Saturday 5th May 2001 Spent most of Friday booking and organising things for the trip to Edinburgh. I had spoken to a chap in Melbourne before I left about a group called MacBackpackers. I'd had a look at their website and they seemed pretty good. I booked into the High Street Hostel for Saturday night and a bus to Edinburgh and the tour for Sunday morning. Off to the bus station in the morning and I was on my way north. We headed up via Newcastle, Sunderland and then in to Edinburgh. Crossed in to Scotland at 3:20pm! I arrived at the High Street Hostel at about 5:30pm after a disgustingly steep climb up Cockburn Street (note to Americans: it's pronounced CO - burn). I had a bit of a wander out and about High Street. It sadly looked very touristy. Headed back to the hostel for a bit of socialising. Neil, one of the chaps who works at the hostel was very nice. Mickey is a bit of a character. He does stand up at the local pub; a bit crass but there you go. And (surprise, surprise) they're both Australians! Sunday 6th May 2001 An early morning start sees me on the MacBackpackers' Tour Bus headed by Graeme & "Spud". Passengers for this trip were myself, Rebecca (from Sydney), Alyssa (L.A., California), Louise & Freeman (Prince Edward Island, Canada), Kris & Anita (Toronto) Leanne (Malaysia) and an Adelaide girl and a New Zealand girl (who's names I can't remember). We each had to stand up the front of the bus and give a little spiel about ourselves and then sing a song, recite a poem or relate an embarrassing moment. Alyssa, it turns out, is a professional singer. What a set of lungs! We crossed the Firth of Forth and headed north. We first stopped at "The Hermitage" which used to be an old poet's and artist's retreat originally built during the mid 1700's. It was later extended when Queen Victoria visited the site during her Tour of Scotland. There's even a man-made "cave" on the site. On to Pitlockry! We called in via the Edradour Distillery - the smallest Distillery in Scotland. Quite a nice drop too in my opinion. Alyssa offered me her sample as she said she wasn't a big scotch drinker. How to make a new friend . We stopped in Pitlockry for lunch. There's not a lot in town but I have to say the hostel looks excellent. All are double rooms and each with their own TV! I'm guessing when people stay here there's not a lot of excursions down outside the rooms... Back in the bus. At this point Spud produces a bottle of scotch (like the one in the picture) and says this is a "Welcome to the Highlands" from the MacBackpackers crew. The bottle was passed around the bus between the 11 of us (Graeme couldn't have any coz he was driving) until empty. The face Rebecca pulled every time she took a swig was brilliant. After a while the effects of the alcohol caused a few people to nod off (which I think was the plan) but we eventually arrived at Killekrankie: site of Bonnie Dundee's victory over the English and also of his fatal wounding. We were all walked down to the Soldier's Leap. It's an outcrop of rock where an English soldier jumped about 18' to the far embankment (yes he had a running start) to escape his Highland pursuers. It was documented by witnesses in both armies. Arrived at Culloden Moor. It was a really weird feeling being here. After hearing reading about this place for so many years to be finally standing hear was rather overpowering. I had hairs sticking up on the back of my neck. The whole culmination of the Jacobite cause which had started 80 years ago when James the VII (II) was evicted from the throne came to a brutal end here. After showing some masterful tactics in 1745 (the Stewart army got as far as Derby near London) the army retreated back to Scotland and made it's final stand at Culloden. The Hanovarian army was better equiped, trained and rested and they won. One of the chaps at the Leeds Armoury told me that of all the battles the English army has fought, this is the only one for which no regiment ever claimed battle honours for. No quarter was given to survivors - even women and children. It earned the Duke of Cumberland the nickname "Billie the Butcher" ever after in Scottish history. Tartan was banned, Gaelic was banned, even today under English law bagpipes are still considered a weapon of war. Culloden Moor Memorial Cairn A little further west saw us arrive on the shores of that famous Scottish Loch. Sadly the chap who runs the Loch Ness research Centre had gone away for the weekend. Took some nice photos and I souvenired a rock. Up to the Inverness Hostel and down to the pub for dinner! Honest! Nessie just went under before I took the picture! Group picture Spot the Tourist