We are back! Sorry for the long delay between releases. Between waiting for the next generation of consumer 360 cameras (which have turned out to be disappointing) and having my VR headset die on me its been a bit of a challenge.

Here are the remnants of the Ruthven Barracks in Ruthven Scotland, while we were there conservation work was being conducted which is why the scaffolding is present within the video.

Transcript:
In 1707 the Acts of Union took place, uniting Scotland with the Kingdoms of England, Wales and Ireland, forming Great Britain. After the death of Queen Anne in 1714, and with no surviving heirs, the house of Stewart's line of succession was ceded to the House of Hanover.

George Ludwig took the throne as King George the 1st of Great Britain and Ireland, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswig-Luneburg within the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1715 supporters of James Edward Stuart, known as the Jacobite’s, attempted to restore the Stewart Line as rulers of the Kingdom of Great Britain. They attempted to capture Stirling Castle, one of the largest and most important castles within Scotland.

They were outnumbered by the Supporters of the ruling King, and under the command of the Duke of Argyll the royal forces occupied the fortress and advanced to Sheriffmuir. Here the battle of Sheriffmuir took place, and no clear winner prevailed. However after this battle the rising was effectively over.

The Cairngorms were a notoriously difficult area to control. Following the Jacobite rising in 1715, the Hanoverian government ordered the construction of Ruthven Barracks, and three other garrisons across the Highlands. These were "to preserve the peace and quiet of the country".

Ruthven's strategic significance made it inevitable that it would figure in any further Jacobite rising. From this location the garrison could control the river crossing and the three military roads built by Major-General Wade, to Inverness, Perth and Fort Augustus.

These barracks were built between 1719 and 1721 on the site of a ruined castle dating back to 1229. The original castle had been destroyed in 1451 and rebuilt 8 years later in 1459 as a grander fortification which was fought over during the Civil Wars. The castle was destroyed by the Jacobite's during their first uprising in 1689.

The two barrack blocks face each other across the open parade-ground where the redcoats (members of the British Army) drilled.

Each block was designed to house up to 60 soldiers. Soldiers slept ten to a room in double beds and cooking for themselves in the fireplaces provided. Senior officers had separate quarters in the upper floors of the towers. They were all expected to cook, clean and do their own laundry.

It is however unlikely that there was ever a full garrison of 120 men here. The basement and attic in each barracks were used for storage of military equipment and food.
Bread and beer were produced on the premises in the Bakehouse and Brewhouse, with soldiers drawing their rations daily. The men could purchase extra if they wished; Beer at 6 pence a gallon, whisky at 1 pence a quarter pint, rum at 3 pence a half-pint, and Porter at 2 pence a bottle. 1 Pence being equivalent to £1 today.

The stables seen here were built in 1734 to take 28 horses for dragoons patrolling the nearby military roads. This fore-stair led to the hay-lofts and the tack-rooms were at the rear.

In August 1745 Sargent Molloy and twelve redcoats successfully repelled an attack by a 200 strong Jacobite force of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, with the loss of just one man recorded as; 'shot through the head by foolishly holding his head too high over the parapet'. When the returning Jacobite army passed by in February 1746, they had artillery support and the garrison surrendered when the barracks were burnt. Shortly after, the remnant of the Jacobite force returned to Ruthven following their defeat at Culloden, hoping to continue the struggle. It was here on the 19 April that they received their final instruction from Prince Charles Edward Stuart: "Let every man seek his own safety in the best way he can". Thus signalling the end of the war, and their defeat to the redcoats.

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