We left Fort Augustus after breakfast and entered Loch Ness, a 788-foot-deep lake that contains the largest volume of water in England, Scotland, and Wales. Our historian, Robin, gave a presentation titled, “From Culloden to the Clearances.” Everyone went out on deck to enjoy the scenic cruising as we passed the ruins of Urquhart Castle, one of Scotland’s largest. Before lunch, our photo instructor, Anna, gave a presentation about smartphone photo editing.
During the afternoon, we toured 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.
