4 Year Wedding Anniversary Trip to Scotland, Oct 2007

[Galician]

Well, since I'm not Scottish, other than Iona, none of the sites means anything to me. Do any of them have some special meaning to people? I'm totally confused, e.g., about the Deer Raiders.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Nice to see photos of places I've been to and loved Iona is Beautiful

Thank-you

[Arlen]

Gorgeous pictures. Looked like you had a fantastic trip and good weather for it!

Did you hear the wonderful story about the nuns of Iona while you were there?

[Alan H]

As an aside, I had no idea there were so many Standing Stones sites..

[Highland Logan]

Well, since I'm not Scottish, other than Iona, none of the sites means anything to me. Do any of them have some special meaning to people? I'm totally confused, e.g., about the Deer Raiders.

The following was taken from the BBC website.

This monument was erected in memory of the people of Lochs who challenged the authority of the state in order to focus public attention on the poverty and injustice they suffered under the oppression of heartless landlords who dispossessed their forebears from over thirty villages in Park.

Their inspiration was Donald MacRae, schoolmaster at Balallan, who committed his life to the Higland Land Law Reform movement and to the emancipation of the oppressed crofters and landless cottars.

Over a long period of time, Lady Matheson, the proprietrix of Lewis, ignored numerous pleas from landless families throughout Lochs for permission to return to some of the former villages in Park from which their forefathers had been evicted. Instead she converted the former 42,000 acre Park sheepfarm into a sporting deer forest in 1886.

On 22 November 1887, crofters and cottars from Lochs, having made their intentions public, marched into the Park deer forest, led by pipers and carrying flags. They confront Mrs Platt, the lessee, and her gamekeeper at Seaforth Head and continued past them into the deer forest.

The authorities reacted quickly, sending to Lewis a detachment of the Royal Scots and some Naval ships carrying marines. The raiders made their camp at Airidh Dhomhnaill Chaim by the shore of Loch Seaforth, where they assuaged their hunger on roasted and boiled venison.

Sheriff Fraser read the Riot Act at Ruadh Chleit, explaining its significance in Gaelic. By then the raiders felt that they had made their point and they began to disperse, having killed a large number of deer.

Six of the leaders of the raid were committed for trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. They were:

Donald MacRae, school master in Balallan
Roderick MacKenzie, 46 Balallan
Murdo MacDonald, 61 Balallan
John Matheson, 13 Gravir
Malcolm MacKenzie, 26 Crossbost
Donald MacMillan, 6 Crossbost

In January 1888, they were all acquitted of charges of mobbing, rioting and break the law of trespass.

The three entranes to this memorial Cairn symbolise the three communities that participated in the Deer Raid, Kinloch, North Lochs and Pairc.

The three projecting stones around the top of the memorial symbolise the three prominent events in the Pairc Deer Raid.

The eight points of the compass were taken from the homes of the six land raiders who were acquitted in the High Court in Edinburgh in 1888 as well as a stone from both the site of the reading of the Riot Act at RUADH CHLEIT and the raiders’ camp site at AIRIDH DHOMHNAILL CHAIM.

[Highland Logan]

Did you hear the wonderful story about the nuns of Iona while you were there?

I would have to say no. What would the story be?

Frank

[Dirk Skene]

My friend ... I hate you Someday I pray I will tred across the same ground.

Truthfully, I am happy for you

[Highland Logan]

Loch Lomand - Big deal thanks to Sir Walter Scott.

Duart Castle - Current Seat of Clan MacLean, on the Isle of Mull

Torosay Castle - Still lived in, and open to the public, Scottish Baronial style castle on the Isle of Mull

Aros Castle - Thought to have been built by the MacDougall lords of Lorn in the 13th century, it has passed hands many times including the Lord of the Isles (Clan Donald) and Campbell. It is on Mull

Dunstaffnage Castle - Once the capital of Dalriada, the original Kingdom of the Scots, it was a MacDougall stronghold until 1309, it was seized by Robert the Bruce who then gave it to Clan Campbell. And Floria MacDonald was held here for a time.

Armadale Castle - Once seat of Clan Donald, and current home to a museum on the history of the clan on the Isle of Skye.

...more coming soon.

Frank

[Galician]

Thanks for the info, Frank.