Day 5 Glencoe and the Campbells and McDonalds

This morning we loaded up and headed off to Glencoe Valley.  This is the scene of a major deception of the King Charles II to the clan MacDonald.
The incident that happened this day still arouses the strong passions because it was the massacre of the MacDonalds in Glen Coe in February of 1692. It was not just the fact that 38 people were murdered by government troops, led by Captain Robert Campbell; it was the unforgivable sin that Campbell and his men had enjoyed the traditional Highland hospitality before turning on their hosts (who included his own niece and her husband).  The Campbells had arrived at night and in the middle of a blizzard.  The MacDonalds offered them food and drink and a bed in the true Scottish tradition.  In the wee hours of the morning, as the family lay sleeping, they were attacked and murdered. Three hundred years later, Campbells still suffer the opprobrium of the massacre. Generations of Scots children have been taught "never trust a Campbell."  It is true that there is a sign in the Clachaig Inn that says “No Campbells Allowed”. 

After visiting the glen, we once again boarded the bus to go to the woolen mills for shopping and lunch.  We had 45 minutes to do this.  However, there were 6 other busses there (also from the HP fan tours) that had the exact same idea.  SO the shopping area was packed like sardines, elbow to elbow and the lunch area had a line that was about 200 people long.  I couldn't shop for the crowd and lunch was impossible so Billy and I walked down the road and hopped the fence to the little inn next door.  There we sat down and had a very nice bowl of soup of some kind.  The girls brogue was so strong that I really didn't know what she said!

Then once again back on the bus to visit the place where filming for the third Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban .  Three sets were built near to the bottom of Clachaig Gully, and quite literally, just across the road from Clachaig Inn. The sets were located so as to take in the fantastic scenery, overlooking the Torren Lochan, and the Signal Rock forest to the rugged hills of the glen.

The sets were located so as to take in the fantastic scenery, overlooking the Torren Lochan, and the Signal Rock forest to the rugged hills of the glen

Hagrid's hut was located right behind me.   Can you see it?  I can imagine it myself.



The glen was very beautiful and I could have stayed quite a long time wandering around.  BUT we had to hop on the bus again so we could make it back to the castle on time.  On time for what?  To wait on the other half of our group that had gone hiking.  They didn't get back for another 2 hours because their bus driver didn't mind.

so we did another wander around the castle grounds.  Isn't this the neatest tree?