Tour Scotland Spring travel video of a May road trip drive, with Scottish bagpipes and drums music, on Schiehallion road, on ancestry visit to the Perthshire Highlands. The road is one of the most famous driving roads in Scotland and Britain. The winding single track road connects Aberfeldy to Kinloch Rannoch in Highland Perthshire. The name Schiehallion is an anglicised form of the Gaelic name Sìdh Chailleann, which translates as Fairy Hill of the Caledonians. It is also known to some as The Maiden's Pap, or Constant Storm. Schiehallion mountain lies between Loch Tay and Loch Tummel, 10 miles north of Aberfeldy, Schiehallion's isolated position and regular shape led it to be selected by Charles Mason for a ground breaking experiment to estimate the mass of the Earth in 1774. The deflection of a pendulum by the mass of the mountain provided an estimate of the mean density of the Earth, from which its mass and a value for Newton's Gravitational constant G could be deduced. Mason turned down a commission to carry out the work and it was instead coordinated by Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne. He was assisted in the task by mathematician Charles Hutton, who devised a graphical system to represent large volumes of surveyed heights, later known as contour lines. The Robertsons were the chief clan in and around Schiehallion and Rannoch in the old days, owning much land, including all the south side of Loch Rannoch, in Gaelic, Slios Garbh, meaning “ the Rough Side ’. One of their most warlike chiefs was Alexander Struan Robertson. He took part in all three Stewart Rebellions. He led his clan in 1689 at Killiecrankie, then in 1715 at Sherrifmuir, where he was captured, and in 1745 at Preston Pans, from where he returned triumphant in the captured coach of Sir John Cope, the enemy general. There is a sad spot on the north side of Loch Rannoch known as the Grove of the Hanging Trees, for many unfortunate MacDonald clansmen met their deaths on these oaks. The last of many was Donald Ban who was hanged there in 1745 by the government troops for cattle thieving, finally quelling the lawless clans of Rannoch. Clan Donnachaidh, Scottish Gaelic: Clann Donnchaidh, also known as Clan Robertson, is a Scottish clan.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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