A Wee Tour of Scotland   by Kyle Young

A Wee Tour of Scotland

This year I decided to go on a short tour of Scotland, taking in both the Lowlands and the Highlands. Because I had a limited time to take in the attractions I decided to start on the West Coast of Scotland. I saw a few famous castles and an abbey before going to view Glen Nevis, a wonderful and scenic moor at the foot of Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Scotland, just outside Inverness. I finished my trip with a visit to the last place in Britain where a civil war had been fought. My trip started when I went to Dumfries and Galloway on the south coast, a county that borders on England. I already knew a little bit of the history of the area, and I wanted to see one of the historical buildings I had seen on the internet. This was Sweetheart Abbey. New Abbey, also known as Sweetheart Abbey, lies eight miles south of Dumfries. It was founded in 1275 by Dervorguilla of Galloway, daughter of Alan, Lord of Galloway. She did so in memory of her husband John de Balliol.

His embalmed heart was buried alongside her in a casket of ivory and silver when she died. The monks at the Abbey renamed the Abbey in tribute to her. The couple's son, John, became king of Scotland. His reign was tragically short. The graves became lost over the years of depredations.

New Abbey is made of local sandstone and was founded as a daughter house to Dundrennan Abbey. The Novum Monasterium, New Monastery, became known as the New Abbey. There is a small village beside New Abbey. It took its name after the abbey and is also called New Abbey. If you walk through the village to the other end, you will come upon a corn mill. It has been fully restored to working order, and is used regularly during the summer to show visitors how oatmeal is produced.

I was particularly interested in the corn mill for the simple reason that my father was a miller and when I was young I used to go to his work when he forgot his sandwiches and I loved seeing the milling process. The big hoppers into which the grain was fed, the grinding machines and the large lorries that transported the grain were all fascinating to me, but so were the ropes and pulley's they used within the building. Incredibly, even though it is hundreds of years old, the New Abbey corn mill did not look that much different from the one dad worked in.

I left Dumfries and Galloway and travelled to just outside Ayr, in the county of Ayrshire, where I found Culzean Castle and Country park, which was given to the National Trust by the Kennedy family and covers a total of five hundred and sixty-three acres.

Robert Adams, his father and brothers were famous designers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of their buildings still exist in various parts of Britain and are protected as listed buildings. Culzean Castle is one of these. Robert Adams designed the Castle and it is regarded as his final masterpiece. The castle is associated with the turbulent history of the Clan Kennedy.

This version of the castle was created in the 19th century and sits on the site of a much earlier castle which was designed to be used as a fortress in the many wars that afflicted this part of the world. When the original castle fell into ruin the Kennedy clan decided that something more worthy of their power and status needed to be created, giving rise to a fairytale building that looks more like something from a story than real life. The castle is at the side of the sea, and you can walk down a pathway that takes you down to the shore. There is even a stone beach house. Further down the coast from Culzean caves have been worn into the cliff face by centuries of pounding from the sea. It is rumoured that these caves were shelter for Sawney Bean and his family, a group of robbers and cannibals who made a living from attacking strangers. Fortunately the locals are a little more hospitable these days.

