Scottish Myths
The Scottish Highlands have so much to offer - spectacular mountains, majestic glens and mirror-like lochs form the perfect backdrop to picturesque towns, isolated crofts, towering castles and pagoda-topped distilleries. A startling variety of wildlife also makes its home in the sea-lochs and glens where an unbroken thread of human history reaches back into the mists of time. Scotland has given rise to many more famous people, notable in the arts, literature, the sciences and as inventors, philosophers, architects and so on, than would be expected for a country of such modest size and population. Bu Scotland has got also a tremendous martial past and a rich military tradition with its unique music, which is celebrated with ardour yesterday as much as today. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, so to speak the „mother of all military music festivals“ worldwide celebrates over 50 years of music and spectacle set against the world famous backdrop of Edinburgh Castle in 2007. A spectacular show not to be missed and a respectable end of a unique trip which covers the military heritage of a proud nation. Experience Scotland and its people with a Scottish state-of-the-art military history guide.
Battle, tradition and the worlds best military music festival
Scotland´s martial history does not only start with the battles for independence against the English, but it is already a reality with the migration of the Celtics 100 B.C., which manifested in constant tribal warfare. The Midland Valley of Scotland represented the most northern extent of the Roman conquest of Britain after 79 A.D. in 84 A.D. led by Calgacus, the Caledonians' defeat at the hands of Gnaeus Julius Agricola at Mons Graupius is recorded by Tacitus. In this first traditional “Scottish” battle the Caledonii are beaten severely by the Romans. According to Tacitus the suffer 10.000 casualties whereas the Romans lose 360 of their legionaries. Thereupon the Highlanders retreat to the mountains and subsequently fight a successful guerrilla war against the Romans. A situation the Scots get used to in the future. Only in the wake of the 1715 Jacobite rebellion companies of trustworthy highlanders were raised from loyal clans for duty in the English Army. Since then the Scots have left a footmark of bravery and a spirit of sacrifice and have proven their fighting strength in numerous colonial wars, in two world wars and beyond. A musical instrument, only permitted reluctantly by the English officers, happened to become a military musical instrument which has got the highest possible recognition value worldwide: the bagpipe. Today Scottish military music bands celebrate every year, apart from many other international bands, their tradition and music at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo set against the world famous backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. 2007 will be the 50th anniversary of this spectacular event. Be there!
A Scottish Career
Obviously, a trip like this deserves the most competent battlefield guide and without exaggeration one can claim that Nigel meets the qualification with the highest degree.
Scotsman, soldier, diplomat and historian, Nigel graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1976, joining the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Soldiering all over the world followed, including covert intelligence gathering duties behind the Iron Curtain in the former East Germany with BRIXMIS during the Cold War, interpreting for Rudolf Hess in Spandau Prison, two years with the US 1 st Cavalry Division on the staff of General Tommy Franks, both in Texas and during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Iraq, for which he was awarded the MBE and US Bronze Star Medal. After command of armoured reconnaissance and tank squadrons he became Chief of Staff of the Royal Armoured Corps Centre at Bovington in Dorset, and a Defence Attaché at the British Embassies in Bonn and Berlin. Nigel Dunkley is perhaps now Berlin’s best known lecturing, teaching and touring residient English language historian specialising in Third Reich and Cold War history. In addition he leads military history tours throughout Europe including the Crimea, Italy and the Czech Republic.