It was Father’s Day and time to hit the road for Inverness. Between Aberdeen and Inverness lies Culloden Battlefield, where the Jacobites, under Bonnie Prince Charlie Stuart fought the British Redcoats on April 16, 1746, hoping to restore James Stuart to the throne. The battle was over in one hour, leaving between 1500 and 2000 Scotsmen dead or captured, and few losses for the British.

The battlefield itself is well-preserved, with a beautiful visitors center and guided tours. Culloden Moor is peaceful with a hush of reverence by visitors learning about the many lives lost and the blood spilled there. Trisha and I joined a tour to learn more about the battle and the Jacobite cause. That battle was the beginning of the end of the Highland culture, as afterwards Highlanders were barred from wearing their tartans and practicing their traditions. Many fled the country for this and economic reasons, and settled all over the world during the Highland Clearances, which explains why there are so many people worldwide who claim Scottish heritage!

After having lunch at the visitors center, we headed on to Inverness, braving the many roundabouts, and learning to listen to the GPS telling us which exit to take. Poor Trisha almost stomped a hole in the car floor trying to brake! As we approached the city of Inverness, the view of it nestled in a valley, or glen as the Scottish say, on the water, was breathtaking.

We were too early to check in to our hotel (another Holiday Inn Express), so we ventured downtown for dinner and shopping. We chose the Black Isle Bar when we saw they had wood-fired pizzas, and it was a good choice. The pizza was amazing! Then we walked a couple of blocks over to the Victorian Market, which is a mall full of shops and a food court where we caught a concert by a bagpipe band! We picked up a few souvenirs and enjoyed speaking with Scottish merchants.

I managed to squeeze in a call to my dad to wish him a happy Father’s Day, which is a trick since Scotland is six hours ahead of the US. I couldn’t forget my dad, Scotland or not! “Love ye, Da!” as the Scottish would say.

That’s day six! Stay tuned for hairy coos, fairy pools, the isle of Skye, and Tesco!

XOXO