Muschats’s Cairn
To the untrained eye, Muschats’s Cairn just looks like a random pile of rocks and in a way, that’s exactly what it is. A cairn, by definition, is a landmark constructed with irregular stones but the stones at Muschats’s Cairn hold a much more sinister story. The cairn was constructed in memory of surgeon Nichol Muschat’s wife, who he killed and as the years progressed people would add stones to the growing pile of rocks. After the original was removed, the cairn that you see today was created in the 1800s.
Duke’s Walk, Edinburgh, EH8 7AT
Well of the Seven Heads
The Well of the Seven Heads was erected in 1812 by the chief of Clan Macdonnell on the banks of Loch Oich. It marks the spot of an ancient well and gives a nod to a horrific series of events. On a closer look, you can see that the monument features a grisly carving of a hand holding a dagger and seven severed heads. During an exhumation of a mound in Inverlair, seven headless corpses were discovered, confirming the story of the Well of the Seven Heads.
Spean Bridge
The Tinker’s Heart
Featuring more than two dozen quartz pebbles, the Tinker’s Heart overlooks Loch Fyne and serves as a permanent monument to the indigenous Scottish Travellers. Although the heart’s true origins are uncertain it is assumed that Travellers constructed the monument as a tribute to their kin who fought and died in the Jacobite rising of 1745. However, because many of Scotland’s Traveller communities rely on oral histories, it’s difficult for historians to track down exact details of when and why it was made.
A815, Argyll and Bute
The Geographic Centre of Scotland
Although there is much debate around the actual geographic location of Scotland’s centre, one of the supposed locations is in the Glentruim Estate, just outside Newtonmore. The location is marked by a cross set in the drystone dyke on the side of the road. This spot was determined as the midway point between the furthest point from the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Glentruim Road, Newtonmore
Buffalo Bill Statue
A statue of the American frontier’s greatest showman may seem like an odd choice for Scotland – but Buffalo Bill was known worldwide for his horsemanship. His 19th century Wild West show gained so much popularity that he eventually took the act to Europe. Towards the end of the 19th century, Bill and the company were set up near the east end of Glasgow and performed in front of several thousand. In 2006, the architectural firm Regency Homes decided to erect a statue in Buffalo Bill’s honour, right where his performances once took place.
63-87 Whitehill Street, Glasgow, G31 2LR
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