The Glenfinnan Monument

By Alexa Bourne
Yes, folks, I'm taking you back to my "happy place", Glenfinnan, Scotland, one last time. Today were going to take a look at the Glenfinnan Monument.
The monument sits at the northern end of Loch Shiel. It is a stone structure with an anonymous kilted Highlander standing at the top. I often thought about it as if he was guarding the lands. The monument was built in 1815 by Alexander Macdonald to honor the men who showed courage and walked with Bonnie Prince Charlie in his attempt to regain Scotland for his father. It also commemorates the site where the Bonnie Prince raised his royal standard in 1745, which marked the beginning of the rebellion that ended in the final defeat of the Scots on the battlefield of Culloden in April 1746. Now, the monument is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.

I had visited Glenfinnan a couple of times before I realized you could actually go into the stone structure, climb the stairs and come out at the top. It requires a small fee for a ticket, which you get at the Visitors' Centre nearby. I remember feeling very uncomfortable at the top. Yes, the view was spectacular and being close to the kilted Highlander stucture made me realize how much bigger it was than I'd thought. But the height of the monument and the small space for walking up top combined to make me dizzy. In reality, one person up there was probably okay, but two would have been crowding.

The view of the Glenfinnan Monument and Loch Shiel is often photographed and used in various promotional materials. Too, if you remember, the view was used in one of the Harry Potter films. (Can you remember which one?) It is also the site where hundreds of Jacobite enthusiasts gather each year on August 19th to commemorate the raising of the royal standard all those years ago. For more details about Glenfinnan or the monument, Undiscovered Scotland has great information and pictures.

I hope you've enjoyed our virtual visit to Glenfinnan over the last few months. Next month, we'll be heading to a new location. Where, you ask? For that you'll have to come back!