On this date in 1746, the English armies defeated the forces still loyal to Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden near Iverness. The prince escaped, but many, many Highlanders did not. As the English swept across Scotland, they burned, pillaged and banned Scots culture, including a ban on the Gaelic tongue, bagpipes, kilts, tartans, and other Scots heritage and cultural artifacts. Prince Charles Stuart spent the rest of his life in exile. The Georges and eventually their descendant VIctoria ruled England and Scotland for the next century and a half.

Lament for Culloden
By Robert Burns
1759-1796

THE lovely lass o’ Inverness,
Nae joy nor pleasure can she see;
For e’en and morn she cries, ‘Alas!’
And aye the saut tear blin’s her e’e:
‘Drumossie moor, Drumossie day,
A waefu’ day it was to me!
For there I lost my father dear,
My father dear and brethren three.

‘Their winding-sheet the bluidy clay,
Their graves are growing green to see;
And by them lies the dearest lad
That ever blest a woman’s e’e!
Now wae to thee, thou cruel lord,
A bluidy man I trow thou be;
For monie a heart thou hast made sair,
That ne’er did wrang to thine or thee.’

With Scott and Burns and Celtic Thunder links, this blog seems to have taken on a rather Scots air this week. I and my family are a basic Heinz 57 varieties mix of cultural heritage, so I’m sure I have some Scots blood in me. I just don’t know exactly how much or where.