Cluny MacPherson

I'm hoping this post provides background from whence my dog gets his name. And no, he isn't named for the movie actor ...

"Cluny Macpherson" - Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, Chief of Clan Chattan, joined the Stewart army with about six hundred men but missed Culloden as they had been sent to guard the passes in the Badenoch. After the failed Jacobite rebellion of '45, the British Redcoats searched the highlands for leaders and members of the Jacobite army. 

Cluny's house was burnt to the ground and all his possessions looted so it became necessary for him to scatter his men and seek refuge.  Cluny, with a small party of men, headed towards Loch Ericht. On the sides of Creag Dubh, he took refuge is a small cave, now known as Cluny's cave. The cave wasn't much more than a hole in the ground with a fallen tree forming the roof, but it was large enough to accommodate two men resonably comfortably.

Cluny MacPherson was joined by Bonnie Prince Charlie, who remained there in hiding for about 5 months. It is said that the Prince asked for Cluny 's plaid because it was thicker than his own. Cluny refused to give it up but offered to share; thus Cluny and the Prince slept under the same plaid.

Cluny remained in hiding for nine years. Many people knew of his whereabouts, but despite enormous rewards no tongue betrayed him. 

There are many stories about his protection, one of which tells of the the little "Drummer Boy". The little drummer boy, who was aged about 10, who was captured by British Army. He had been suspected of supplying food to Cluny. Having been forced to lead them to where Cluny was in hiding, he was desperate to raise the alarm. On the way up the mountain, the boy began to talk to the drummer about his drum and how he wanted to become a drummer. Eventually, the drummer allowed the boy to take a look at the drum. Seizing his opportunity, the little boy beat on the drum as loud as he could. By the time the British reached the cave, Cluny had fled.

In 1765, he escaped to France and died soon afterwards of a broken heart said to have been caused by his longing for his homeland of Speyside.

Cluny MacPherson was mentioned in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Kidnapped'. Cluny Macpherson is portrayed by Stevenson as a powerful man who spends his time listening to the grievances of the people and entertaining guests. Although he is in hiding, Cluny still emerges as a strong character with his sense of dignity and pride intact.

Wednesday, May 2, Newtonmore

We arrived in Newtonmore late in the afternoon.  It was no easy feat getting to this small town of  about 1,000 people. 

We boarded the train in Pitlochry; we expected a short 20 miles ride up the rails north to Newtonmore.  The train slowed as we approached the station and although the train stopped momentarily, the doors never opened.  We were extremely surprised when the train started to move forward.  Apparently, we were unaware that we should have pressed the button to signal the train conductor that we wanted to get off the train.  Lesson learned.  The hiccup was short-lived and after we traveled another three miles up the road, we were able to exit the train in Kingussie and catch a taxi cab back to Newtonmore.

Newtonmore is the home of the Clan McPherson.  As our arrival in Newtonmore came late in the day, the museum was already closed. 

We happened to encounter the curator of the McPherson clan museum.  It seems as though we aren't the first McPherson trespassers to trample the lawn of the museum ... from the sounds of things, it happens  frequently.

Clan Motto:  Touch not the cat bot a glove. 'Bot' means without. The 'glove' of a wildcat is the pad. If the cat is 'ungloved', its claws are unsheathed. The motto serves as a warning that one should beware when the wildcat's claws are 'without a glove'. It is a reference to the historically violent nature of the clan and serves as a metaphorical warning to other clans that they should think twice before interfering with Macpherson business.

All over Newtonmore, you see small statues of Scottish Wildcats.  Similar to the Cow Parade public art exhibition a few years ago, the cats are painted by local artisans and places in public venues all over Newtonmore.  This is the resident cat at the McPherson Museum ... wearing the family tartan.

Wednesday, May 2, Pitlochry

When we arrived in Scotland we knew we wanted to spend a couple of days in Edinburgh and then move on .. what we didn't know is where we would land.  After gathering advice from a few people along our way, we decided we should stop over in Pitlochry, or Baile Chloichridh in Scots Gaelic.  And no, I can't pronouce it ...

Upon our arrival we were greeted by a train station that looked like this. We had a really good feeling about this charming town and Pitlochry did not disappoint.

We immediately fell in love wiht this charming town, from the blooming gardens to the lovely people.  We booked a night in the sweetest B&B called Derryand and our hostess was Marian was incredible.

Pitlochry is in the Highlands and is renown as a desitination for hikers.  It's also famous for the salmon ladder, which acts like a boat locks fso that the fish 'walk' up the power station dam. 

We awoke to see the hills shrouded in fog.  This is the view out our room. 

Our plans for the day included an excursion to Aberfeldy to see Cluny Gardens.  This private botanical garden was breathtaking.  We scored a perfectly beautiful day and spent a fews hours touring the grounds and watching the red squirrels.

The flowers were spectacular!!

