I've rated over 100 reviews today and so far have only got one rate back! :(
I've rated over 100 reviews today and so far have only got one rate back! :(
Member since:19.01.2007
Reviews:27
Members who trust:14
I first visited the Culloden Battlefield back in the days of my youth and when in Inverness recently visiting a friend we decided to go for a nostalgic trip to the field. On my earlier visit to the Battlefield, that was pretty much what it was, a Battlefield and not much else. Nowadays, it's a different story. The visitor centre has recently undergone a refurbishment and there is now a lot more to see.
Culloden is on the Eastern outskirts of Inverness and a five minute drive from the A96 main Aberdeen to Inverness road. If you're driving it's easy to get to but if you're relying on public transport then it wouldn't be the most convenient place to get to.
For those of you who are interested a brief summary of the events at Culloden is as follows:
The Battle of Culloden in 1745 was a turning point in British history. It marked the end of a long campaign
to restore a Stuart king (Bonnie Prince Charlie) to the British throne. Defeated by the Duke of Cumberland and his Government forces at the Battle of Culloden the Jacobites, led by the Bonnie Prince, were to give up the fight for their cause and Governmental authority was restored to the nation.
Cost The visitor centre and battlefield cost £10 for an adult to visit. Now, I might be a cheapskate but to me, that's pretty expensive, although there are some good deals available for families and larger groups. Parking at the centre costs £2, which seems a bit steep as parking isn't exactly restricted in remote parts of the Highlands. If you are a member of the National Trust for Scotland (for which annual membership costs £33) then you get in free. In a state of shock from the amount I had just had to pay I entered the centre with a high sense of expectation.
Centre The centre takes you on a journey from the beginnings of the historical events that led to the battle at Culloden and culminates in a tour round the battlefield itself. There certainly are a lot of cool gadgets in the centre (which I imagine my astronomical £10 entry fee paid for). It's the kind of place that would be really appealing to kids. There are lots of interactive computer displays with bright colours and flashy graphics.
The layout of the centre is a little confusing - the centre is designed in a chronological order but when you reach a corner then it's not always clear which direction you are meant to go in. At one particular point of the display the visitor is led through a narrow corridor with the voices of the Government forces sounding on one side and the Jacobite soldiers on the other. This sounds like a good idea to make you really feel as if you are actually at the battle, but in reality the result is confusing - the noises from both sides of the corridor overpower each other and you can't hear either properly.
There is also an audio visual display which depicts the events on the day of the battle. The display is viewed in a room with screens on all four walls. Throughout the display different images appear on each of the four walls (presumably again to give the impression that you are in the middle of the battlefield at the height of the action). However, again, I found this section of the centre to be slightly confusing. There is too much going on to concentrate on any one of the screens. A further reason for my complaint is that there are no seats in the audio visual room - this wouldn't make it ideal for anyone not at the height of good health.
The centre is very educational though - by the time I reached the end of it I had learned a great deal about the battle and the historical events surrounding it. I don't think that the snazzy technology added that much to my enjoyment of it however.
Battlefield At the end of the centre the tour of the battlefield itself begins. As you would expect, there isn't that much to see on the battlefield. There are some red flags to represent the position of the Government forces, some blue ones to represent the Jacobites, a monument to those who died which was erected in the 19th century and some sites of mass clan graves. Instead of having a guided tour of the site, you are provided with a sat nav system which pings (or is supposed to ping) when you reach a particular point of interest on the tour. The sat navs are very cool, but they do have their problems, if you're not the most technologically able like me. My friend's sat nav broke about 30 seconds into the tour and then we ended up out of sync for the rest of the tour. There were poor instructions for using the technology - nobody explained that you had to stop when the machine pinged so my friend and I kept moving and then missed out several of the points of note on the tour.
Overall A very interesting site to visit but overpriced and a lot of the technology is a bit of a waste if you ask me.
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A good review but a pity about the £10 even with some nice gadgets. Martin.
Borg 18.05.2008 22:13
Great review - was quite interested in going here till I saw the price - don't we get ripped off sometimes eh! Sorry, most times!
Bollinger28 18.05.2008 21:43
Sounds like an interesting day out, although a little expensive. I always think paying for parking on top of an entry fee is a right rip off. The sat nav guided tours seem like a good idea but from what you've written they're obviously a little bit hit and miss in reality! Lexy
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