Walking through the ruins of Castle Urquhart

 

We wander along tidy walkways

through these ruins of Castle Urquhart,

once a 5th Century fort situate on this high mound,

overlooking the Great Glen cut through by the River Ness.

Here, battles were fought with sword and dagger

and siege for Scottish Independence.

These stone walls, strong over hundreds of years, 

held by the Scots, and then the English, 

and back again: even the Robert the Bruce fought here. 

Fierce arguments, tenuous agreements, political machinations, 

dead-of-night attack. 

Until finally, the time of battles passed, 

the people of the Glen took stones

from the castle for their cottages; 

they fished along the Ness, 

and told stories of mighty armies, 

the Earls of Moray, the Clan MacDonald, 

Lords of the Isles, that once fought here. 

Perhaps that line of rowan trees, the one that separates

the castle from the car park where tour buses wait,

will protect the history here. 

I touch the leaves of this traveler's tree, 

my first sight of a rowan tree. I wonder 

if the berries carry poison and hope 

the rowan will flower twice.

This poem began as a daily commitment to link pictures from my travels (to Scotland in 2009 for Standing Stones) with a bit of writing. But the vote for Scottish independence from Great Britain is now over. Reports suggest a time of healing will be needed as political discussions begin, for while we no longer arm ourselves with dagger and sword, families argued most fiercely whether to stay a part of Great Britain or to separate. A British commentator noted, "We didn't actually fight a war over this; we resolved it at the polls." A not-so-gentle dig at the American civil war of the 19th Century. Yes, but that comment didn't take into account those centuries of conflict between Scotland and England that yet simmer.  

Read more of Urquhart's history HERE or HERE.

Castle Urquhart . . .

There by the shores of Loch Ness, no monster in sight, we spent the afternoon, under cloudy skies and intermittant light, wandering around the ruins of Castle Urquhart, a romantic spot, even as the cold wind blew and the light changed constantly over the water, the rocks and this quiet place, far from ocean, but not protected from Viking raids or medieval politics. Once held by Robert the Bruce, fought over by Stewarts and MacDonalds, we could see a trebuchet (a wooden seige machine some 30 feet high) outside, and inside explore a three story Gordon Tower to look out at Loch Ness. Remains of a watergate, a dovecote, a smithy, a chapel, and kitchens allowed us to reconstruct what life might have once been.



On the waters of Loch Ness, the tourists boats heaved up and down, making us grateful we had taken the much less expensive bus. And we discovered the Rowan tree, plump with red berries.

Check Webshots (on the right) for more pics of Scotland. I'm sorry to be so far behind on blogging where we've gone. Each day has been so full, this week at Fort George, then Culloden Moor, and our last days in Inverness are winding down as we waddle out each morning, full from Scottish breakfast (porridge, yogurt for me and eggs and all the rest for Allen). But at least I can say the writing goes well. It's turning cold at night here, down to 36 degrees by Tuesday, with highs during the day of upper 50s. Enjoy the last gasps of summer!