This section contains our news page which replaced the Inquirer e-Magazine
and a miscellany of questions, mostly answered, which have arisen during tours
or when lecturing. We also use this section to advise of
any tour content which was, for any reason, found to be inaccurate or in need of
updating. We are always striving to provide only the finest information
and always welcome any errors being pointed out.
Please note that all questions under 134 were asked on our coach tours.
Today we just do exclusive tours.
QUESTIONS ARISING
Items are always
added to the top of the list. Items currently unanswered
are in red. Items in blue are not related directly
to questions.
Items in green have been answered and further comments invited.
143 Murdo The Piper - 19th July 2007
Murdo the
Piper bids farewell -
Highland News.
A PIPER who has
entertained hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world for almost
three decades from his busking pitch on the banks of Loch Ness has been forced
to call it a day
Murdo Urquhart, who has captivated many a Nessie-seeking tourist with his
traditional tunes at the beauty spot, has hung up his bagpipes and
Highland dress due to ill health. A painful back has got the better
of the larger than life 77-year-old Inverness man, who has spent 28 years
providing an atmospheric lilt, and in turn being asked to pose for countless
holiday snaps and act as an ambassador for the Highlands.
He said: I am retiring because of ill health. I have
problems with my spine and I can't stand to play the way I used to do. I have
enjoyed playing at the lochside. I have met people from all over the world, a
lot of nice people. I have done a lot of travelling of my own because I got a
lot of invitations to places all over the world from the people I met.
Murdo the Piper began his busking career
when he was made redundant from gamekeeping when he was in his 50s. He said: I
thought it would be difficult to get a job at that age. So I thought rather than
sit around the house I could go out and play. I never looked back and it got me
out of the house.
I was playing up until last October. I
thought I would be back playing this year but when I was away in Germany in February I took ill and I had to go
into Raigmore
Hospital with my bad back.
He started out playing at Rogie Falls
in Ross-shire, where he spent three years, before moving to the car park of
Urquhart Castle. He spent 14 years
there, before moving on again to a lay-by one mile south of the Clansman Hotel.
Gairloch-born Mr
Urquhart said: Ill really miss it, and the people I met. I have a friend
staying with me just now from Germany whom I
met at Loch Ness and she is being of great help to me at the moment.
142 What is a Royal Burgh? Asked
3rd July 2007
Royal Burghs were
abolished in the seventies apparently, but those towns who had been granted
the Royal Charter still promote it. Royal Burghs also had certain rights
which no longer apply.
141 What determines the number of points on a stag's antlers? Asked
4th June 2007
I will try to find out and
report back.
140 How many Munros are there? Asked 25th May 2007
I found the number 294 in a guide book and assume that is correct.
139 What was the purpose of the tower in Forres?
Nelson's Tower. Believed
to be the furthest north commemoration of Admiral Nelson's victory at
Trafalgar.
138 Who is on the statue in Elgin?
I will find out and report back.
137 The Aspen Trees at Corrimony
Many passengers on my
coach tours and my new private tours have enjoyed looking at the Aspen trees
near the prehistoric site at Corrimony. On 21st May 2007 I was there with some
passengers and noticed that there was no sign of any buds on the branches.
In 2006 we had a very dry summer and I am now wondering if it was so dry
that the Aspens have died. They are an ancient Highland colonising tree and
are specially adapted to suck up vast volumes of water. At Corrimony they
are beside a large drainage culvert so it would be unexpected indeed for
these particular trees to have suffered from the lack of water.
I shall report back here when I have more information.
Follow up 4th June: Finally there are some leaves developing, at least four
weeks behind those in Glen Affric.
136 King James Version of the Bible
On a tour on 12th May 2007
I mentioned James VI translating the bible and a passenger picked on it and
said that he only set up the commission. This is, of course, quite true and
he laid down various parameters and changed the law so that it was no longer
illegal to make a translation. For this reason it is often referred to as
the "authorised" version.
I thought I had better make it clear to previous visitors that I never meant
it literally and really only used it to link into his wonderfully fool proof
method of identifying witches!
135 Loch Mullardoch Dam
Thank you again
for a great tour on Wednesday 3/28. But we did have a follow-up question
about the dam we visited. You mentioned that all of the building materials
for the dam were brought in by the twisting road that we took (where we saw
all the male deer who had been kicked out by the females who were raising
their offspring higher up on the mountains). How long did it take to bring
all the concrete and other materials in to build the dam? Asked 9th April
Hmm, your query made me go onto
the Internet and there are two different dates for the dam's completion. One
is 1952 as I said, the other is 1955 which seems more likely to be accurate. Also, while
browsing I discovered that there is actually a small power station at the
far end of the dam which creates power from the small fall of water from the
level of Loch Mullardoch to Loch Benevean in Glen Affric. You can always
learn something new!
134. Check Out the Inverness Titanic website.
Many passengers on my tours have seen the giant Titanic model in a local
resident's garden on the Beauly approach to Inverness. I have just discovered
that he has a website so check it out and send some support to him.
www.TitanicInverness.com
133.
Report back on the reasons why Mary Queen of Scots could not return to France
after escaping Loch Leven. Raised late August 2006.
132. Why
is Flora MacDonald portrayed with a dog in the statue outside Inverness Castle?
Asked 8th August 2006. Sorry, efforts I have made to discover the relevance of
the dog have drawn a blank. If anyone can provide additional information please
let me know.
131. If
the Scots pines at Corrimony are less than 300 years old, why do the oldest
Scots pines in Glen Affric have no greater girth? Asked 1st August 2006. At the
time I was asked I said it was probably down to the nutrients in the soil and
this was confirmed to me by a member of the "Trees for Life" organisation.
130. I
was asked during the spring of 2006 how far north the Romans got in the early
first millennium. I believe that I answered that they only reached the
Edinburgh/Glasgow divide. However, recent reading indicates that the Roman
General Agricola may have got as far north as Aberdeenshire, but the northern
frontier was always considered to be where I first suggested.
129. The
smashed quartz rock fragments found at Corrimony when it was opened have always
been a mystery. However, a Jewish passenger on the tour on 20th July suggested
an interesting possible explanation. Visitors to Jewish graves will often leave
a pebble on the grave. Could these lumps of quartz found on the Corrimony cairn
be some similar sort of mark of respect left by visitors to the cairn? I'll try
to find out. This part of our tour certainly raises a continuous list of
interesting comments and questions.
128. As
a follow up to item 127 all the speculation over wobbles was irrelevant. The sun
does not rise above the hills overlooking the cairn at all in the middle of
December. However, it does shine into the cairn at sunset on the quarter
solstices of 4th of February and November.
127. On
4th January 2006 (happy New Year everyone) I was talking about the fact that the
sun seems to disappear below the horizon long before it could shine into the
middle of the stone cairn at Corrimony. A passenger said perhaps the Earth's
tilt had changed, but I said that I believed there had not been a major change
in the tilt for millions of years. The passenger was sure there had been. I have
now checked and the tilt of the Earth is currently about 23.45 degrees. About
10,000 years ago it may have been almost a degree greater as there is a very
slight wobble which has varied the axis over the last million years by about two
degrees. In order to affect the position of the setting sun the change would
need to be on a much greater order, say more than 5 degrees. So, the tilt is
nothing to do with it. It looks as if I will need to wait up at Corrimony for
the whole afternoon one 21st December to resolve this. My suspicion now, though,
is that the setting sun does not shine into the cairn here as it does at Clava.
