USE: IMMEDIATE                                                 ISSUED: Wednesday, 16 March 2005

Over 150 people turned out to the recent ‘Jacobite Quest’ held at Fort Augustus (Sat 12^th March) which was organised by Cill Chuimien Heritage Society, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Highland Council.

Event organiser Clelland McCallum, Great Glen Way Ranger with The Highland Council’s Planning and Development Service  said: "I’m so pleased that we could promote our culture and our natural heritage in the one event because they are both of utmost importance to the economic and social well being of the highlands."

Early in the event, participants became prisoners of the Redcoats almost immediately but were soon sprung by the Jacobites and sent on a quest to make supplies to aid

Bonny Prince Charlie’s escape by the Jacobite leader Glenaladale was played by Ray Owens of Highland Voices. In return for this they became custodians of the Highland culture and they then had to escape the clutches of Captain Kennedy of the Royal Scots who used the ‘Act of Prescription’ to try and suppress the Highland ways, which in its time was a deadly blow that the culture suffered.

Luckily on the day Iain Mac Eoghan a.k.a. John Grant, Andrew Ferguson of Crann-tara Living History, was on hand to stand at the Highland settlement where his people shared their knowledge of Highland culture in the form of weapons demonstration, speaking the Gaelic, playing the chanter and singing lessons were provided by a representative from the Mairi Mhòr fellowship.

After the event Clelland went on to say: "It’s such a relief that it went so well on the day especially when we were adopting a fresh approach to interpreting out culture and heritage, you never know whether it’ll work or not.

Andrew Ferguson said: "The event was fantastic everybody has really enjoyed themselves and I think we’ve got a winning formula here."

For further information, please contact: Clelland McCallum, Great Glen Way Ranger, The Highland Council, Planning and Development Service Tel: 01320 366633 Or Alastair Smyth Forestry Commission Scotland, Fort Augustus Forest District. Tel: 01320 366 322

Date Last updated : 17/03/05