The castle contains an exquisite collection of pictures and 18th Century furniture alongside an armoury which was set up in the 19th century. The beautiful Oval Staircase is Robert Adam's final masterpiece of interior design and there is no more fitting tribute to this wonderful architect. I would urge anyone visiting Scotland to consider coming to this impressive building. President Eisenhower was given the freedom of Culzean after the Second World War and was granted his own apartment in the building for the rest of his life. Moving up from the outskirts of Ayr, I soon came to Kilmarnock where I found the fully restored Dean Castle. This fine building was (not suprisingly) known as Kilmarnock castle until it was presented to the town of Kilmarnock by Lord Boyd in the 1960's and renamed after the surrounding Dean Forest. The castle originally belonged to the Soulis clan, who were descended from the French rulers of Britain, arriving after 1066. The castle then passed into the hands of the Boyd clan in the 16th century. The titular Lord Kilmarnock had the distinction of being beheaded in 1746 in London after taking the wrong side in the Jacobite rebellion. The castle itself was largely ruined. The only full original building is the Dower House, a large residence built by the owners in the early 20th century. The house was badly needed, because the castle was a ruin. It has now been restored by a combination of subscription and public funding. The great hall of the castle has walls over three metres thick, there is a keep tower, a dungeon into which I descended and sat without a light for a few seconds, and a well in the courtyard. Along the wall of the castle is a wooden, enclosed walkway that would have been used by the mistress of the house in wet weather when needing a quiet stroll. This is called Lady's Walk. If you can show a library ticket for Kilmarnock you get into the castle for free, otherwise there is a small entry fee to get into the building. However entry to the park is free. There is a tea shop in the Dower House and a gift shop in the castle. The Dean Park has many surprises for the visitor. It is a nature trail and a country walk. A river called the Kilmarnock Water runs through the full park and is an impressive sight when in full spate in the winter. There is a playpark and a petting zoo for visitors keen on animal life. Many events take place in the Dean Park and the castle throughout the year including a mediaeval fair and talks and conferences in the Dower House. It is said that the castle has several ghosts. One is a little girl who is thought to have been one of the Boyd family, while another is a fine lady who can be seen - appropriately enough - strolling along Lady's Walk. Kilmarnock has several parks but much of the old town has vanished, but other interesting castles can be found in the district including Dundonald and Rowallan. Still in Ayrshire, but crossing the water by ferry to do so, I went to visit Arran, leaving Ardrossan shore to get there. Ardrossan is a port not too far from Ayr and the ferry crossing is with P&O. It is a surprisingly quick crossing. You can either travel as a foot passenger or take your car. Arran is known as 'Scotland in miniature' and has a beautiful, if at times rocky landscape that has been adapted by man to suit his own purposes. I stayed here in a bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Brodick Town where I was made welcome and comfortable. The price of accommodation was surprisingly reasonable. There is a good bus service around the island, which is only about eight miles in circumference, and this means that the casual visitor does not need to go to the trouble of bringing a car, especially if you enjoy walking. Being so close to Brodick Castle, I decided to take a walk there on my first day. Brodick Castle is a red sandstone castle nestling quietly in a wooded area at the foot of Goatfell Mountain. Its stunning position allows a breathtaking view across Brodick Bay. The name Brodick originates from the Norse word meaning broad bay. Arran means peaked island in Gaelic.

The castle was built on the site of a Viking fortress. Its contents include quality silver, exquisite porcelain, paintings and sporting trophies. The castle contains both a beautiful garden and the rest of the surrounding countryside has been designated as a country park. The woodland garden was started in 1923 and is now home to an internationally acclaimed rhododendron collection. You can see a restored Victorian garden during your visit through the Park and enjoy waterfalls, gorges, a nature room, wildlife garden and signposted trails.

Look out for the Ice House. This was where they used to pack ice in the winter in a hole in the ground and then store it in readiness for the summer. The Bavarian Summer House of 1845 is a hexagonal wooden structure decorated with elaborate arrangements of fir cones.

Leaving Ayrshire I travelled in my hired car via Loch Ness, where the famous monster is supposed to live, through Glencoe and up to Glen Nevis, which comes from the Gaelic Gleann Nibheis. This is a spectacular and popular glen situated in Lochaber, in the Highlands of Scotland. Fort William is at the foot of the Glen, and the Mamore range borders it to the south. To the north are the highest mountains in the British Isles, namely Ben Nevis, Càrn Mor Dearg, Aonach Mòr, and Aonach Beag. There is a spectacular change in scenery once you find yourselves in the Highlands. The change is not a subtle one. In Ayrshire you find yourself in rolling, green landscapes with the odd hill. When you are in the Highlands you are surrounded by hills that rise up steeply around you with clouds and mist not just at the top, but often halfway up. This is because you are now thousands of feet above sea level. The scenery is both dramatic and breath-taking.