I will follow this up.
126.
Just a reminder to passengers that Christmas is approaching and if you'd
like a copy of my Loch Ness game to arrive overseas, you need to order as soon
as possible. By 1st November for overseas surface mail. By 5th December for
overseas air mail and UK parcel post. Click here:
NESSIE HUNT!. Added 14th October 2005. Update - you now have another
eleven months to place your order!!!!!!!!!!! (Added 4th January 2006).
125. Is
it correct that Walsingham was given the execution order for Mary Queen of Scots
in confidence then broke Elizabeth's confidence. I'll check. Asked 5th October
2005.
124.
What are the actual origins of the names Hibernia and Caledonia. Asked 5th
October 2005.
123.
What is the actual definition of heath and moor? Asked 15th September 2005.
122. A
used roll of film was found at the burial chamber on Thursday 15th September
2005. Did any passenger leave a film there? If so contact me.
121a. On
12th August 2005 I had a meeting with Dorothy Maxwell, archaeologist for the
Highland Council, to discuss historical errors on the information panels on the
lochside. There are many glaring inaccuracies, specifically (i) that General
Wade's road along the southern side of Loch Ness was built after the
battle
of Culloden. It was actually built nearly twenty years before the battle
and the roads were actually used against the government during the final
uprising and (ii) that forts William, Augustus (model shown on the right) and
George and the Ruthven Barracks were also built after the battle of Culloden.
Fort William was actually in use more than fifty years earlier and Forts George
(Inverness) and Augustus were built in the 1730s with the Ruthven Barracks as
part of the same program of improvements by General George Wade.
A later
Fort George was constructed east of Inverness on the Moray Firth but the
original fort stood where Inverness Castle stands today. Parts of the bastion
walls can still be seen. (iii) A further error was the statement that "Feuding
by the clans led eventually to Culloden's bloody battle". This is totally wrong.
Clan feuding had nothing to do with the battle or the political and religious
events leading up to it which all revolved around the uprisings by the rightful
Stuart kings against the usurping regimes firstly of William and Mary and then
of Anne, George I and George II.
Dorothy
was surprised that the interpretive writer who had been commissioned to write
the text for these panels had got this so wrong. She is going to see what she
can do to get this all corrected. Amazingly, two senior representatives of the
council, Mr Strachan (in a meeting of the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board
Management Committee) and Mr Lyon (in an email to me), both claimed that all
these factual errors are "matters of opinion"! Of course interpreting the
political and religious events and their effect on the seventeenth century does
involve some "educated opinion", but the errors about when forts and barracks
were built are known fact. To suggest otherwise is extraordinarily ignorant
really. Dates are dates are dates!
121b,
During the meeting I raised the point about the lack of interpretation of the
bare hills which exist around Loch Ness (not everything can be covered on these
panels of course). On the tour we talk about the Caledonian forest (small "f")
as being the woodland which covered almost all of Scotland 8,000 years ago.
Dorothy was telling me that the term Caledonian Forest (capital "F") actually
refers more to a particular forest at a specific time than the general Scottish
forest and I've asked for some clarification on this as we always want to ensure
the accuracy of what we present.
She was
also saying that the climate during the mid-Neolithic period was so much better
than it is today that many of the plateaux around the loch may well have been
cleared of timber in Neolithic times for cropping and grazing, rather than
during the bronze and iron ages for charcoal production. I may not have
appreciated how much milder the climate was at that time and so this certainly
seems logical and the
Neolithic clearing was therefore probably more extensive than we normally
present, but again I have asked for a little more clarification particularly
that the forest on the hilltops was still in situ until the bronze and iron
ages. Hopefully I can report back on this shortly. See also number 111 below
which becomes even more important. I shall follow up my enquiries over this as
the people at the Cairngorm National Park have not yet replied to my enquiry of
three months ago!
Normally
I would have put the clearance of the high ground forest 80% down to charcoal
production. Perhaps this should be more evenly split between Neolithic
clearances and charcoal production, although the latter would certainly have
counted for most of the clearance of the highest and more uneven areas of
hilltops.
I always
like to use meetings such as these to explore possible improvements to what we
present on the tour and I really appreciate the time Dorothy spent with me on
Friday.
120.
What year did Elizabeth I of England die and James VI of Scotland become James I
of England? 1603. Sorry, I often forget exact dates and always like to double
check. This was the beginning of the end of Scotland's independence. All those
wars of independence and our own king, to all intents and purposes, gave the
country to its greatest enemy! Asked 3rd August 2005.
119.
Will any of the passengers who took photographs of the family of mink we saw on
the Glen Affric trip a few weeks ago please send me one of their photographs as
I think it would interest other visitors who have taken this trip. Thanks. Asked
5th August 2005.
118.
While we were at the Corrimony chambered cairn and standing stone circle on
Tuesday 2nd August 2005 a visitor pointed out that the stone to the right of the
entrance appears to have a crack filled with mortar. On the following day I
pointed this out to another group at the stone circle and another passenger
pointed out a similar mortar application on the stone to the left of the
entrance. By now starting to feel that I must have been blind not to have
noticed it before, I promised to try to find out whether or not the stones were
repaired in modern times or earlier. There is no mention of the stones being
restored in Richard Frere's writings on Corrimony. I shall follow up on this.
Question raised 2nd August 2005. On Wednesday 10th August I had the opportunity
to take this up with Tommy Simpson (a senior custodian with Historic Scotland).
He says that the stones were mortared as a protective measure to prevent damage.
I also asked him if he could do something about the poor entrance where the
kissing gate sometimes stands guard over the most awful quagmire of mud and he
promised me he'd look into improvements. It's not August that the problem arises
of course, it's in the winter.
117. I
was asked about The Grange in Ireland last week (27th July I think). A guide
there was talking about the designs on the kerbstone etc. as being Neolithic,
whereas in Scotland the only Neolithic marks are cup marks of various
descriptions. I said I'd check up and report back here.
The
guide was quite correct and the spiral shapes were certainly Neolithic. They are
not, however, the complex knot-work I had envisaged which came much later. I
must get over there one day.
116. On
a tour last week I was asked why our tour guide book uses the spelling Stuart
instead of Stewart. I must admit that I tend to use Stuart because it tended to
be more frequently used for the later Stuarts. Most books these days however use
the older version Stewart. The name change occurred owing to the French alphabet
not having a "w" in the sixteenth century. Mary Stewart (Mary Queen of Scots)
spent most of her early life in France and adopted the spelling Stuart which she
continued to use after returning to Scotland. Sometimes the name is spelled
Steuart as eu can more closely match the ew sound. The original
Stewart comes from Robert the Bruce's great nephew, Robert the Steward who
became king when the Bruce's son David II died childless. Asked 13th July 2005.
