Walking Through History - Battle of the Glens

Good morning, Tony continues his walking tour around Britain.  This time he is taking in the sights of the Scottish Highlands.  The run time for this episode is 47:41.  The episode is called Battle in the Glens.

In the early 18th Century, the Scottish Highlands were the site of a bloody rebellion against the Crown.  The Highlanders wanted a different monarch and they nearly succeeded.  What makes these Scottish Highlands a breeding ground for rebellion?

Tony begins in a region opposite the Isle of Skye in an area called Shiel Bridge.  A group of Spanish troops landed here.  They would be under the command of the Scottish Highlanders.  The Scottish Clan Chiefs were planning to replace the English monarch with the son of the former king.  They were known as the Jacobites.  They wanted to replace King George I with James, the son of the Old Pretender.  Eventually, they would meet and the Jacobites would be defeated.
In this episode, Tony has a four-day hike scheduled.  From Shiel Bridge, Tony will head south to Glen Undalain.  After Glen Udalain, Tony heads west to Glen Beag to learn about one of the oldest dwellings.  After taking in this dwelling, Tony heads north to Glenelg.  He then sets sail on Loch Alsh to the Kyle of Iochaish.  He finishes at Eilean Donan Castle where the Spanish troops landed.  Then concludes at the Glen Sheil battle site.

Tony is faced with one of the more challenging routes he has had.  He is looking back in the past when he takes these walks.  He discusses how the clan chiefs were a powerful force in Scotland and wants to learn more about the clan system.  Day one for Tony will be an eleven-mile walk to his hotel.  People would have lived in the valley where Tony walks for centuries.  However, the population would have been small because there weather was harsh and there was no good land for cultivating.  It is here that he meets Alistar Moffett, who is an expert in Scottish Clans.  Tony learns more about the history of the clans and the clan system.  After this discussion, Tony continues on his walk and points out to features in the landscape named for people.

Eventually, Tony makes his way to a broch and learns about the Scottish brochs.  He talks with Noell Fojut, an expert in brochs.  He talks about the people who lived in the brochs and how they were built.  It would have been a challenging life.  I have a sense that Tony is in his Time Team mode when he and Noell talk about the brochs.  I found it interesting that Noell discussed how in Scotland, it was the King of the Scots, someone who had a relationship with the people he ruled.  Eventually Tony reaches his hotel for the night.

On day two, Tony takes off to learn more about the Stewart Kings.  He begins with the story how William and Mary took over the English throne, overthrowing James II, a Catholic King.  Parliament also banned James II’s son from becoming King because he was Catholic.  Eventually, the English crown passed to a German Protestant George I.  However the Scottish clans rallied around the Old Pretender to put a Stewart back on the throne.  The French secretly backed these Scottish clans, however, they were defeated.  Eventually leading members of the rebellion fled to France.

King George I and his government built barracks that could hold over 200 soldiers in a local village.  Tony talks with Victoria Henshaw about the barracks and why the barracks were built.  After exploring these barracks, Tony will take to the sea to continue his journey in learning about the Jacobite rebellion.  What else does Tony learn along way?  Tune into the rest of the episode to find out more.

I found it very ironic that Spanish Troops did manage to land in England, only to help a Scottish man become the English King.  Tony really seemed in his element when he explored the Broch.  Over all this was a very different look at the Jacobite rebellions.  I would consider putting this on my list of documentaries to show to a classroom.  I would also use this for research purposes.