The red Cluny squirrels have been resident at the gardens for many years finding food and shelter within the vast variety of established trees.

Once back in Pitlochry, we spent a little time at the Heather Gems factory where the artisans turn Scottish Heather into beautiful works of art. 

On our way back to Pitlochry, we crossed the River Tummel.

We were headed to Newtonmore so it's back to the train station.  Here's a couple more pics of Pitlochry, just because I like them.

Tuesday, May 1 .. Edinburgh .. Happy May Day!!

We decided to spend the day visiting Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Dragoon Museum. 

In the previous post, we talked about Sir Walter Scott.  The monument to Scott is, by far, one of the most impressive monuments I have ever seen.  Located on Princes Street in downtown Edinburgh, the Victorian Gothic spire measures more than 195 feet.

Here is St Giles Cathedral, the pre-eminent house of worship for the Church of Scotland .. I wish that I could have captured the crown shaped steeple in this picture. 

Situated on the corner of Candlemaker Row and George IV Bridge sits the statue commemorating Greyfriars Bobby.  This loyal Cairn Terrier guarded the grave of Old Jock, his vagabond master, for 14 years until his death.    I shall expect no less from my own loyal companion ... Jeff.

The Royal Mile runs between Edinburgh Castle on one end and Holyrood Abbey on the other.  We visited Edinburgh Castle which sits atop Castle Rock and is visible from just about everywhere in Edinburgh.

The castle was originally an encampment of military significance dating back to the 9th century.

Here's Jeff standing next to the battery of cannons.  Our tour guide shared that these cannons were never even fired, but placed here because a castle should have cannons.

Here is Mom, me, and Jeff in the Palace Yard.

The entry to the Scottish National War Memorial.

This is Mom standing next to a Scottish Claymore.  As a point of reference, my mother is 5'4" and this sword is taller than she is ... so remember that the next time you watch Braveheart and 5'10" tall Mel Gibson reaches back and unsheathes his sword with one hand ... Hollywood magic.

I certainly developed an affinity for the guys in uniform .. Beefeaters, Bobbys, and how I wish I could have found a member of the Royal Dragoons in his full regalia.  This is the best I could do.

As we were headed back to our hotel, we encountered a street performer or Busker. 

And the statue of David Hume.  I never heard of David Hume, but Wiki identifies him as a Scottish Philosopher.  According to Glen, our tour guide from Stirling, rubbing the toe of the statue will bring you good luck.

Monday, April 30, Loch Lomond

After departing Stirling Castle, we headed towards the Trossachs and Loch Lomond.    The beauty of the Trossachs was recounted in Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady in the Lake.  

The road through the Trossachs, enroute to Loch Lomond is pretty twisty, so it was very kind of our driver Glen (yes, you heard me, a Scotsman named Glen) found a pretty spot to pull over, so we could take a few pictures and get our legs back under us.  Mom was pretty shivery and Jeff was asking Glen if the cool weather was typical (it was about 35 degrees).  Glen indicated that the warm weather is pretty short-lived in Soctland, as he recalled last year Summer fell on a Thursday.

We boarded the bus again and headed for Loch Lomond.  Loch Lomond is the largest loch (lake) in the UK; to be fair, Loch Ness is deeper and holds more water but Loch Lomond covers more surface area.    

Glen also made sure we took note of Doune Castle where they filmed Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  I wasn't quick enough on the trigger to catch a photograph of it, but I'm sure you can rent the movie and see Doune Castle for yourself. 

We stopped for a nice lunch at the Oak Tree Inn in Loch Lomond.  As we approached the restaurant, we were greeted with a sign that indicated that (gasp!) dogs were not welcome.  I'll show you a picture of the sign, but you have to promise NOT to tell Cluny, because he might take it personally.

For lunch, I was pretty lucky and scored a bowl of  Cullen Skink, a traditional fish chowder ... it was dellish!  The restaurant was cozy and inviting and situated right next to the Loch.  Whilst we were inside having lunch, the sun finally(!) came out ... it was beautiful!

After lunch and Loch, our last stop of the day was the Glengoyne Distillery.  Glengoyne has been in operation since 1833.  The distillery is uniquely situated so that the stills are in the Highlands and the maturing casks are in the Lowlands .. the division between Highlands and Lowlands is the road that runs between the two sites.  

The Hunt of the Unicorn

While we were touring Stirling Castle, one of the docents shared the story of the seven tapestries that depict the Hunt of the Unicorn ...

The Gothic series The Hunt of the Unicorn are significant in European tapestry history.  While the originals hang in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, copies are being woven to hang at Stirling Castle.  Presently, six of the seven tapestries are complete. 

With the help of Wikipedia, I'll give you the run down on the story behind the tapestries.