If you
would like a copy of my 10,000 guide book in Cantonese, English, French, German,
Italian, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish click on this link: 
then scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find the guide book
listed. These are £3 UK and £5 worldwide. Also on this page you can buy the
"NESSIE - The Surgeon's Picture" book and my Nessie Hunt game.
115.
On Sunday 19th June 2005 I was talking to a forestry expert from the USA who was
suggesting that the Lime tree is related to the Plane tree (Platanus x
acerifolia). This rang a bell and I found a similar discussion at item 77
below. This seems to show that the Plane tree leaves (see left) don't resemble
the Lime at all (see right). This does not, of course, mean that they are not
related, but I would appreciate comment from the gentleman concerned if he reads
this or from any other experts on deciduous trees of Britain.
114.
What were the dates of King Alexander III? 1249 - 1286. Just a few years later
the kingship came into dispute
and Edward "Longshanks" rules directly from England through the puppet Balliol.
Asked 8th June.
113.
When was the rampant lion first used as an emblem? Asked 8th June. It appears
that the use of the rampant lion flag goes back much further than I had
believed. From what I have been able to find out it could have been used during
the reign of King William I of Scotland (1143-1214), but this has never been
substantiated. His son, Alexander II used it on a seal in 1222 which appears to
be the first usage.
This
question was originally linked with the question above about Alexander III who I
still thought was too early to use the flag. However, it can be seen that it was
in use before Alexander III's birth.
However,
the flag is not really meant to be flown except by the Scottish monarch (I had
previously thought that Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother had the right to use
it, but this is apparently not so). Using the flag without permission still
carries the death penalty, yet it is seen flown all over Scotland and is
regularly used as a rallying flag at both football and rugby games. Cheaper
flags usually omit the blue claws and toes so it is easy to tell which
businesses are the cheapskates. The correct rendition of the flag is shown at
the left, but I am just hoping I can find a good lawyer if the Lord Lyon decides
to come after my neck for reproducing it!
One
great thing about the tour is that questions by visitors often teach us new
things which we can then occasionally incorporate within the tour.
112.
There is supposed to be a Rowan tree in the centre of Cawdor Castle and I have
promised to check. Cawdor is a well known name owing to Shakespeare's Macbeth,
but it didn't actually exist in the time of the real Macbeth (1005-57).
Shakespeare just looked it up on a map when writing his play. The play contains
much other misleading material including the libelling of one of Scotland's
earliest and most successful reforming kings. The castle itself is one of the
finest mediaeval keeps in Scotland, in fact I consider it to be the
finest. Do try to visit it when in the Highlands. The Rowan tree is often
referred to as a "Mountain Ash", but this is a misnomer. The name arises as the
segmented leaves of the Rowan are very similar to the Ash, but they reproduce in
completely different ways. The Rowan has red berries and the Ash has a
wind-blown seed. Question about the Rowan asked on 20th May 2005. I've
finally been able to check this and it is not a Rowan, it is a Hawthorn tree.
Updated 23rd October 2005. By the way, this really was a Hawthorn, not the tree
I made the mistake on at number 54 below.
111. Did
the Caledonian Forest extend over the Cairngorms or was it always tundra? Asked
13th May 2005. I have written to experts about this. See also number 121(b)
above.
110. On
the afternoon tour of 25th April I had a passenger with a book by, I believe,
Molly Hunter. She raised issues about Mary Queen of Scots which I couldn't
answer at the time. One of these was the fact that "Bloody Mary", Henry VIII's
daughter was a Catholic monarch and I had said that the English would be
horrified to have a Catholic monarch.
In fact
I knew very little about this Mary because it is before the time of the
unification of the crown, but I've since done some reading. The time of Bloody
Mary appears quite horrific at first glance, but her reign was short and
Elizabeth I quickly re-established order.
I shall
read some more about this period, but I must admit that English history
pre-unification does not appeal greatly to me and it does not affect my
assertion that the English would have been horrified at the thought of Mary
Queen of Scots becoming the Catholic queen of a unified Britain.
109. The
same person also showed me family trees in the Hunter book which are certainly
inaccurate. For instance the line from Robert the Bruce shows Robert II and
Robert III directly descended from the Bruce as son and grandson. In fact,
Robert the Bruce's son, David II was completely omitted. His nephew who did
become Robert II actually ran the country for much of his reign as he was being
held in England for ransom. So Robert II was Robert the Bruce's great nephew,
not his son. He was also the first of the Stuart kings. Anyway, the family
trees in the Hunter book are certainly incorrect in this one instance and I do
not have a copy of it to check the other relationships, but Mary of Guise's
relationship with the Tudor's also appeared to be incorrect from memory.
108. On
Monday 25th April I had the most disconcerting experience with some visitors
from Florida.
We try
to keep the tour light and amusing, especially when we have to deal with
subjects like the hanging, drawing and quartering of Wallace or the atrocities
committed during and after the battle of Culloden. We also like to think that we
can be satirical and have a dig at our politicians from time to time. It is
meant to be a rounded experience. I am always, however, very careful never to
take sides on political issues or express any support for any politician or
political system. I am actually an environmentalist, but do not let it colour
the tour to a recognisable extent.
I
strongly believe that it is important that visitors really understand principles
of Scottish history and politics and the presentation of this is often enhanced
by using comparisons with present day situations. For instance I have
occasionally used Zimbabwe as a way of lightening the explanation of how the
Scots and Picts used to elect their kings ... for life! Sometimes I will even
say that electing kings is not that dissimilar from what we do today. I've been
known to say that we do something very similar, like electing king Tony Blair,
king George Bush or king Putin and isn't it a good thing they're not elected for
life? It is meant to a fun way of illustrating a point. It does not mean that I
dislike Blair, Bush or Putin or that I am being disrespectful towards
them. Seeing such a statement as an insult or disrespect is plain crazy.
It is
impossible to tell the story of the Jacobites and Hanoverians without
potentially upsetting some Catholics or Protestants. But that does not mean that
the story should not be told. What about the Crusades when Christians went to
the middle-east with permission from the Pope to murder anyone who wasn't
Christian? Should this not be explained because I may be offending Islamic
people? It could be done, of course, but wouldn't it be so, so dry. My guests
are on holiday - they don't want a stuffy politically correct lecture. Visitors
regularly tell us that we have made Scotland's history understandable. That is
exactly our objective.
These
things are all part of helping people understand Scotland's complex and
fascinating past. I can't omit X because it will upset Catholics, Y because it
will upset Democrats or Z because it is bad for the environment. This guided
experience is meant to major on educating and informing. It cannot be limited by
bigotry and narrow-mindedness.
We don't
always cover the same stories every day, that would be boring for us and it
would lose its freshness. We cannot cover in detail all of Scotland's history,
there would never be time for that. I keep about thirty or forty stories in the
Scottish historical timeline and choose five or six of them each day. Some days
I skip through Macbeth in a sentence or two, other times I elaborate and spend
ten or fifteen minutes on the mid-eleventh century. I did this on Monday and
talked about how Macbeth's army battled Duncan's east of Inverness. I said,
"In those days the leaders used to fight their way to the front. Can you imagine
that today? If George Bush and Saddam Hussein had had to battle it out with
swords, do you think we'd have had a war or would diplomacy have tried a little
longer?"
