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.