Gregor Ewing set off from Culloden Battlefield at 10am this morning.
A HISTORY enthusiast is tracing the steps taken by Bonnie Prince Charlie after his defeat at Culloden.
Gregor Ewing set off from Culloden Battlefield at 10am this morning.
The 41-year-old will travel through the north-west Highlands, Western Isles and the Isle of Skye, and back to Loch nan Uamh near Lochailort, where Charles Edward Stuart - known as Bonnie Prince Charlie – left for France.
The walk is expected to take six weeks.
Mr Ewing, from Falkirk, researched the route using a number of historic accounts of the infamous journey by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746 following the Battle of Culloden.
It was the last great battle of the Jacobite rising – an attempt to reinstate a Stuart monarch on the throne of Britain – and saw the Jacobites, led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, defeated by the Duke of Cumberland and his British army.
“I think that the biggest challenge for me will be making sure I get the daily miles in, so that I make good progress,” said Mr Ewing. “I have been putting in a lot of training, so I should be well prepared.
“The route is through some incredible landscapes, some of which are quite intimidating. One of the trickiest parts is the probably going to be going from Glenfinnan to Glen Shiel, as there are some serious peaks to conquer there and it is very wild and remote. This is also where Bonnie Prince Charlie was in greatest danger of being caught, so it’s a good insight into his experience all those years ago.”
He was joined by some of Culloden Battlefield’s historians as he set off on his journey today.
“I hope that through my journey, I am able to increase awareness of this important part of the Jacobite story and perhaps even encourage a few folk to come out and explore some of the places for themselves,” he added.
He plans to write about his experience when he finishes.