Day 2 & 3 - OUR ANCESTOR'S LIVES

Our ancestors had a harder life than most of us unless they were of wealth and nobility.  Who amongst you would give up your power garden tools or grind your own oats to make porridge?

 

Katherine- For someone who hasn't read the Outlander series I am completely in awe of what I have been experiencing.  I am surrounded by history, discovering the nooks and crannies of highland life of past and present!  All in one day I was thrust into several different worlds and was able to become a part of lives that lived before me.

Gail - We visited a Cottars house. We learned about the housing, family structure of the time, tools, just the every day life.

Sarah -  I was struck by the ingenuity of the people, as well as by what was most evidently a hard and difficult life.  It was by turns fascinating and shocking to experience what it would have been like for the people of those times.

Deanna - Being an American, I haven't had an opportunity to experience historical context of a way of life that is hundreds, even thousands of years old.  We visited an area with homes that were a century older than our country.   I can better visualize what the people looked like, their daily lives and the hardships they endured.  I also now have memories of the smell of a pine forest and a peat fire, the sensation of lying in a field of heather and the bright blue sky above. We wondered through a tree grove and listened to a story of "pine needle litter" and "saffron eyes". Another amazing day.

Liza -  I was able to lay in the heather, feel the Scotland mist on my face, experience the words of "Herself" from the voice of a Scotsman, and truly feel overwhelmed with the beauty and emotional connection I feel and see everywhere around me.  Oh, and it's only day 2. Och, I can't wait to see what's next!!!

Gail - Today we viewed a castle that is lived in by the owner, she allows visitation during the season. Beautiful. Our visit to the Culloden Battle Field is very sobering. It is heart wrenching to see what the outcome of the Jacobite uprising cost the Highlanders. The group dinner is the nice finish of our day!

Deanna - The castle's Don Quixote tapestries with their vibrant persimmon and rich teal colors was charming, as were the hand sketched portraits of the orignal lady of the castle and her daughters.  Culloden Field was devastating, watching the blue and red flags whipping in the light wind, knowing the stories of the families who lost so much that day.  Donald from Appin's story provided insight into the Scottish spirit of honor and duty.

Sarah - I was enamored with history...especially the dungeon. The story about the sheep "borrower" who was held there was my favorite. The art work in the depiction of how the Laird found the spot upon which to build the castle stood out, as did the gardens.. Following that was the somber visit to Cullodeon. The short film of the re-enactment brought a lump to my throat. Following that journey, I disappeared through the standing stones we visited. It was an odd trip and since James Fraser was not waiting for me on the other side, I returned in order to continue on this journey.

Liza - Culloden was a rightfully solemn visit.  But the story that Scot told us regarding the 16 year old boy who picked up his family's banner and hid it so that he would be able to take it home to his family was so heart touching that it actually brought a tear to my eye.  Hearing such a specific family story from Culloden really made me think of my own family and how I would feel seeing my son come home from such a devastating event.  A very emotional but yet another wonderful day.