Jacobites & Bravehearts

Jacobites & Bravehearts

The Fight for Scottish Independence

Experience ToursGeneral History ToursMilitary History and Battlefield Tours

Jacobites & Bravehearts

The Fight for Scottish Independence

Experience ToursGeneral History ToursMilitary History and Battlefield Tours

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Tour Introduction

During this fabulous tour we travel though magnificent Scottish scenery to encounter steep-sided verdant glens, shimmering lochs that reflect the towering mountains, thick magical woodland, romantic castle ruins, windswept pink/purple heather clad moorland dotted with silver streams, blanket bog and rocky outcrops. At carefully selected locations we will discuss the facts, fiction and myths that all contribute to Scotland’s legendary quixotic history and explore the sites where those dramatic events, whether they be actual, alleged or fictional, took place. See where the English soldier made his leap at Killicrankie, where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard at Glen Finnan and where the Highland charge was blunted by the British bayonet at Culloden. Drive through the Great Glen besides the banks of Loch Ness. Explore Urquhart and Stirling Castles and see how the Scots re-asserted their independence on the fields of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn. In all an inspirational breath-taking journey through highland and glen that will immerse you in Gaelic culture, custom and history.

Background

Scotland’s relationship with England has been turbulent since Roman times but never more so than at the turn of the 12th Century and during the mid-18th Century when English and British hegemony were seriously challenged. Battles such as Stirling Bridge, Bannockburn and Culloden resonate with romantic ideals of Scotland forever fighting for independence against the dastardly English led by heroes such as William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Rob-Roy MacGregor, Bonnie Dundee and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Such names and causes that have been dramatised and mythologised by literary giants such as Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and, latterly, Dianna Gabaldon in her Outlander novels to such a degree that it is often difficult to separate fact from fiction. But the facts of the matter are clear. Towards the end of the 13th century, Edward I of England abused his invitation to arbitrate over Scottish succession by asserting authority over the kingdom, which was subsequently resisted until victory at Bannockburn ensured an independence that would last until the accession of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne in 1603, thus unifying the leadership of the two countries under Stuart rule. The next 85 years would see Britain struggle with Civil War, the act of union and religious strife until the Glorious Revolution of 1688 deposed King James II (VII of Scotland) in favour of the Protestant, William of Orange. The Jacobite cause was ignited and, against a backdrop of vacillating loyalties, religious change, brutality, and the erosion of autonomy, Scotland endured a series of rebellions seeking to restore the Stuart line to the throne, but which ultimately ended in the ill-fated battle of Culloden.

Highlights

  • With leading historian and author Dr John Sadler
  • Tales of rebellion, intrigue and lost causes
  • See the battlefield of Bannockburn
  • Experience majestic Highland scenery including stunning Glencoe and Glenfinnan
  • Urquhart and Stirling Castles
  • Visit the Bronze Age cemetery of Clava Cairns
  • Spend a whole morning at Culloden Moor exploring the battlefield
  • Lunch at Culloden House

What's Included

  • 3 & 4 Star Hotels
  • Buffet breakfast each morning
  • Dinner parties hosted by your expert historian and tour manager
  • Two drinks i,e wine or beer at each dinner and a welcome drink on first evening
  • Dedicated Tour Manager
  • Entrance fees for sites included in itinerary
  • Tour information booklet
  • Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned coach
  • Access to the Cultural Experience app
  • Helpful and friendly travel advice
  • The company of like-minded travelers

Itinerary

Day 1 - Prestonpans.
Assemble at our hotel on outskirts of Edinburgh. Enjoy an introductory talk over a buffet lunch and check in to our hotel for one night. Travel out to Prestonpans, where the first significant engagement of the ’45 was fought on 21st September, to gain a wonderful panorama of the battlefield.

Day 2 - ‘Dundee Rising’.
At Dunkeld we see how the ‘Covenanter’ Cameronian regiment, in their baptism of fire, brought the 1689 rebellion to an end: walk over the River Tay bridge to the beautifully preserved town of Dunkeld itself, onto Stanley Hill and out to the ruins of the cathedral. Following General Wade’s Military Road over Killiecrankie Pass, we visit Blair Castle, besieged in both 1689 and 1746, to explore its sumptuous rooms and discover its fine collection of Jacobite memorabilia including weapons from Culloden. Return to Killiecrankie where ‘Bonnie Dundee’ and his Jacobite army defeated Scottish government forces: we visit the battlefield to evaluate the probable site and orientation of the armies, Trooper’s Den and Soldier’s Leap. Check in to our hotel in the pretty Victorian town of Pitlochry for one night.

