Places of interest
Balloch is situated about 5 miles from the centre of Inverness , the capital of the Scottish Highlands, please use the link below to see what is available for the visitor to the area.
Probable Gaelic meanings of place names in and around Balloch.
Inverness
http://citybreaks.visitscotland.com/city/inverness/default.aspx
The Clootie Well, also known as Culloden Well
Visited especially on the first Sunday in May, (at its height between the World Wars a big holiday with buses running from Inverness for visitors) this well in Smithton, just outside Balloch, is one of a number of Clootie wells in Scotland (and Cornwall) where people tie pieces of cloth and make small offerings.
The Clootie Well, and the Prisoners’ Stone, and Culloden Battlefield - from the Guardian
For those interested in Holy Wells there is also the Clootie Well near Munlochy on the Black Isle and also, Craigie Well at Avoch on the Black Isle has both offerings of coins and clooties.
The Moray Firth
Balloch overlooks the Moray Firth (Moray Firth Partnership ) with Alturlie Point the nearest feature, this is about 5 minutes drive from the village.
Culloden House
Just outside Balloch is Culloden House (now a hotel) and its ice house and doo-cot both just by Barn Church Road. Balloch Village was closely associated with Culloden House in former times
www.cullodenhouse.co.uk
Culloden House and Gardens, Culloden Woods, Lord President’s Seat, Clootie Well
Pennant referred to 'the great plantations of Culloden House' (Pennant, 1772), said to have been planted in the 1720s (Old Statistical Account, 1793).
Forbes' mansion house was demolished between 1772-83, when a new house was built for Arthur Forbes. It incorporated the vaults of the earlier house. The walled garden, doocot and stables are contemporary with this existing house. Statues decorating the quadrant walls on the north-east garden front of the house represent 'Zenonia', 'Odenetus', 'Cato', and 'Scipio'.
This may allude to the Stoic ideas of reason and virtue, the Forbes' political role (equated with that of Odenetus who was entrusted with the protection of Rome's Eastern empire) and his criticisms of the government, the ideal of the balanced constitution and the ideal statesman.
The naming of the 'Lord President's Seat', a rock outcrop in Culloden Wood may date to this time. (See historic Scotland )
Pedestrians can most effectively shorten the walking distance (6 miles) from Inverness to the Culloden battlefield, by taking the Highland railway train to Culloden Moor Station, about a mile east of Cumberland's stone. But very pleasant walks can be had by approaching the Moor from Allanfearn Station, about three miles north-west of the stone.
Two alternative routes present themselves. One way is to pass the Allanfearn farm offices above the Station, and turn to the right along a road running west, lined by an avenue of trees, then by a cross road to the left, which will lead past the Mains of Culloden farm-offices, and thence by the west end of the lawn in front of the mansion house, past the stables, and between them and the dog-kennel, and by a broad woodland pathway on the east side of a burn course, slantingly up to the right through a birch wood, at one time covering the hill-face but now partly cut down.
This path crosses the Inverness to Aviemore railway by a bridge on which is left in situ a stone known as the "President's Seat," and conducts to the farm of Black Park, at the west end, and south of the birch wood, and near the public road from Inverness, less than half-a-mile west of the Stable Hollow house.
The distance may be shortened by, towards the middle of the ascent, holding right up the hill and crossing the Moor ground to the west end of the fir and larch plantation, or to the Stable Hollow house.
Behind one of the small farm-houses, also in Stable Hollow, and next to "King's Stables," on the way in this direction, not far from the planting, a large protruding boulder will be seen, where the country people concur in saying one of the Prince's cannon was planted.
On the way up the hill- face, but on the west side of the burn in the birch wood near the top of the hill, there is a very fine enclosed chalybeate well, called Tobar Mhoire or Mary's Well. It is much resorted to by lads and lasses from Inverness on the first Sunday of May.