"An emotional visit to Culloden" Top 5 Page for this destination Inverness Things to Do Tip by JessH

Culloden is an evocative place for many people... and I was unprepared for the emotions it evoked in me. As I sit here writing this tip, we approach the 266th anniversary of this great battle and the subsequent awful defeat. Not only is it the site of the last hand-to-hand combat to take place on British soil and the last stand of an ancient Gaelic royal dynasty, but it is also the place where the Highland clan culture of Scotland cried out one last time in utter defiance... the battle of Culloden on April 16th 1746 meant - quite simply - the end of an era for Scotland.

Much has been done over the past years to restore the battlefield (Drumossie Moor, to the north east of Inverness) to its original state and to preserve the mass graves which lay dotted throughout the land, and the new and very informative visitors centre was opened in the year 2007.

When we first arrived John and I took a walk around the field outside. Without having seen the exhibits and really been immersed in the horror of this battle yet, the field seemed gloomy and melancholic enough. But nothing could have prepared me for the feelings and the tears that welled-up when we walked through the field again after having toured the inside of the centre.

The exhibits include an amazing battle immersion film, where you stand in a room with 4 projector screens an all sides, so you feel like you are right in the centre of the fight. There is also a large animated battle table and a rooftop viewing area. Visitors can also walk the battlefield itself with portable GPS-enabled audio guides.

FACTS:

> The Battle of Culloden was the last of the great Jacobite risings – attempting to reinstate a Stuart monarch on the throne of Britain - and was led by Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) against the Duke of Cumberland and his "Hanoverian" government army: made mostly of English, along with a significant number of Scottish Lowlanders and Highlanders, men from Ireland and a small number of Hessians from Germany and Austrians.

> From the beginning, Stuart's plan was doomed: he was inexperienced, and most of the Jacobites fighting for him were already on the brink of exhaustion and starvation when they arrived in Inverness. Also, the ground at Culloden was a "moor": marshy swamp land making every step arduous and grueling, and effective battle almost impossible.
Highlanders were renown for their full-on charge of the enemy, but on this soft ground the Duke's heavy artillery and cavalry were of great advantage. The artillery decimated the clans as they awaited the command to charge. Many fell simply because the command to charge came too late from the inexperienced Charles, whereas the government troops just kept firing and decimated the Jacobite army. It was - quite frankly - a slaughter.

> On this day, heavily outnumbered (approx. 9000 to 6000) and despite only a grim and narrow chance of success, brave men fought for their beliefs and their land... and they shall never be forgotten.

Address: Just off the A96, near Inverness, Scotland UK
Website: http://www.nts.org.uk/culloden/