Bench series: Culloden

November 15, 2015 37 Comments

After a family funeral in Inverness this summer, we made a very brief tour of the battlefield at Culloden. It suited our sombre mood. The bench above, with its Gaelic inscription, is dedicated as follows to Gordon Thom:

Around the bench were memorials to the fallen, on both sides.

Culloden memorial

Here the Chief of MacGillivrays fell — Here the Chief of the MacGillivrays fell

Clans MacGillivray, MacLean, MacLachlan - Atholl Highlanders — Clans MacGillivray, MacLean, MacLachlan – Atholl Highlanders

This is Leanach Cottage. A cannon ball is said to have been recovered from its turf wall more than a century ago.

I’m linking this post to Jude’s Bench Series which, for November, is looking for benches with a message.

Scotland, UK Bench Series, Culloden

37 Comments »

Lori L MacLaughlin
December 5, 2015 at 19:47

We walked the Culloden battlefield when we were there in 1995 and took photos of the MacLachlan stones we found. My late husband’s family descends from the MacLachlan clan.

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- Anabel Marsh
  December 5, 2015 at 23:15
  
  It was the 80s when we first went. But I think you too would find it very different now – more commercial.
  
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  - Lori L MacLaughlin
    December 7, 2015 at 14:52
    
    That’s too bad. I hate it when people commercialize everything.
    
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Donna
November 22, 2015 at 15:01

Sorry about your loss. The desolation of this place is so fitting for a battlefield Memorial.

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- Anabel Marsh
  November 22, 2015 at 18:52
  
  Thanks, Donna.
  
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rosemaylily2014
November 21, 2015 at 23:40

Very moving series of photos Anabel. It looks a mournful and desolate place – beautiful in a haunting way!

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- Anabel Marsh
  November 21, 2015 at 23:42
  
  Thank you – it was.
  
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giselzitrone
November 21, 2015 at 11:43

Thank you ich habe ein Überzetzungsbrogram da kann ich soweit alles lesen.Wünsche ein gutes week-end und alles Liebe Gislinde

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- Anabel Marsh
  November 21, 2015 at 11:48
  
  Vielen Dank!
  
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Alex Hurst
November 20, 2015 at 02:37

Beautiful place, though certainly somber. Reminds me a lot of the battlefields I’ve seen that are peppered all across the United States. Vast, slightly rolling fields, sometimes with livestock, but rarely.

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- Anabel Marsh
  November 20, 2015 at 07:43
  
  Yes, I’ve visited a few Civil War battlefields and get the same haunted feeling especially when the landscape is much as it would have been. Manassass for example or the Sunken Road near Richmond. They stick in my mind.
  
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  - Alex Hurst
    November 22, 2015 at 12:09
    
    For me, it would definitely be Custard’s Last Stand. What a long, low place. Places like that definitely tend to carry the scars of memory, even when it might not be known by the people passing through.
    
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    - Anabel Marsh
      November 22, 2015 at 12:15
      
      I haven’t been there. Another one for “some day”.
      
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