Day 3 - Aftermath.
We drive to Ruthven Barracks to discuss its role both as a rallying and a dispersal point for Bonnie Prince Charlie’s defeated army in 1746. We gaze over the Moray Firth from the ramparts of the impressive Fort George which was built in the wake of Culloden and examine its fine weapon collection and recreation of 18th Century military life. En route to Inverness we stop at the Bronze Age cemetery of Clava Cairns. Check-in to our Inverness hotel for two nights.

Day 4 - Culloden.
We spend the whole morning at Culloden Moor exploring the battlefield, experiencing the 360-degree battle immersion theatre and visiting its museum. Thence to Culloden House for a long lunch. This afternoon we visit the interesting Inverness Museum.

Day 5 – The Glens.
We drive through the Great Glen to ruined Urquhart Castle, destroyed in the wake of the Dundee Rising, and enjoy fabulous views over Loch Ness. Visit the battlefield of Glen Shiel, where a Spanish/Jacobite force was defeated in 1719 and where an 18-year-old Rob Roy MacGregor first came to attention. Thence to the rebuilt, yet iconic, commanding Eilean Donan Castle, where the remaining Spaniards were captured and the castle itself destroyed. Continue to Fort William to see the remains of the original fort and visit the impressive West Highland Museum. Check-in to our hotel for one night.

Day 6 – Rising and Massacre.
At Loch Nan Uamh we see where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed in 1745 and from where he fled Scotland in 1746. Stopping at Glenfinnan, we climb the monument erected in 1815 to commemorate the raising of the Jacobite standard in 1745 and gain magical vistas of Loch Shiel and the 21-arch viaduct over which the Jacobite Express thunders. Thence to Glencoe where, amidst the turbulent and evocative Highland landscape, we discuss the controversy of the slaughter of the MacDonalds and visit the 18th century thatched cottages that house the Folk Museum which interprets that tragic story. During our return to the Lowlands, we will stop en route to visit Rob Roy’s grave. Our day ends at Stirling where we check-in to our hotel for two nights.

Day 7 - Bravehearts.
To Sherrifmuir, site of the inconclusive clash between the Jacobite Earl of Mar and the Duke of Argyll during the ‘15 rebellion. Explore the heroic actions by the legendary William Wallace and Robert the Bruce at Stirling. From atop of the Wallace Monument, we enjoy stunning views over Stirling Bridge where the Scots defeated the English in 1297. Finally, we visit Stirling Castle, the gateway to Scotland, with its glittering Royal Palace, stunning tapestries and peaceful courtyard.

Day 8 - Last Victories.
To symbolic Bannockburn, where the stubborn resistance of Robert the Bruce routed the over-confident English in 1314. At Falkirk Muir we explore the site of the last ever Jacobite victory (January 1746) and follow its recently devised battlefield trail. At the nearby Wallacestone we consider the possible sites for the battlefield where English King Edward I gained revenge for Stirling Bridge. Continue to Edinburgh for our last night and farewell dinner.

Day 9 – Home.
After a hearty Scottish breakfast make your own way home.

Extension
Why not add an extra night to your stay and visit Edinburgh. A good day on foot can be spent exploring the Scottish capital. At the royal residence of Holyrood Palace we imagine Bonnie Prince Charlie in residence amidst all its splendour: the magnificent Great Gallery, used as his Audience Chamber and where he held his extravagant balls and receptions; the Ante-chamber where he dined in public and the sumptuous bed in which he slept. The National Museum of Scotland houses the nation’s greatest treasures, but specifically we visit its Scotland Transformed exhibition with its wonderful collection of Jacobite artefacts and paintings. At the gothic Scott Monument, consider how the literary great has influenced our interpretation of Scottish history and traditions. From the battlements of Edinburgh Castle, gain wonderful vistas of the capital and visit the National War Museum to discover life as a Jacobite and Highland soldier. Return to your hotel for your final night

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