Outlander and the Culloden Battlefield & Visitor Centre

[MacKenzie]

https://sonofskye.wordpress.com/2015...isitor-centre/

[Profane James]

A well written word of caution that I totally agree with...

[brewerpaul]

Perhaps Jennifer and I were the only visitors, this past June, to Scotland who haven't seen or knew much about Outlander. We visited Culloden Battlefield and had a deep sense of awe and reverence for the area and the history. The gift shop, to me, is like any gift shop. Places use what they can to raise money and the Outlander stuff was there but not overbearing. Even Rosslyn Chapel has small bottles of their own whisky so you have to take some of it with a grain of salt. The issue is if and when the history and site is presented as an integral a television show, thus losing the reality of history in the unreality of historical fiction. If people are coming off tour buses looking for Outlander then it is being sold wrongly. I, for one, found an excellent book on Culloden based on archaeological finding and am looking forward to reading it front to back.

Culloden was not the only place Outlander was referred to when we were in Scotland. While visiting the Clava Cairns a woman was running around with her I-toy taking photos because her son wanted her to. He had seen or heard about it from Outlander. I don't think she had a clue of what she was really looking at. We were in complete awe again when we walked around the Cairns. Once again we had to think we must be the only two who don't know about Outlander. Even the Wallace monument sells Braveheart tartan items so sometimes it is like TV.. If they aren't showing what you want turn it off. I just chuckle at some of the items gift shops try to entice you with and then look for something of value to counter it. More often I will find a good history book or something of value...

These are just my feelings and I have to say I come from a state, Texas, where some people still think John Wayne did fight at the Alamo.

[Profane James]

...Places use what they can to raise money and the Outlander stuff was there but not overbearing...

Heartening information...good to have a first hand account!

...These are just my feelings and I have to say I come from a state, Texas, where some people still think John Wayne did fight at the Alamo.

LoL ! I hear ya...

[Tarheel]

My wife has a saying when it comes to television and movies, "They produce a product to accommodate the sale of popcorn." It gives a sense of perspective to documentaries where Granola is usually sold. It may take decades to right the misconception of historical accounts after visual media has exploited it, but I have hope.
I look to books that become movies like, "Buried my Heart at Wounded Knee" as an example. Though not exact, it is better than the early written accounts from the "dime novels" of the 1800's.

Don't even get me started on James Fenimore Cooper and the "Last of the Mohicans."

[Profane James]

"They produce a product to accommodate the sale of popcorn." It gives a sense of perspective to documentaries where Granola is usually sold.

Ha! True...
And agreed..

[Father Bill]

The original article referred to is thoughtful, sober and sensible. I much appreciate the link to it, and concur deeply with the sentiments expressed. I've not read the "Outlander" series or any of it's concomittent materials, but I've known of Culloden and its meaning from library research (NOT fiction) since I was single digits of age and am horrified of the ignorance of so many folks. It saddens me.

As I recently said on Facebook, I'm sure that God frequently pulls his hair out at the roots and cries "I should have made them smarter; I should have made them smarter; I should have made...." And if He had, would there ever even have been a Culloden I wonder!

Sadly,

Father Bill+