I have
used this analogy many times (often using Tony Blair instead of George Bush) and
often have had little digs at politicians from all over the world to illustrate
points.
On this
occasion, after the tour, one of my ladies from Florida came up to me and said
that she did not appreciate the comment about George Bush and that it was in bad
taste! I must admit to being absolutely gobsmacked by this. For a moment I
thought she was joking and went back to her and asked if she was really offended
and she said she was. I apologised for any offence caused unintentionally, but
must admit I was totally shocked by her reaction. My comments were only
intended to make the visitor really think about the way things were and
were intended to be harmless. Anyway she repeated that she considered it an
insult to her president and in very bad taste.
I had
just spent four hours busting a gut to give the very best of my storytelling
abilities to this group and I must admit that I was deeply, deeply hurt and
disturbed by this reaction.
Did I do
wrong? What do you think? Quite frankly I am bemused by this and find it totally
unbelievable that someone could be so upset by something so innocuous as this.
It was worse than if I'd blasphemed. I even wondered if I should remove the
picture of George Bush currently number 22 on the News Page (not this Questions
Page). I asked people to let me know by email what they thought and I was
offered unanimous support. I promised to report back here. 134 emails were
received. I was told in two or three U.S. emails that there are some really
fanatical supporters of George Bush in their country and that they can be upset
really quickly. I was also told that a backlash is developing against all the
negative vibes about George Bush being experienced in Europe and that I may have
experienced this. I now use the analogies a little more carefully anyway, but
find it sad that anyone can jump so strongly into the defence of any politician
when no serious criticisms were actually intended! Updated 30th July 2005.
107. I
often describe the kings which followed Malcolm Canmore as "puppets" of the
Normans. This was challenged on Thursday 7th April and I have pulled out some
books and read three separate authors' coverage of the period. After Malcolm,
the kings of Scotland often ruled with the support of the English Normans. After
kings Edgar and Alexander I, David I became king of Scots and he was most
enthusiastic of the Norman system and was considered by many Normans to be one
of them. During this reign there were many Normans in Scotland and the feudal
system was growing in popularity. In 1159 Malcolm IV went with an English army
to Toulouse and the following year the English king assisted Malcolm in the
subjugation of Galloway and to overcome a number of rebellious Earls. By 1180
William I of Scotland had ceded the whole kingdom of Scotland to Henry. Although
Alexander II did fight back against the English, the Norman way of life had
gradually expanded through most of the Scottish mainland. Many of Alexander
III's barons joined the English in crusades. By the last decade of the
thirteenth century Edward I of England was declaring himself king of Scotland.
Probably the term "puppet" is somewhat unfair, but there was a degree of
puppetry on various occasions so the viewpoint can perhaps be justified. I have
invited the challenger to write to me as she had written a paper on the period.
I will publish her paper here subject to her permission as readers may find it
interesting. I'm always open minded about these matters.
106.
What was the exact relationship between Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of
Scots? Asked 30th March 2005. We know they were cousins, but I shall put the
family trees up here when I have more time as the question was about exact
relationships. Mary was the grand-daughter of Henry VII of England so was both a
Stuart and a Tudor. This, coupled with Henry's divorces, which the French did
not recognise, led to them proclaiming her Queen of England. Another reason why
she was seen as so dangerous to Elizabeth. Updated
5th August 2005.
105.
When we build Robert The Bruce into the historical narrative, we sometimes
mention that his body was exhumed a number of years ago. We've just been asked
when and why. Asked 21st March 2005. As far as I can ascertain, this was to see
what condition the body was in ... apart from being dead presumably! Issue
closed 30th July 2005.
104. Is
the sword on display at the Wallace Monument really that of William Wallace?
Asked 16th February 2005. Apparently so. Frankly I am amazed that such an
artefact could have survived the centuries and shall keep an ear to the ground
on its authenticity in the future. Further information is that if this really
was Wallace's sword, then only part of it would be original. Swords were
regularly re-made in those days.
Updated 20th October 2005.
103. Email 10th January: One of the stones I picked up on your tour
[at the beach] ended up in South Africa with my Mom who is very
interested in geology. She asks why the Loch Ness stones are pink?
If the stone is pink with a crystalline appearance (peppered), that
is a type of pink granite found in many parts of Scotland. The
Scottish mountains comprise several types of granites, schists,
limestone, sandstones etc. so we have multi-coloured gravels around
Inverness where much of the ice age material was dumped.
However, this particular granite was formed some 400 million years
ago while the north of Scotland was still part of North America. It
nestled just south of Nova Scotia, itself badly misnamed!
102.
I was asked on 28th August 2004 about the possibility of using a
sonar array to get an image of any large animal passing beneath. I
pointed out that this would need a huge and "tight" sonar array to
be of any use. I mentioned the Iscan rig which couldn't achieve any
shape owing to the separation of the sonar transducers which must
have been at about 4 foot centres. The array is shown on the left
and appears to comprise 144 units. A number of these also housed
harpoons! Great idea, but didn't achieve anything positive.
However, see the reference to the NASA enhancement
on this page. Rikki & Alan really achieved something through their digging
into Dr Rines' "evidence".
101. Malcolm Weald of Forest Enterprise tells me that, recently,
Sika deer have been getting into Glen Affric over the western
mountains and they are being culled when seen. I mention this as
follow-up for those who have taken the Wilderness tour.
100. If
someone is caught poaching salmon is it a criminal or civil offence? Asked 28th
August 2004. Gordon Menzies, the skipper of Morag Mo Chridhe is also chairman of
the Inverness Salmon Association. He says it is definitely a criminal offence
brought before the Sheriff who can confiscate all equipment and vehicles being
used ... so don't even think about it!
99. I was asked by a US Republican supporter on 28th August 2004,
who I thought the Scots would want to be president of the USA. I
know what was meant, but couldn't resist answering "Sean Connery".
However, given time to contemplate the matter further I think it
would have to be Martin Sheen or Harrison Ford! In the eleventh
century, though, the leaders used to fight their way to the front
and, if they did that today would we have had a war in Iraq? The
president of the USA against Saddam Hussein - scimitars at dawn - we
all know what Harrison Ford would have done - he'd have pulled a
Colt 45! Can't quite see Bush or Kerry in the same situation
though.
98. Have bog-people ever been found in the Highlands? Asked 24th or
25th August 2004.
97. Sorry to passengers on the Wilderness Tour of 29th July 2004 for
not seeing any deer. This is only the second time in two months that
we have drawn a blank on deer. However, look at this picture, on the
right, taken by one of our passengers, Dr Kathy Curran, during the
Wilderness Tour back in June. It just goes to show that if you keep
quiet you can approach even a red deer stag within just a few
metres. This is the full frame photo, not cropped! We can never
guarantee deer on our tours, but it is rare for us not to see any on
any particular day. Dr Curran, however, was spectacularly lucky to
get such a fine photograph. The deer's antlers are still developing
and are covered in "velvet". The tree in the foreground is a type of
Alder. The detail in the heather behind the deer and the foreground
shows how close the photographer was to the subject.
96. What is the red plant at a low level alongside the River Walk at
Glen Affric? This is almost certainly sphagnum moss.
