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Day Trip To The South West

Route 5:
Take the B9090 to Cawdor, B9091 then B9006 to Culloden, follow the signs to Clava Cairns, pick up the B9006 and continue to Croy, cross the A96, go through Easter Dalziel and on to Fisherton. Take the B9039 to Fort George then return to Nairn via Ardersier.

Visit:
Village of Cawdor - A typical estate village where, at one time, most of the residents would have worked for the laird. It boasts the 14th century home of the Thanes of Cawdor which is open to the public during the tourist season. Cawdor Castle was made famous in William Shakespeare’s play ‘MacBeth’. A nine-hole golf course and picnic area all add to an unforgettable visitor experience.

Cawdor Parish Church dates from 1619. A recent discovery was the grave of naval surgeon Neil Smith, who was aboard the HMS Victory when Lord Nelson was killed at Trafalgar. Smith had married Anne MacPherson, the daughter of a Cawdor Estate factor, and they were buried together in the graveyard beside the church. The grave was restored to its original condition and rededicated by the 1805 Club in September 2001.

Culloden Battlefield - The Battle of Culloden marked the end of the Jacobite rebellion, led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart, and a bloody and rebellious period in Highland history. On 16th April, 1746, the Young Pretender’s brave army was routed on this desolate moor, 12 miles west of Nairn, by the Duke of Cumberland – known as ‘The Butcher’ for the merciless slaughter of clansmen and their families. When Bonnie Prince Charlie’s bid to regain the crown for the Stuart dynasty ended at Culloden, he fled to Skye and eventually returned to his native where he died. Culloden was the last land battle on mainland . The battlefield is now under the guardianship of the National Trust for . The Hanoverian army camped at Balblair the night before the battle while the Duke slept in Rose of Kilravock’s Town House, which still stands in Nairn High Street.

Clava Cairns - Slightly south of Culloden are late Stone Age and early Bronze Age cairns surrounded by rings of tall standing stones. The Clava Cairns date from 1800 to 1500 BC and are believed to be of special religious significance.

Fishertown, as the name suggests, was home to men and women who made their living from the sea. The streetscape, with its maze of narrow streets, remains largely unchanged, despite the upgrading of many of the houses and outhouse net stores to meet the aspirations of modern day living. The fishing community expanded when Thomas Telford completed the harbour and, by the late 1890s, more than 90 boats were based here. But a sharp fall in demand for herring, because of the Russian revolution of 1917, resulted in a gradual decline in the number of boats. Better facilities at east coast ports saw the Nairn industry continue to decline even after the opening of a new harbour basin in 1932. The 1980s, however, brought restoration and a new lease of life for the harbour as a mooring facility for pleasure craft.

Fort George - Inextricably linked with the events at Culloden, Fort George was built on the shores of the Moray Firth to quell any future rebellion by the Highlanders. The government of the day still feared Prince Charlie would rise again and that French ships might sail up the Moray Firth to recommence hostilities. Construction of the fort took 25 years. Today, it remains one of the largest impregnable fortifications to be seen anywhere in Europe and is still used as a garrison by the British Army. After Culloden, Highlanders were invited to join the government troops. Many did, and since then Highland regiments have gained many battle honours around the world. The history of these regiments is contained in a magnificent museum and armoury at Fort George , which is open to the public under the stewardship of Historic Scotland. The canons ‘which never fired a shot in anger’ lie silent, trained over the narrow strait between the fort and Chanonry Point on the Black Isle.

Ardersier - A sleepy Highland village which was surprised when actress Helen Mirren chose to get married there and then honeymoon at Castle Stuart.

Kilravock Castle - An outstanding example of a 15th century Scottish fortified house, this ancestral home of the Rose Clan is now a Christian Centre. Mary Queen of Scots stayed there briefly in 1562 and Bonnie Prince Charlie dined at the castle prior to the Battle of Culloden.