We went to Scotland at the end of June in 2016. We enjoyed exploring the castles, caves, and stunning countryside. We stayed near Glasgow with our friends. After a few days we went to a cottage on the Isle of Raasay, near the Isle of Skye. On the way, we stopped at the intruiging castle in the picture above.
After exploring the castle, we drove to the cottage we rented on the Isle of Raasay. My dad and I are sword fighting in the front yard. The people in the house across the valley were our nearest neighbors (besides the cows and sheep)!
Playing in the front yard with my Dad.
More photos of our neighbors! The sheep ran when our car came toward them.
This is a highland cow. It has extra fur because it is so cold here, even in the summer.
One day, we went for a boat ride. It was a chilly, rainy day.
The Misty Isle Boat trip to Loch Coruisk!
We saw seals on our boat trip. They were chillin’ on the rocks and swimming. I don’t think they mind the cold water and rainy weather.
The boat landed on a small island and we went hiking and exploring. The island had hills and rocks to climb. The boat captain told us that this island was where Bonnie Prince Charlie hid after the Battle of Culloden.
A couple days later we visited Castle Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. There’s a museum inside and we watched an interesting movie about the castle’s history.
Dunvegan Castle is the home of the Macleod Clan and it is 800 years old. One of the items in the castle is the Fairy Flag; legend says that it was given to the Mcleods by the fairies! The Fairy Flag was said to have magic powers that helped the MacLeods win battles. The castle also has lovely gardens to walk in. We had a picnic lunch there with our friends. It was fun except when we got bothered by the bees.
After that, we explored the countryside. The Old Man of Storr is a fascinating rock formation and famous landmark on the Isle of Skye. Lots of people like to hike up to the rock.
They call this Kilt Rock because….it looks like a kilt!
Next we stopped at the Fairy Pools. Scotland has lots of folklore about fairies, so it’s easy to imagine them in these little waterfalls.
This next photo is of us hiking like hobbits in Middle Earth…
At the end of our trip we went to visit the Battlefield of Culloden. The Battle of Culloden was fought in 1746 by the Scottish Jacobites against the British. The Jacobites were lead by Bonnie Prince Charlie and they wanted to restore the House of Stuart to the British throne instead of the German Hanoverians. It was the last battle fought on British soil. 1200 people died in one hour! The museum was fascinating because it was interactive. They gave us a listening guide and there was a man dressed up as a soldier, who showed us the weapons they used in the battle.
Culloden was a significant battle because the Scottish Jacobites (mostly Highlanders) were defeated. The British executed thousands of Highlanders after the battle and confiscated their lands. The wearing of kilts and speaking of Gaelic were forbidden. Hundreds of Jacobite prisoners were transported to the American colonies.
On our last evening we went for a drive at the end of the day. This was taken on the Isle of Raasay, looking at the Isle of Skye.
I enjoyed our trip to Scotland very much. My favorite memory was visiting Culloden because I love history. You should go visit the amazing castles and countryside of Scotland, you’ll love it!
global nomad family 