This is a day of Casks castles and highland history. Casks because we visit a distillery. Castles because at least two are mentioned. Above all it is a day of highland history. It is also, as ever, a day of beautiful Scots nature.

Casks

Had a look at the Lochnagar distillery, which is just down the road from Balmoral. We decided to visit the queen another time. So, we drove on towards Ballatar and found a nice walk on the ( B976) way.

Walk near Ballatar

Enjoyed the light wind, the lovely weather and the landscape as we set on some stones in the lush grass. The stones must once have formed some kind of boundary. You could still see the outlines, but they were obviously no longer in use. There is so much in the lie of the land that hints at history. More of that later in this post.

Savoured the view for a while and then walked back, with even more savouring on the way.

Explored round the humpback bridge near to where we had parked the car, and drove on to Ballater.

Ballater

In Ballatar we admired the shop window showing Trump holding a bottle of fake booze. There was a bottle of fake tan as well as a sign questioning him:

Donald where’s yer troosers.

We did our own shopping. Allegedly, this is where the royals do their shopping when they are at Balmoral. I imagine the queen does not come by with a little basket on her arm. I am sure they will have their victuals delivered, even so it was good to know that we would have a royallly approved breakfast with the rolls we bought.

Castles: an evening stroll near Braemar

Back to the theme of casks castles and highland history. Let’s look at some history before I wander across another castle.

Breamar, which has been a playground for kings, nobles and the great ones of the land since the dawn of Scottish history is behind me. The Invercauld arms, where the Jacobite standard was first set, catching the last rays of sun is at my back as well. I set off for an evening stroll in which I catch up on history.

Invercauld arms

The Invercauld arms hotel seems a nice place to stay. It carries quite a bit of Scottish history. Apparently, on the 6th of September 1715 the Braemar Gatherings took place right on the spot where the Invercauld arms now stands. John Erskine, who was the 24th Earl of Mar, later to be known as Bobbin John, raised the standard for King James VIII and III. He hoped to put the old pretender (and father of Bonnie prince Charlie) on the throne for Scotland.

The earl of Mar and Bobbin John

The Earldom of Mar is one of Europe’s earliest and oldest titles. Remember that word Mar! It will crop up again. One clue is in the name of the place we are staying in right now: Braemar.

Bobbin John is a prominent, though often mistrusted, figure in early 18th-century British politics.It is the nickname of John Erskine, the 6th or 24th Earl of Mar (I know the counting is complicated, a good explanation is found here). So, Bobbin John is a Scottish nobleman and politician who basically backs anyone who serves his interests. His frequent and shifting political allegiances, earn him the nickname Bobbin.

One of his ‘feats’ is failing to successfully lead the Jacobite uprising of 1715 in an attempt to restore the Stuart monarchy.

Mar wrote George I a grovelling letter of welcome, in which he pledged his loyalty, but was then publicly snubbed by George. Mar swiftly decided to back a different horse, and on 1 September 1715 raised a standard for “King James VIII” at Braemar. He rapidly gathered an enthusiastic army of 10,000 men and started to gain considerable ground in northern Scotland. There were three main problems with all of this. The first was that Mar had neglected to tell James in advance of his planned uprising; the second was that he had failed to coordinate his actions with Jacobite uprisings that by coincidence occurred in England; and the third was that Mar was a very poor general. As a result, what was by far the best opportunity the Jacobites would ever have of regaining power was squandered.

From Undiscovered Scotland

Linn of Quoich

The Standard Raising ceremony followed a great hunt held in the Forest of Mar. It was organised as a pretext for the many Jacobite clan chiefs to plan the intended uprising. The Earl of Mar’s Punchbowl is a hollow formed in the rock above the footbridge at the Linn of Quoich. It was filled with brandy to entertain the guests, and may still be seen.

The raising of the standard

The hunt had gone well. However, the ceremony of the Standard, watched by about 2,000 highlanders, was marred when the gilt ball fell off the top of the flag-pole – an omen of disaster to come” . What followed has been chronicled many times. Eventually, it led in 1746 to the slaughter at Culloden. The outlawing of tartan dress and clan gatherings till 1782 followed, as part of the dismantling of the old clan system.

I found this text on the website of Braemar history Although the website must have been changed since I last wrote this. The exact text is nowhere to be found now.

Breamar castle

I walked to  the local castle just down the road. It really is the local castle, as it is rented out to the local community. Naturally, there is a bit of  history too. It was: an important garrison after the 1745 Jacobite rising.  30 years after the first attempts, and the Scots were still at it. The English were still trying to stop them, stationing one of their garrisons in Braemar castle in order to do so. Sadly, it didn’t end well for Braemar castle some years later.

The Black colonel

The castle looks pretty foreboding up close without the willowherb to soften it. No wonder if you read some of its history. Braemar Castle had been attacked and burned by John Farquharson, the Black Colonel of Inverey during another Jacobite rising of 1689. He did this to prevent it being used as a garrison by Government troops” (source: wikipedia).

Facts that are like fiction

Here is the story of the black colonel. For those of you who like fiction, it seems like something straight out of Outlander. But, of course, all of this really happened. I took the text from the local Braemar website on history, but since then the website has changed. Now, the text is nowhere to be found, except here.

black colonel

“The Black Colonel”, John Farquharson of Inverey was a violent man in a violent age. Outlawed in 1666 for the murder of a Ballater laird, he became a hunted man. Nevertheless, he spent much time in his own castle of Inverey and fought at the battles of Bothwell Bridge and Killiecrankie. In 1689, he burned the 67-year-old Braemar Castle to prevent it falling into government hands.

An escape on horseback

Cornered on one occasion by redcoats in the Pass of Ballater, he ensured his own immortality by escaping on horseback up the near precipitous north side of the defile. Eventually, a redcoat ambush was laid for him at Inverey. Forewarned, he escaped, and watched his castle burning.

Refuge and carating coffins around

He thereafter took refuge in the ‘Colonel’s Bed’, below a rock overhang in a gorge in the River Ey. There, his light o’ love, Annie Ban (Fair Haired Annie), brought him food. Before he died, about 1698, he instructed that he was to be buried at Inverey, beside his Annie Ban. However, for some reason he was instead buried at Braemar. The next morning, his coffin was found on the ground beside his grave. It was re-buried. On the third occasion this happened, the coffin was taken to Inverey for re-burial and was heard of no more. (Source:http://braemarscotland.co.uk/history/ )

 

The views beyond Braemar castle are royal, or should I day “to die for”

looking over the Invercauld estate