Equinox on the Moor: A Bike Ride to the Dead and Back to Myself
On my first full day in Inverness, I knew I needed to visit some dead people. Well, buried dead people, to be exact. So why not take a lovely bike ride and make a day of it? Bike rental and not-so-great-fitting bike helmet later, I hit the road. I figured I could practice riding on the wrong side of the street before I rent my car tomorrow. Woot! Google Maps is most handy when paid attention to—which I promptly didn’t do.
Travel insight about me, and a new insight about myself in general: When I make my mind up about something that I think is right, I believe it 100%. So despite Google Maps’ guidance, I righteously went my own way. But oh, the things I discovered! A beautiful park, a bike path in the wrong direction, country roads with single track, and hidden dragon rest stops. And did I mention the numerous hills? There were numerous hills. Instead of 35 minutes, Culloden Battlefield was found—oh, about 90 minutes later.
Culloden Moor was the last battle in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, marking the end of Scottish ways for many, many years. The Scots were considered treasonous by the English, and the possession of plaid, for example, was jail or death. Clans and families were broken, and many Scots were sent to the New World colonies.
And a very short bike ride later, it was finally time to see the ancient stone circles of Clava Cairns. Suddenly, everything became still as I walked into the sheltering grove of beech trees. I sat on a tree stump, quietly watching the tourists pull up, hop out of their cars, walk quickly around, take a few photos, and drive away. They were missing the point. Don’t they feel it? Don’t they feel the pull of this place... to slow down and just be? I sat on a tree stump and felt and listened to the wind in the trees, the calm in my heart.
These ancient burial grounds, built 4,000 years ago, were aligned with the sun and the moon. And today was the Autumn Equinox. The Equinox marks a time to move from the old to the new. It’s like a cosmic clock attuning us to the larger rhythms of the natural world. It asks that we take a moment and ground ourselves into the present, into our heart space.
But what I didn’t plan was losing one of my gloves on the ground. A nice gentleman came up to me and asked if it was mine. Yes. Thank you. My name is Ranya. My name is Dougie Scott. I’m a local, and I’ve been studying these ancient ruins for 30 years. Would you like to hear about them?
Ah, um, yes please! Yes, I would, very much.
Well, you see that stone over there? The sun is perfectly aligned over it if you stand right here, right now. While the sun is setting, it lines up like this once a year. And those are ancient cup markings, there. And do you see the different colors of the rocks, facing north and south?
Wow! Yes. Thank you so much for all you shared. I am most grateful to have met you.
But I must go now. The sun is setting... and I really must go now... it’s time to ride back before dark.
And 30 minutes later, ALL the way downhill, I’m back at my cozy B&B—satisfied and changed forever.
For Reflection…
Sometimes the detour is the destination.
What started as a leisurely ride to "visit the dead" became an unexpected rite of passage—through myth, memory, and the wisdom of a stranger named Dougie. I didn’t just find ancient stones that day. I found stillness, connection, and a version of myself I hadn’t yet met.