The magnificent Glen Nevis is home to one of the three highest waterfalls in Scotland, including Steall Falls, where the Allt Coire a'Mhail joins the Water of Nevis. Below the waterfall is a steeply walled and impressive gorge. The Highland Council have ensured that for travellers into Glen Nevis, there is a car park at the entrance to the path that runs along the gorge. There is a rather steep climb up the path, and it leads into the peaceful glen. A wire bridge leads across to the base of the waterfall. There is a sign at the car park that warns that the steep path is potentially lethal, but the council has eased access and reduced soil erosion with some of their building measures on the route. Soil erosion is an unfortunate effect of the many interested walkers to this area. But the measures taken by the Council have reduced this problem.

One of the reasons for the fame of this area is that its outstanding natural beauty means that it was chosen as one of the prime locations in the 'Harry Potter,' movies. The actors involved in the filming did not, unfortunately, travel to Glen Nevis. Daniel Radcliffe and the his fellow artistes were too involved in filming at the studios to come to Scotland. Despite this lack of an actual appearance in the Highlands of Scotland, the scenery was filmed from different angles and then incorporated into the game of Quidditch. Pupils were recruited from the local schools in Fort William and used for distance shots, with body doubles being used for the closer shots. Yet the glen has a special ambience appearance that shows through and adds to the magic that is Harry Potter. I was not surprised to find that Glen Nevis was also used in principal filming for Braveheart with Mel Gibson, and Rob Roy, which starred Liam Neeson. The Fort William authorities are clearly forward-looking and know that encouraging the making of feature films will bring in revenue and show the beauty of the area, encouraging future tourism.

Now that I was in the Highlands, I decided to visit Inverness, which is further up from Fort William. Just outside Inverness is an area of historical importance called Culloden or Drumossie Moor. It is here that the Battle of Culloden happened on the 16th of April 1746. This is the last battle to be fought on mainland Britain. It was between the French-supported Jacobites and the British Hanoverians, and was brought about by the Jacobites attempt to restore the House of Stuart to the throne of Britain.

The Jacobites supported Charles Edward Stuart's claim to the throne - he was known also as Bonnie Prince Charlie. The Duke of Cumberland, known as Butcher Cumberland, supported his father's cause. He was the younger son of the Hanoverian sovereign, King George II. He acquired the nickname of 'Butcher' because of his brutality during and after the battle, when his command was to leave no man standing. Culloden boasts a Visitors Centre where you may view weapons and artefacts associated with the battle, an audio-visual program in a variety of languages, a shop and restaurant. There are facilities for visitors with disabilities. The last audio-visual show is half an hour before closing. Bonnie Prince Charlie's army was defeated within one hour of the battle's commencement. This was mostly due to his army being tired and hungry, and being unable to utilise the infamous Highland Charge - the ground on the moor was sodden on the day and most became bogged down. The result of the battle was a drastic change in the Highlander's way of life. There were severe civil penalties. New laws attacked the Highlanders' clan system, and the wearing of Highland dress, bagpipes and the Gaelic language became outlawed.

Bonnie Prince Charlie fled for his life. He was spirited across the sea to Skye and arrived in France. The crossing from the Scottish mainland owed all to Flora MacDonald, who disguised him as her maidservant. He died in Rome and is buried in Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. I enjoyed my visit to the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. With a limited time for my trip - five days in my case - I was not able to visit all the attractions I wanted to see, but that just means I will have to return soon to see what else this wonderful country has to offer. All the attractions I went to can be seen in a new web directory. This is: www.scotland-placestovisit.com Scotland - Places to Visit has directory entries and pictures of Scottish attractions and activities. In addition it contains a whole series of articles about Scottish words, recipes, and places to eat. It is a great resource for the traveller, with every entry giving exact locations, addresses and contact numbers. Links are given to multimap and websites of the attractions involved. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

About the Author

I am a writer and creator of articles for Tapes for the Blind. I have written reports and humour and recorded various different programmes for the service. I love audio books and Scotland and travel.