There
is a picture here with heather shoots on the right and some lichen
on the left. It was sphagnum moss which, over the thousands of years
since the last ice age, created the peat bogs in Glen Affric and
also around Loch Ness. It is owing to the rain water soaking through
these bogs that we have brownish water in the loch. The lichen, is
found only in areas with pure air, often on the branches of older
trees. It is a symbiosis between fungus and algae. The heather is
one of the most common plants found in boggy areas of Scotland. this
is common heather, but you can see bell heather in the illustration
below. Asked 29th July 2004.
97. What is the cable lying alongside the road in Glen Affric -
quite simply a telephone cable to the lodges at the end of the glen.
96. What is the pink trumpet-flowered plant on the river walk at
Glen Affric? Think this is a type of heather, but will report back.
21st July 2004. Bell heather illustration now shown to the right. If
the original person could let me know if this is the flower they saw
then question is answered.
95. What diameter is the hydro tunnel from Loch Beinn a Mheadhion to
Fasnakyle. Asked mid-July 2004. Apparently about 4 metres, but I've
been unable to get anyone to come back to me with an exact size..
94. Why are the Dog Falls so named? Asked 3rd July 2004. Talking to
Malcolm Weald of Forest Enterprise, it appears that this and the
close by Badger Falls, were simply pet names given to them by the
Victorian estate owners.
93. Just to confirm that the Scottish blaeberry is related to
blueberry. The plant is shown in the picture here. Its habitat is in
the sheltered areas within Highland woodlands. Particularly unspoilt
areas like Glen Affric.
92. What is the purpose of the log cabin part way along Glen Affric?
Asked 14th June 2004. Again Malcolm has helped us here. It was part
of a community project with the people of Strathglass. I should have
known this as a friend of ours actually helped to build it. The
cabin comes completely apart and has no fixings. It is a reduced
scale prototype for larger cabins.
91. For
what purpose are the pyramid-shaped wood things? It would be great if I even
knew to what Alison is referring! I can't remember seeing any pyramid-shaped
wood things! Will have a look when I do the tour on 19th. Asked 14th June 2004.
Alison asked what she is on about on 18th June 2004 ... no reply, presume LSD or
similar! Finally discovered these objects are stick objects beside the log
cabin. Now trying to find out. As of 27th August this is still a mystery as even
Malcolm Weald of Forest Enterprise doesn't know. Perhaps they are alien devices
positioned to trap inquisitive tourists so that they can then be "beamed- up"!
Now he's trying to find out too. Finally, April 2005, we have discovered for
what they are used. Each spring there is an event including running, cycling and
swimming in Glen Affric and the pyramid constructions are to hold the bicycles
while not in use. So simple! Isn't everything when you know the answer?
90. Apologies to passengers again. I have occasionally mentioned
Loch Leven in Fife. It is not in Fife, it is in Kinross-shire!
Mental aberration having driven to Fife so often. It always seems as
if you're in Fife the moment you turn off the main road! Well
spotted by a group from the States on 20th July 2004.
89. Apologies to passengers on my tour when I have been guiding. I
don't have a huge knowledge of the period around Mary Queen of Scots
and have been erroneously saying that Mary had a choice to abdicate
or renounce her religion. My co-guide, Alison Cameron, who
really knows that period tells me that she had no choice. It
was abdicate or be drowned!
88. What did the Hanoverians eat for breakfast on the morning of the
battle of Culloden? Raised 3rd June 2004 as an argument between
Alison and Tony who were both guiding the tour that day. Will gruel
or bacon and eggs win the day? This argument began when I was asking
passengers to imagine the starving Jacobites, who were overlooking
the Hanoverian base in 1746, smelling the cooking, perhaps of bacon
and eggs (which I used as it is such an emotive smell) wafting up to
them. Alison Cameron was with me and took me to task over it after
the tour, saying that they probably only ate gruel. This developed
into banter over what they actually ate, but I knew, somewhere, I
had seem something about the smell of cooking. Eventually I managed
to get one of the experts on Culloden at the National Trust visitor
centre to look for any references and he found one. They ate bread
and water - so that seems to knock my aroma idea into touch.
However, the same reference mentions that the Hanoverians, who had
had a big feast the night before the battle to celebrate
Cumberland's birthday, were cleaning up the camp and the butchers
were burning the remains of the carcases that had provided the feast
the night before so an aroma was wafting up to the Jacobites.
In a sense both of us were right. The reference was from John
Prebble's "Culloden" which is probably why I remembered something
about it. The whole point in this page is to correct errors in our
tour content and provide additional information so I hope you have
found that little debate of interest. Answer obtained 25th July
2004. John Prebble, incidentally, is Canadian and tends to dramatise
events somewhat, but there were actual references quoted in this
section of his book so we can be fairly sure it was accurate.
87. How long was Wallace a thorn in the side of the English? Asked
30th May 2004. I said I thought it was about ten to fifteen years,
but on checking it was, in fact, more like seven years. He made
himself an outlaw in 1296 and was executed in 1305.
86. Wild flower identification requested 30th May 2004: the yellow
flower at the Clansman Hotel was mustard as thought and the white
flower whose name I had forgotten was Stitchwort. I was also asked
what heather looks like in bloom and there is a picture to the left.
85. Did Aspirin really come from the Aspen tree? Asked during
October 2003. "Apparently so", I had answered. A further
update on this as at 28th May 2004.
NOT CORRECT.
Aspirin actually comes from Willow Bark. Strangely the information
about it being from Aspen was given very authoritatively and I
checked it with a chemist who was "fairly sure" it was correct. I
have now checked it extensively on the Internet and the only
reference I can find is to Willow Bark. Thanks to the doctor from
Sri Lanka on the bus who pointed this out to me.
84. Some of my passengers on 25th May were really worried about a
lamb (near Corrimony chambered cairn), which appeared to be having
trouble standing up. Well, just to keep you informed .... it was
delicious!
83.
Where did Highland cattle originate? Asked 23rd May 2004.
82. Why
are the Limes, Horse Chestnut and Sycamore (Maple) trees near the Corrimony
Standing Stones surviving so much better than the Beech and Oak? Asked 23rd May
2004. It seems that they are not actually doing any better, but tend to get
their leaves earlier so look in better condition during the month of May.
81. What was the purpose of the Clachnacuddin stone outside the Town
House in Inverness? Asked in May 2004. It was used for washing
clothes. How boring!
80. Who is the descendant of Charles Edward Stuart? Asked by email
in March 2004. The rightful king of Britain is a man living in
Poland by the name of Sobieski a descendant of an illegitimate child
of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Of course, the fact that the child was
illegitimate may invalidate the claim, but it would seem unlikely
that Mr Sobieski will ever see the inside of Buckingham Palace ...
unless he pays the entry, of course!
79. When
Charles I was executed, what was the reason given? Asked January 2004. Treason.
78. Is the Braveheart movie correct about Wallace's wife and family?
Asked during October 2003. I have not been able to find a direct
reference to this. Does any reader know of one?
