, most of the men killed in the disastrous Battle of Culloden were buried on the battlefield. Rarely were there graves in the home Parish to be visited by the relatives, by mothers, sisters, aunts, by fathers, brothers... Continue Reading →
sin – allegations of child abuse
Fort Augustus Abbey, Catholic center of power Fort Augustus Abbey - once one of the ancient Catholics homes of Scotland. The impressive building belonged to the Lovat family for generations, they lost it and regained it, only to give it away again for good. Catholic centres of worship and power were rare in Scotland after... Continue Reading →
The Battle of the Shirts – Blàr nan Lèintean
Shirts or Swamp Maybe 15 July 1544 was an exceptionally hot day. The heat would have been the reason why those men who fought the brutal battle here took their plaids off and continued in their shirts. These half-dressed combatants gave the battle its name: The Battle of the Shirts. Maybe. Maybe the second theory... Continue Reading →
bullets, burnings and bread
There are three holes in the gravestone of Donald Fraser of Erchite, remains of a funeral that ended in a shooting, the holes are the marks the bullets left. It must have been the second half of the year 1745. The tragic battle of Culloden had left its mark on Scotland and indeed the area... Continue Reading →
deadly water
Glen Strathfarrar is a very remote Glen in the Scottish Highlands. Visitors with a car are only allowed access at certain times (especially in winter), a potholed single track road leads deep into the mountains. The glen still has all the unspoiled beauty of a picture book Highland scenery with all the harshness, that comes... Continue Reading →
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