In the series, richly dressed noblemen, accompanied by huntsmen and hounds, pursue a unicorn against mille-fleur backgrounds or settings of buildings and gardens. They bring the animal to bay with the help of a maiden who traps it with her charms, appear to kill it, and bring it back to a castle; in the last and most famous panel, "The Unicorn in Captivity," the unicorn is shown alive again and happy, chained to a pomegranate tree surrounded by a fence, in a field of flowers. Scholars conjecture that the red stains on its flanks are not blood but rather the juice from pomegranates, which were a symbol of fertility. However, the true meaning of the mysterious resurrected Unicorn in the last panel is unclear. The series was woven about 1500 in the Low Countries, probably Brussels or Liège, for an unknown patron.

This is a picture of the seventh and final taspestry.

The Unicorn is also significant enough to be represented in the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland. 

Monday, April 30, Stirling Castle

At the tourist office the previous day, we booked a tour to Stirling Castle.  Our coach driver picked us up in Edinburgh and set out for Castle Hill. 

After departing the city, we made a brief stop at the Firth of Forth river and the Forth Rail Bridge,  The Forth Rail Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge; completed in 1890, it's the longest cantilever bridge in the UK.  The Firth of Forth eventually flows into the North Sea and we can confirm, It.Is.Freezing there!!

After a few pictures, we hopped back on the bus and pointed towards Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument.  Enroute to the castle, our guide shared with us that although Braveheart may be considered the preeminent Hollywood version of William Wallace's life and an authoritative piece on the war for Scottish independece, the interpretation, according to just about every Scot we encountered should be considered, at best, 'loose'.

Here's a picture of the Wallace Monument .  It's pretty spectacular .. you can see it from Stirling Castle.

We rolled up on the castle and were greeted by a very large statue of Robert the Bruce.

This is a picture of Stirling Castle.

Here we are in the Throne Room.

Unlike many of the castles we visted, the docents at Stirling Castle were in period costume. 

Sunday, April 29, Edinburgh

On our last night in London, we stayed at the home of Mother's friend Suzann.  The address is on Wimpole Mews.  Mews is the British equivalent of a row of stables, most often on the backside of the large city houses.  In modern London, the mews have been renovated and turned into private homes.

Thanks to Suzann, James and their son CJ for opening their home to us.  Their hospitality and generosity was greatly appreciated.

Early the next moring, we packed our bags and hopped a train headed headed to Scotland!!  Here's a  picture of all us on the train enroute to Edinburgh.

Since we are headed for Scotland ... it's time for a Scottish joke.  Credit goes to the nice Scotsman we met on the train who traded whiskey reccomendations with us.

A Scotsman was drinking late into the night at the local pub and slipped a couple of small bottles of Scotch whiskey into his pocket.  After closing the pub down, our friend who was in no condition to drive, hopped a train for the short ride home.  Out of nowhere, the train was involved in a terrible accident and the impact tossed the Scotsman from his seat.  Once he regained consciousness, the lad discovered that his pants were soaking wet.  Our friend thought to himself ... Oh My God, I hope that's blood.

We arrived in Edinburgh and found our way to the tourist office.  Once there, the super friendly staff at Visit Scotland helped us arrange for a B&B and a tour of Stirling Castle.  We hopped a cab to Appin House where we met our host Jim Burnett.

Jim has a cozy B&B and he and his staff were so welcoming and friendly.   Jim was happy to  help with recommendations for eats and entertainment.  For dinner, we followed popped into the Abbotsford.  It was our first night in Scotland ... which means ... someone's eating haggis. 

Mom and Pa have eaten haggis before and Jeff enjoyed it as well ... but I must admit, I wasn't a fan.  We also ordered Scotch eggs, venison meatballs with quail eggs inside.  I can check both of these off my list.

Saturday, April 28, London

On our last day in London, we had several places we wanted to visit so we opted for an all-day tube pass.

Our first stop was the Churchill War Room.  Jeff has been looking forward to visiting this museum since we started talking about this trip years ago.  The museum did not disappoint!

The museum entrance is undergoing renovations, so the current temporary entrance is unimpressive.

Located beneath the Treasury building, this warren of small rooms and hallways was the command center for the British government throughout World War II.  Here's Pa, Mom and Jeff outside the Cabinet War Room.

The War Room and the Churchill Museum are co-located; and while the war rooms remain as they were during World War II, the museum is high tech and very modern.  Here's Jeff in the museum.   

The museum houses so many of Churchill's personal possessions, as well as a comprehesive timeline of his life including the victories and the failures.  My World War II history buff was in heaven!! 

Here's a picutre of me standing in a hallway the was filled with concrete as a reinforcing method and then dug out to restore access to the rooms beyond.

Enroute to our next destination, we passed the Horse Guards Regiment. 

After spending a few hours at the War Room and on the advice of a docent at Windsor castle the previous day, we headed across town to the Tate Britain Museum.  This museum was hosting a Picasso exhibit and also houses numerous works of modern and classical art.