Our first stop this morning was the Glencoe Visitor Centre operated by the National Trust for Scotland. Glencoe is known for its extraordinary and dramatic landscape, for its no less dramatic history, and an abundance of wildlife.
We spent several hours there and learned all about the Clan MacDonald including the infamous massacre of almost 40 MacDonaldo clansmen in 1692. The clansmen were killed by Scottish government forces allegedly for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William III and Mary II.
We also learned about the construction of a creel house that was built to model the houses the clan families lived in back in the 1700s. A creel house is a wattle-weave, basket-like structure clad with turf, clay daub and thatch.
There was a large topographical map of the region and we were able to see the West Highland Way that we will be hiking.
After our delicious lunch in the Visitor Center, we had time to do a short hike.
In the early afternoon, we made our way to our final stop at Stirling Castle.
Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most important historical castles in Scotland. In times of peace, Scottish Royalty came to Stirling Castle to enjoy its comforts, superb hunting and to hold court.
The Royal Hall could hold as many as 500 guests for dinner making it one of the most important places for the gathering of royalty in all of Scotland.
The views from the top of the castle were impressive and made it clear why the Stirling Castle was a strategic stronghold.
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