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So today we're going to be doing a tour with Haggis Adventures.
We're up in the Scottish Highlands and we're going to be visiting some of the main sites
around this area.
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Every time I come here I always get really emotional.
I can't explain it.
It's a place that is very very close to my heart.
This is the battlefield.
No jokes.
No humor.
Guys.
This is a massive war grave where my ancestors and other people's ancestors died needlessly.
So, just respect it guys.
As you're making your way through here.
It's the same as if you go over to Europe and you go to these Second World War places.
Just utmost total respect.
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A big massive shield and a big ginger beard.
And long hair.
Quite intimidating, eh?
Boom.
Five of you guys have just been disemboweled.
Now you guys over here boomfff.
I probably just slit through your jugulars.
So with one man I could have taken out eight red coat soldiers.
That's why the Highlanders were known.
The people come here.
They sing songs.
They tell stories.
And they remember.
If you guys were to come here just after the 16th of April all the way around this would
be five hours and things like that.
On the anniversary of the battle during the day they bring a little piper out who is actually
blind.
And they bring him up here and he stands here for forty five minutes and he plays songs
on the bagpipes for forty five minutes.
The length that the battle lasted for.
And I dare any of you to come and stand next to him and not cry because I did and it is
just such an emotional thing.
There is just silence and all you can hear is the pipes just playing through and you're
just looking around you can just imagine it happening.
And it does really really tug on your heart strings because war is such a terrible thing
and one thing is guaranteed with war is death.
Death and destruction.
really really sad.
These flags here.
The three lions represent the connection to England.
fleur de lis a connection to France.
And the flower is the connection to Ireland.
I think it's quite cool.
So this is the Royal standard of King James.
If I had to stand here in this battle field 250 years ago and I was flying this flag I
would have been taken for treason and hung and killed.
This is pretty cool actually.
And another interesting thing that one of the Jacobite generals did.
If I had saw this being a Jacobite soldier this would have inspired me to have courage
and morale.
He actually led a charge into the front line against the British government army.
Snapped his sword in two, lost his horse.
Came back out of the front line of the British government army.
Got another sword, go another horse and led a second charge in.
Now to me that's balls.
If I had of been there and I saw one of my generals acting like that I'd have been YEAH!
Come on let's go!
He's also the patron Saint of Russia and he's the patron saint of Greece as well.
So he's not just exclusive to Scotland.
This flag is very important as well.
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clava cairns.
Pffff.
There isn't actually much to say about this place because it's a mystery.
You still have people coming here in the winter solstice with professor suits on and they
all argue with one another basically.
Eh, these chambers are older than the Pyramids.
They were built by teenagers because the life expectancy back then would have only been
about 30 years old.
So these tombs were built by teenagers.
Now you might have had a dome coming over the top as well.
And as you can see the sun is actually just setting right over there.
And I believe it's either in the summer solstice or the winter solstice that the sun actually
sets in alignment here and the sun beam comes right down in this chamber and there would
have been a fire and smoke and all of us would have been sitting in here.
So image that beam of light coming in and all of this room started filling up with a
smoke and light and things like that.
Very very very spiritual.
People who come here.
If they take any of these rocks from these cairns and take it back to whatever it is
they are from bad things happen to them.
So much so people actually come back here and replaced the rocks.
So there is your disclaimer guys.
Don't take any of the rocks.
Hahaha.
Don't go on facebook.
Dave my arms is falling off!
I did tell you not to take the rocks.
Hahaha!
You have been warned.
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After the rising you had 1719.
Spain and England are shall we say had an alliance with one another and voided that
alliance, so Spain decided to play the Jacobite card.
They spent 300 of their crack Spanish mountain troops to help the highlanders.
Thank you very much Spain!
Woo!
They went down to the eilendon castle which is where I'll be taking you shortly.
Unfortunately, for the Scots and the Spanish we were defeated, so it was another failure
and arising.
Thanks for trying to help us guys.
Hahaha.
So it's quite crazy to think guys that there were was actually Spanish soldiers fighting
here.
That's why we've said about Jacobitism being part of Scotland.
As I said, Bonnie Prince Charlie was offered to become King of America, so an International
dimension as well.
What a beautiful place for a battle guys.
What a beautiful place for a battle.
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Wind blowing.
So today is day two of our tour of the Scottish Highlands.
The blue skies are gone and it is rainy, cold and the weather is just very Scottish and
dramatic.
So our first stop of the day is eilean donan castle and that's just right behind us.
Brrrr.
When I'm cold you know it's really cold.
Oh yeah!
Bone chilling, wet and damp right now.
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Aside from just the impressive Castle there is also wonderful views here.
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Wind blowing.
SO we've just been warming up in a pub right now.
It is really cold, damp, wet and windy outside, so we've got tea for two and we've ordered
some traditional pub fare.
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I actually quite like the damp and the rain because it reminds me so much of home where
I grew up on Vancouver Island.
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It is super windy.
Our guide Dave this is the windiest he's ever seen it here.
I bet you can barely hear me right now.
Wind noises.
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Today is day three of our Haggis Tour adventure and we've had all kinds of weather.
On day one it was pristine conditions - sunny blue skies and day two was insane.
Howling winds, rain, chilly and today we have a nice overcast day.
And we've got great views from the back of the mountains.
So the snowy peak we have over in the background is Ben Nevis and it is the highest peak in
the UK.
It's a real treat that we can see it today.
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So here is
inverlochy castle which dates back to the.
So we've just been wandering around the ruins and seeing what is left of it even now.
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And just behind us we have the three sisters.
There is not much explaining to do the scenery speaks for itself.
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So we're visiting the William Wallace Memorial.
Fans of Brave Heart will certainly know who this is.
What was interesting was that our guide actually told us that many of the scenes in Brave Heart
were actually historically inaccurate.
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