77. On Friday 15th August 2003 we were looking at the Sycamore trees
on the approach to the Corrimony Cairn and I was asked if
they were actually Plane trees (Platanus x acerifolia). According to
my books the Plane tree appears to have a different fruit and
different leaf. In addition the flowers are quite dissimilar.
Pictures of both leaves shown here. Perhaps one is a variety of the
other, but I can't seem to find out. Can any reader add to this
information? The sycamores on the road to Corrimony are suffering
from serious neglect. Over the years branches
have been broken and, without proper tree surgery, the broken area
starts to rot. The rot continues down the line of the broken branch
and on into the main trunk. Sooner or later the tree will be
attacked by woodpeckers which love dead timber and the result will
eventually be a premature death.
76. Just over a year ago I told passengers that there was some
interesting news about to break. That news has just been released
and you can read about it in our News section (see item 33 on
the News Page). Since then I have been careful not to
claim that the loch was never open to the sea. It now appears that
it may have been, although not at the right time to be of any real
use to creatures wishing to enter the glen. Those of you who took
the tour prior to 2002 will accept my apologies for providing
slightly misleading information, although based on our best
knowledge at the time.
75. Was Inverness Castle destroyed in 1745 or 1746? Fort George,
which stood where Inverness castle now stands, was blown up on 20th
February 1746 by the retreating Jacobites (supporters of Charles
Edward Stuart). Today the castle houses the sheriff courts so you
can't visit it unless you are arrested!
74. Thanks to a lady on the tour my ignorance of the English
language has been exposed! I have always frowned at the use of the
term "Old Pretender" for James the Un-numbered because I always
considered that pretensions were something somehow wrong or looked
down upon. However, to be a pretender or to have pretensions is
apparently something which can be valid and not something which is
unlikely to be valid as I have thought. So, you could be the
pretender to a lottery jackpot even with the winning ticket because
all you are is a claimant ... the valid one, but a claimant none the
less. Learn something every day!
73. I've just realised that recently I've occasionally mis-related
Mary (of William and Mary) as the daughter of Charles I and sister
of James VII. Must have been a mental aberration! Mary was actually
the daughter of James VII and granddaughter of Charles I, the one
who was executed. The difference is important because Mary, as
James' daughter, had a slightly better claim to the throne than she
would have done as Charles' daughter. Nevertheless, in the way the
crown was organised in the eighteenth century, James the
un-numbered, James VII's son, was still the rightful heir.
72. What did Urquhart Castle look like before being destroyed?
Raised 20th December 2002.
I shall obtain a copy of an artist's impression and post it up here.
Update 10th August 2003 - owing to copyright problems I cannot show
the artist's impression, but I have taken a picture of the model in
the castle visitor centre and you can see it here. The approach to
the castle towers appears wrong in the model. The curving approach
was to prevent an easy run with a battering ram. Twenty men running
in a curve! Think about it.
71. What is the lady's record for swimming the length of Loch Ness?
Raised 10th December 2002. The current men's record for swimming the
length of Loch Ness (23 miles, 35 kilometres) is 10 hours and 50
minutes by David Morgan of Scarborough ... who then turned around
and swam back setting a two-way non-stop record of 23 hours 50
minutes - and he didn't wear a wetsuit or grease. Update 15th July
2003 - have been unable to find out. Sorry. Will keep trying.
70. It was recently raised on the tour that the Jacob's sheep was
not so named owing to its coat of many colours. We shall check out
the bible reference and report back here. Added 11th March 2003:
Thanks to Revd Tony Atkins for the following: "I was on your tour
on Saturday (which was excellent and I have kept telling people how
good it was) and we had a discussion about how Jacob's sheep got
their name. You said it was to do with his son's coat of many
colours, but I think they would have been known as Joseph's sheep if
that was the case. If you read Genesis 30:25-31:13 you will
read the account of how the sheep kept changing their colouring so
that Jacob got to keep them. In chapter 30 it implies that Jacob
does this by his own scheming. In chapter 31 it implies that it was
by divine intervention. Not only did I grow up on a farm but I
work as a hospital chaplain and am a priest in the Church of England
which is why I remembered the story. Thanks again for the tour and I
hope that this is of some help to you." So apologies to everyone
to whom I have mis-told this tale over several years - shame on you
... and me ... for being so ignorant, or maybe you all knew I was
wrong but were too polite to say! Actually I think the present tale
is actually more interesting so shall be having a peek at Genesis
over the next day or two.
69. What is the acreage of Lord Burton's estates? Raised October
2002. As of 11th April 2004 we finally got the answer - 11,000
acres.
68. How many Scots were exiled during the Highland Clearances in the
18th and 19th centuries? Raised in September 2002. When I
started to look into this I found some surprising results. According
to a Kirk census in 1755 there were 255,000 people in the "crofting
counties". In 1801 the government began taking a proper census every
ten years and in 1881 the population was 400,000. This shows not a
drop in population, but a considerable rise over the hundred or so
years which are supposed to be most representative of the
clearances. It is suggested by the historian Michael Fry that,
perhaps the clearances were not so much as claimed ... merciless
landlords evicting poor wee crofters, but more likely to be a
general shifting of the population with some emigrating, some moving
into towns and cities and some staying on the land and adapting to
new conditions and a new economy. Fry's book is due out in 2006 and
will make an interesting read. In the meantime I still like John
Prebble's "Highland Clearances" which is available in Penguin Books
as part of his trilogy. The other titles are "Massacre of Glencoe"
and "Culloden". He also wrote "Lion in the North" which I did not
find as gripping. Perhaps Prebble's "Clearances" will turn out
to be too much of a romantic view of the actual events. We'll see.
Hope all that helps!
67. Where was Rob Roy filmed? Raised September 2002.
66. Was
Scottish Broom ever used for making brooms? Raised August 23rd 2002. I cannot
find any reference to broom being used for brooms. Actually, a close look at the
plant itself indicates that it would not be strong enough to be used in that
way. Broom is a member of the pea family. The wild plant has beautiful yellow
flowers in May and June and hybrids show more exotic colours. Interestingly it
is related to gorse which exhibits very similar flowers through most of the
year, although primarily May and June too. When the Scots were exiled during the
clearances, many took broom with them to remind them of home. This has become an
environmental problem for New Zealand, Australia, Canada and parts of the U.S.A.
I have now been advised that broom fronds were indeed used to make brooms at one
time. Does anyone know any more about this? Updated 22nd October 2005.
65. What is the order of titles i.e. Lord, Viscount etc? Raised in
August 2002 and again in April 2005. I will make an effort to find
out, sorry..
64. Why is Lake Mentieth a lake and not a loch? Raised August 8th
2002. Update 6th July 2004. Sorry for the delay on this one. I had
heard that it was called Lake Mentieth as a permanent reminder that
Mentieth handed Sir William Wallace to the English, but could not
substantiate it. Recently, however, I read that a map maker in the
eighteenth or early nineteenth century marked all the Scottish lochs
as lakes. When he realised that they should be labelled as lochs he
went back and altered the names. During that process he missed one
and it has been called Lake Mentieth ever since. Frankly neither
story may be true, but let's leave it on the site and anyone who
discovers something new can email me.
