Introduction
This evening, I am reprising a tour with emphasis on places in N.E. Scotland associated with Clan Ross.
Young Farmers Promotion at Cromarty Firth
Clan Ross
The clan is associated with the promontory of Easter Ross in the north of Scotland.
The chiefship of of a clan Ross originates in 1216 when Farquhar the Priest’s Son assisted King Alexander II against the heirs of the old Celtic dynasty.The heritage of the clan is a mix of Pictish, Gaelic, Norse and southern Scottish.Colonel George Ross was a signature to the the American Declaration of Independence. The widow of George’s brother, John designed the first flag of the United States.
Information on the tour
Today, our focus was on places in N.E. Scotland associated with Clan Ross. Our endeavours were partly successful in that whilst we did visit locations such as Tain (Easter Ross), Pitcalnie (Ross-Shire) and Kildary (Easter Ross) we were unable to view Balnagown Castle, ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan Ross, as ownership has changed and the property is very secluded. However, weather conditions were, on balance, favourable and we were fortunate to view a wide range of sites plus a wedding and crew of a sea-going skiff undergoing training.
First, we toured the Black Isle (north of Inverness) with first stop at Chanonry Point with object of viewing dolphins but the animals were not present.
Lighthouse at Chanonry Point, Black Isle
Rowers undergoing training on sea-going Skiff at Cromarty
Oil Rigs at Cromarty, Black Isle
View of Cromarty Firth, Scotland
Cromarty Bridge over Cromarty Firth
Next to the quaint village of Cromarty where we viewed the skiff adverted to above plus a large number of ‘retired’ oil platforms moored in the Cromarty Firth (sea loch).
Next, to a refreshment stop at the Storehouse on western side of the Cromarty Firth then to Kildary, Pitcalnie and Tain.
Tain Parish Church
Next, north across past Glenmorangie Distillery and across the Dornoch Firth Bridge to the popular small town of Dornoch which boasts numerous shops, an ancient Cathedral and links golf course. We had lunch here.
Bride entering Dornoch Cathedral
Dornoch Beach, east of Scotland.
Finally, we returned down the A9 highway to Inverness where guest purchased various items of Clan Ross tartan from Highland House of Fraser.
Tomorrow, we travel south to Dunkeld in central Scotland.
More information
For more information on the Highlands, castles and many other aspects of Scotland please refer to Visitors’ Guide to Scotland. The ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle.