We started the day with a tour of the battle site of Culloden where the Jacobite forces of "Bonnie Prince Charlie" fighting to restore the Stuarts to the throne suffered a bitter defeat to the British army commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, William Augustus, on April 16, 1746. Our local guide walked us around the battlefield, and we explored the in-depth museum. Afterward, we drove to the site of Clava Cairns, a set of three Bronze Age circular tombs made famous by the "Outlander" series.
We boarded the ship to sail through Loch Ness and passed the ruins of Urquhart Castle, one of Scotland’s largest. We passed through several lochs on the Caledonian Canal to reach our destination of Fort Augustus. Guests had the option to go on a photo walk or a guided 3.5-mile hike along the canal and through the scenic countryside to visit the historic Kilchuimen Cemetery where John Anderson is buried. Anderson was a close friend of poet Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland, and was the subject of one of his famous poems titled "John Anderson My Jo." After dinner, we had a plaid and kilt demonstration.
