It’s just hours away by jet, but for now I have to admire
Castle Grant with pictures taken by others. My dad always wanted to travel to
Scotland, but never had the time. Well-versed in the history of Scotland and
the responsibilities of the clan laird, he taught us the importance of caring
for one another and debating or fighting for what’s right.
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| Castle Grant |
On long trips, we listened to ballads like the Skye Boat
Song. The Battle of Culloden was the last land battle fought in the UK, and
aye, the blood was spilled – oops, sorry, that was my dad’s way of encouraging
us to listen and learn. . In less than an hour, over a thousand Jacobites and
300 Hanoverians were killed.
I thought it was sad that Bonnie Prince Charlie was in so
much danger that he was disguised as an Irish spinning maid, put into a boat outside
of Benbecula, and taken to Skye for safety. The sea, although rough, was safer
than land.
Flora McDonald petitioned for and received a pass to sail
from Benbecula to Skye. She was later arrested for her part in Charles Edward
Stuart’s escape. While she was subjected to heaven knows what kind of conditions
in the Tower of London, Prince Charlie sailed to France.
The castle is a mile north of Grantown-on-Spey. It wasted
away over time and was finally restored during the 1990s. Sold in 2006, it was seized
several years late for nonpayment and sold to foreign investors in 2014.
One of Scotland’s best salmon fishing rivers, River Spey
near Castle Grant offers an incredible opportunity for fly fishing. The River Tay is also an excellent river for fishing. I think that
there is a fishing gene that has been passed down from generation to
generation. My dad loved to fish!
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| Bridge on the River Tay |
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| Tay Hotel |
Where would you like to travel if you received an
all-expenses-paid trip? When I get to Scotland, I'd like to stay a night at the Tay Hotel.
