Culloden Battlefield

One of the places I was most looking forward to seeing during my trip to the Scottish Highlands was the Culloden Battlefield.  I had only become aware of and interested in Scottish history as a result of watching Outlander. We visited Culloden on the last day. The weather was picture perfect, unusual for Scotland. Naturally, Culloden reminded me of the battlefields I have visited in the US, some very recently.

Culloden Battlefield

Memorial Wall: stones are pushed out for the deceased

A depiction of the battle (Lord Cumberland, R)

Bonnie Prince Charlie

The Battle of Culloden took place on April 16, 1746, near Inverness. The Jacobite Army led by Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) was decisively defeated by British government forces commanded by the Duke of Cumberland (Prince William Augustus). Jacobite losses were between 1500 and 2000 killed or wounded. 3471 prisoners were taken. Government casualties were much less, only 50 dead and 259 wounded. 

Culloden Battlefield

Jacobite front line

Memorial Cairn, c. 1881

The Duke of Cumberland earned the nickname the "Butcher of Culloden" because he ordered his troops to kill surviving and wounded Jacobites. In fact, British forces committed many atrocities. Charles Edward Stuart escaped, eventually finding exile in France, then Italy.

Dedication

Grave marker

The Fraser stone was roped off -- wonder why?

British line: site of ferocious hand-to-hand fighting

Clan Mackintosh

Location of field hospital, c. 1760

After the Battle of Culloden, the British government launched a brutal military campaign and severe legal reforms to crush the Jacobite movement and destroy the traditional Scottish Highland way of life. Tartans, kilts, bagpipes, weapons, and the Gaelic (language) were all banned. Clan territories were transitioned to commercial estates. Eventually the land was consolidated into large sheep farms, forcing many people off their ancestral lands, with some emigrating to the US, Australia, and Canada. Some people have equated the Highland Clearances to genocide or ethnic cleansing. Others attribute it to pure greed. I suspect it was a bit of both.