Old Photograph The Colonel's Bed Braemar Scotland

Old photograph of The Colonel's Bed near Braemar, Royal Deeside, Scotland. During the Jacobite rising of John Graham of Claverhouse following the arrival, in November 1688, of William and Mary in Britain, John Farquharson was commissioned as colonel by John Graham. Due to his swarthy complexion, John Farquharson is usually referred to as the Black Colonel. The Black Colonel participated in this rising, and after preventing a Government force of 100 men from occupying Braemar Castle he burnt it preventing its use by Government troops. The final clash of the rising came on 17 July 1689 at the battle of Killiecrankie in Perthshire, where John Graham was killed. After this battle John Farquharson returned to the Braemar area, frequently staying at his home in Inverey Castle. During at least one visit by redcoat soldiers led him to hide out in Glen Ey on the shelf of rock still known as The Colonel's Bed. The soldiers made do with plundering and burning the castle, the Black Colonel's loyal retainers ensuring he died of old age about 1698, and was buried in Inverey.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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