63. One of my passengers thought they heard that William Wallace had
visited Urquhart Castle twice. This was part of the tour information
provided on the boat section of the tour. I have checked this with
the guide on the boat and what he said was that Wallace's soldiers
may have visited Urquhart Castle, not that Wallace himself did. It
is possible Wallace did come to Urquhart, but it is not proven.
62. As part of the tour, one of our excursions is to the Loch Ness
Clay Works which involves a trip along the ridge on the northern
side of the Great Glen. At one point here we see Boleskine House in
the distance. This was once the home of devil worshipper Aleister
Crowley. I have always pronounced the name CR-OW-LEE with the
ow as in the ou of ouch. A friend who took the tour some short while
ago raised the possibility that it should, perhaps, be pronounced
CR-OH-LEE as in crow the bird. The other day he sent me the
following couplet which appears to partly resolve the issue.
Those who treat me foully will always call me Crowley,
But those who know I'm holy insist my name is Crowley.
61. Where do the ospreys go to when they leave the area?
Surprisingly I hadn't been asked this
until 16th August 2002 and didn't know the answer. The answer -
Africa. One of the reasons they leave, apparently, is owing to the
water becoming less clear in the autumn. This picture was taken on
the tour route in 2002.
60. What is the yellow crop on Dochfour estates in late June/early
July 2002? May be rape or mustard, but will check. Rape seed oil
plant.
59. How old are the Scots pines at Corrimony? Raised 10th July 2002.
No one is quite sure, but they are thought to be in the order of 220
to 250 years old.
58. Neil Omran of the Loch Ness Clay Works (passengers will know
this as the croft and pottery), holds the Guinness Book of Records
record for the world's longest play. How long was it? Raised 1st
July 2002. I expected this to be a number of words, but, in fact it
is given in time. The play lasts 22 hours! His book is now out too
and I've got a copy to review for the site.
57. Have peat men been found in the Highlands? Raised late June
2002. Not as far as we are aware.
56. When
did standing stones and burial chambers stop being built in the Highlands?
Raised 10th June 2002. There do not seem to be many that were built after
2000BC, although some existing cairns were re-used around 1000BC.
55. Did the prehistoric burial chambers ever have timber covers.
Raised early June 2002. No.
54. Apologies to everyone. The tree I've known as Hawthorn all my
life is actually Blackthorn. Learn something new every day! Thanks
to Mrs Bye for correcting me on this.
53. How deep are the standing stones buried at Corrimony. Raised
late April 2002.
See
photo. These stones are usually buried up to one third of their
lengths.
52. It was raised on 17th April 2002 that the old name for Scotland,
Alba, has some reference to glaciation and the ice. Can't find any
reference to this. Does any reader know?
51. More information on the huge wind generator seen in the distance
from the drive to the croft and pottery. Apparently, when it was
first set up the generator was burned out almost immediately owing
to the force of the wind. 6th April 2002 update.
50. Our latitude is 57o
north. Raised 4th April 2002.
49. The Edward in England at the time of Macbeth was Edward The
Confessor. Why Edward, Longshanks, of Wallace's period should be
designated Edward I when he was actually the second Edward remains a
mystery. If anyone knows, please email me. Raised 2nd April 2002.
48. The ospreys are back. They were scouting on 15th March 2002 and one was seen
on the nest on 23rd March. This is about ten days earlier than last year.
Update (2nd August 2002): there appears to be at least one young bird as we saw
three the other day. Further update, They are back
again in 2003 and this time on 10th March. Further
update as of end of March 2004 - no sign of them yet this year and they seemed
perhaps to have abandoned the nest last year. Worrying. Further update as of
August 2004, they have definitely not returned and the nest was not in use this
year. Still no sign of that tree being used in 2005
so assume the end of the matter.
47. Apologies to all of my other passengers for the family from hell
in mid-March 2002, who made everyone wait at every stop. I obviously
couldn't apologise during the tour so do so now. On the return
leg they spread chocolate on their seats and then, as I took them
back to their hotel, allowed their children to run around getting
chocolate on all of the other seats too! It took nearly an hour to
get the seats clean. Who gives under fives Cadbury's flakes anyway?
Thank goodness such antics rare enough to be virtually unique.
Ah, the pleasures of running a guided tour!
Even this is outdone by the two Mexicans (adults!) who took the tour
in early March 2004 and stuffed a partially eaten Cadbury's Cream
Egg into one of the non-removable ashtrays!
46. Raised early March 2002. What are they doing to the road at the
entrance to Lord Burton's house? As far as we can make out this is
infrastructure for bus stops, the Great Glen Way and Great Glen
Cycle Track. Update (3rd August 2002): the new access was
required in order for the estate to develop industrial units. The
cost must have been phenomenal and it is difficult to see how it
could ever be recouped.
45. On 7th March 2002, the matter of Scotland's independence after
Robert The Bruce was raised and I shall do some reading and come
back on it here. Particularly with reference to David II. David was
somewhat inept it seems and was captured by the English and held for
ransom. In the meantime his nephew, Robert the Steward (Robert
Stuart) ruled the country. He eventually secured his release and
David took the reins again until his death when, with the lack of a
direct heir, Robert Stuart became Robert II, the first of the Stuart
kings. Neither man was particularly good for Scotland and the
strength and skill of Robert I was sadly missed.
44. The large fir tree I usually stand under to do the presentation
on the Ness Islands (islands shown in picture on right) has finally
been identified as a Wellingtoni. Virtually all of the trees on the
islands are introduced species from the Victorian period.
Raised February 14th 2002.
43. Why is Shortbread so called? Raised 1st January 2002. It has
been suggested by "Ian" that shortbread is so called simply because
short can mean dry and crumbly. Added 30th July 2004. Any advances
on that?
42. Why is there a ten foot (3m) long lizard climbing the side of
the church in Strathglass? Raised 1st January 2002. Actually it
isn't a church any longer but an art gallery. The lizard is a
sculpture. Obvious when we went past it again on the 2nd of January.
The longer tour on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and the
2nd were a big success. Am now thinking about doing something
similar occasionally in the summer.
41. How many people are still crofting in the Highlands? Raised 1st
January 2002.
40. Why were there so many inquisitive people on the special tour on
1st January 2002? Because they didn't drink enough the night before!
39. Provide further information on Celtic origins, particularly with
reference to India. Raised Friday 14th December 2001. Lady with PhD
on tour on 9th January 2004 says that they were indigenous to
Europe. Will check further into this. I understood they came from
India, through the middle-east and then became two groups, one
coming up through mainland Europe and the others coming around the
coast of Europe settling in NW Spain, Brittany and on to Ireland
before returning to Cornwall and Wales and eventually materialising
in Scotland as the Picts between 2,100 and 2,800 years ago. Can
anyone add any clarification on this as it really is dragging on
somewhat? To end this matter it appears that the original movement
of the Celtic peoples from the Indian subcontinent occurred perhaps
tens of thousands of years ago so they can, by stretching the point,
be called indigenous to Europe, but the origins still remain.
Interestingly the men with Celtic genes on the Orkney islands have
very close genetic similarities to the Basque people - that I find
rather amazing as the Basques have few similarities with any other
European peoples and their language is unique. To be related to the
Orkadians is rather a surprise.
38. Are the Shetland people primarily Nordic or Celtic? Raised
28th November 2001. I'm fairly sure they are Nordic, but will check
and report back. Nordic.
37. Does the foliage around Loch Ness affect people's impression of
the size of anything they may see on the surface? This was left in
the visitors' book on 26th November 2001. I don't think it really
has any effect on the size. Unfortunately everyone overestimates
size over water and this seems to be by around 30% so something
estimated at 4 metres (the average) is likely to be closer to 3
metres or 10 feet. Opinion only. Any other thoughts on this?
36. If the hills across Urquhart Bay from the castle are old red
sandstone, then why are their areas of quartz-like rock running in
veins through them? Raised 11th November 2001. A geology student has
advised me that this can occur and that the rocks are obviously
folded and are predominantly old red sandstone. If I discover any
more about this I'll put it up on the site. Frankly there has not
been a proper geological survey done of the Loch Ness area's rocks
and this really badly needs doing.
35. Origins of Auld Lang Syne. Raised 8th November 2001. A song by
Robert Burns.
34. Check age of Blair Castle and report here. Raised 6th November
2001.
33. Find out if any strategic importance to the entrance towers of
Urquhart Castle being curved. Probably to give a firing line to
anyone trying to break down the door, but will check. In fact it was
also to give access to the portcullis mechanism and to a joist
area above the main door from where arrows could be fired down upon
anyone trying to break down the door. They would also tip noxious
household materials onto the invaders!
32. To
check date of destruction of Fort George in Inverness. Was it 1745 or 1746.
Raised 5th November 2001. 1746, in February, by a French lieutenant.
31. One of the board game prizes has been won. See "NEWS"
30. Sorry, no one seems to be able to identify the trees alongside
Druimlon in the village of Drumnadrochit. They have serrated leaves
and bright red berries about 8mm in diameter. Will keep trying to
find out. Raised 26th October
2001. Finally identified as a form of Rowan.
29. Dipper. Raised 23rd October 2001. Picture being located.
28. Which radioactive isotope has been found in the Milton granites
being checked. Raised 22nd October 2001.
27. Origin of pheasants. These birds originated in central and
eastern Asia. They were introduced to Europe in the 14th Century and
gradually spread throughout most of Europe over the following
centuries. The pheasant shown here was photographed on the bench in
our (the webmaster's) garden. It appeared one winter just before
Christmas and followed our chickens about for some weeks. It
disappeared one day ... our neighbour insists it didn't end up on
their dinner plates! Sadder news ... Alison Cameron, who guides the
tour when I am unavailable, hit one on Sunday and broke an indicator
housing on the bus. It wouldn't have been so bad if she'd picked it
up, plucked it and offered it as a peace offering!
26. The number of pupils at Glenurquhart High School is between 180
and 200. Also the school was 5th in the league tables for academic
achievement in Scotland. It was 8th the previous year. A new school
is currently being constructed near Balmacaan road.
25. The corner ornamental fir tree on the Ness Islands was a cedar.
24. Celts crossing the Atlantic ... awaiting verification. Raised
30th September 2001.
23. If you have friends coming to the area, please note that my
winter and summer 2003 tours are now on the website.
22. The cattle seen in the field beside the bridge over the Enrick
in Drumnadrochit were limousins.
21. The new Urquhart Castle Visitor Centre is expected to open about
5th November. It got behind schedule and finally opened on Sunday
25th November 2001. Locals had a preview on 24th and I must admit
that it is indeed of the very highest standard, although, as a
visitor centre designer I was a little disappointed to see my climax
used, but not as effectively as I had planned. I did approach
Historic Scotland to tender, but was not permitted to do so, in
fact, every letter I wrote to them was ignored. For a government
body they are exceedingly slack in their admin and very
standoffish!
20. The "Tout Jour" matter is yet to be resolved. These words appear
on the stonework above the front entrance of Loch Ness 2000. It is
the spelling which is curious.
19. The dead sheep on 24th September 2001 was a dead sheep!
In the immortal words of Monty Python ... it was dead, not alive,
passed away, popped its clogs, no longer living etc. The farmer was
grateful for the information.
18. The chemical composition of peat is too complex to go into here.
Basically, though, it is decomposed vegetation, sphagnum moss in the
main.
17. On 20th September 2001 I forgot to tell the all day passengers
what the lichen was used for a hundred years or more ago ... toilet
paper!
16. The excavations alongside the road to the crofting community are
part of the Great Glen Way and will only run along the area where
there were blind summits ... a possible hazard to walkers. The
Great Glen Way runs 60 miles from Inverness to Fort William.
15. The debris seen on the right of the road after the Corrimony
Community Church on the way to the Neolithic burial chamber is all
that remains of some steadings (barns) on the Girvan farm.
14. It was James II who was killed by an exploding cannon.
13. Historic Scotland have finally permitted me to provide
discounted tickets for Urquhart Castle to my passenger and this
should begin later in 2001.
12. It was Fortrose cathedral on the Black Isle which was repaired
with oaks from Loch Ness in the seventeenth century.
11.. The wingspan of the Wellington Bomber was 86 feet and its
length 64 feet.
10. David Morgan does still hold the record for swimming the length
of Loch Ness. 10 hours 50 minutes. Kerry Van Weiss' attempt involved
the use of a wetsuit and was therefore invalid. Morgan also swam
back along the loch and completed the two-way non-stop swim in 23
hours and 50 minutes. As the wind was with him in both directions
this record is likely to stand for many decades.
9. The Fort Augustus railway line closed in 1933.
8. The
hydro-electric tunnel at Foyers was completed in 1975. The water from Loch Mhor
generates electricity during the day and the water is pumped back up at night
when there is surplus power in the network. The hydrographic team who did the
survey for the tunnel came from the same firm as my brother-in-law, Les
Coughtrey, who did the original estimates and setting up of the job. It is a
small world. Apologies for the error in this item previously. Corrected January
22nd 2006.
7. The Forestry Commission was set up in 1919.
6. The Brahan Seer was executed in 1679.
5. The hill fort at Grotaig was called Dun Scripan, not Dun Grotaig
as I had thought. I took this picture of the fort during the summer
of 2002. It can be seen that a lot remains and there are some intact
walls too. In other areas of the fort it is possible to see cavities
within the main structure. If you go to see the fort please let the
people at the Goshem croft and pottery know as you will be walking
through their land.
4. The Loch Ness Clay Works clay comes from both Staffordshire and
the West Country.
3. The Loch Ness rocking stone is at Meall na Sroine above Altsaigh.
2. The use of the mh in Gaelic is possessive apparently and sounds
like a "v" hence Mealfuarvonie could contain an mh instead of the v.
I'm told that the use of an h in Mairi i.e. Mhairi is incorrect
although used quite extensively. You would only use the Mhairi
version if you were saying that something belonged to Mairi in which
case it would be pronounced Varri! Please do not treat the
information in this item as definitive. I have not consulted a
Gaelic expert.
1. The Druid who ruled that the stone must always be replaced over
the well after every drawing of water was called Daly. Thanks to
"Ian" for pointing out the previous double-negative I was using
here.
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