Here it was over: the Highlanders’ dream of a Scottish king sitting on the British throne. Shattered in just one hour. A bloodbath that is still commemorated today by the memorial stones at Culloden
For weeks, he and his army rushed from success to success, penetrating deeper and deeper into England, reaching Derby, just 200 kilometres from the capital, London. He was Charles Edward Stewart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.
He was the grandson of the exiled British King James II. With an army consisting mainly of members of the Highland clans, the prince led the Jacobite uprising.
However, he retreated from Derby back to Scotland and wanted to rebuild the previously successful troops. He chose Inverness as his base and waited for his enemies.
Finally, on 16 April 1746, the two armies faced each other – here, on the battlefield at Culloden. The battle was short-lived, but the trauma of Culloden still lingers today. It was the beginning of the Highlanders’ long suffering.
Back then, Culloden was still a moor. Today it is a large meadow with lots to see. Paths and flags in different colours show the course of the fronts of the two armed forces. Plaques explain where each clan stood. Memorial stones mark the graves of the clans and their heroes.
An old cottage with a thatched roof stands in the middle of the field. This is Leanach Cottage. It was probably built in the early 18th century, which means it could have been here during the battle. It was completely renovated in 2018 and can be visited.
Culloden also has a visitor centre with an exhibition that tells the story before, during and after the battle. The modern building is located right next to the car park. It is barely visible from the battlefield. It nestles flat and inconspicuously into the landscape.
Knowledge: This is how the Battle of Culloden unfolded
Until now, the explanation was as follows: The Prince chose the wrong battlefield against the wishes of one of his generals Lord George Murray. He chose a completely unsuitable marshy area in which the infamous Highland Charge got stuck. That was enough for the defeat.
Today, research is somewhat more advanced and a more differentiated picture emerges. On the one hand, of the Jacobite army, and on the other, of the choice of battlefield.
Situation before the battle
However, the circumstances were difficult for the Jacobites from the outset: They only numbered 6,000 men, while the opposing Duke of Cumberland had 9,000 soldiers at his disposal.
For days, each Jacobite had only had the ration of three rusks a day. The government troops, on the other hand, were well supplied – allegedly there had even been special rations to celebrate the Duke of Cumberland’s 25th birthday on 15 April(note: my problem with this version: according to the Gregorian calendar in use today, which also describes the date of the battle, the Duke was born on 26 April, the Julian date is 15 April. However, the battle took place on the Gregorian 16 April).
The government troops had rested well on the night of the 16th – which was almost their undoing. For 3,000 Jacobites had travelled 20 miles to Nairn at night to take the enemy army by surprise while they slept.
On the spot, however, it was decided to abandon the endeavour and march back without having achieved anything. Half the Jacobite army was therefore overtired when it arrived at Culloden just in time to take up position.
Battlefield and formation
Both Murray and his colleague John O’Sullivan would have preferred a different battlefield – but both were constantly at odds with each other anyway. But O’Sullivan decided in favour of this location. Because – and this is crucial – he could protect the road to Inverness here. The supplies were stored in the town. But it was precisely this road that would later become a problem
The Jacobite army stood facing east. It bordered the grounds of Culloden House to the north and a walled animal enclosure to the south. This was intended to protect the flanks from the enemy horsemen. The disadvantage, however, was that the left wing of the battle line was 500 metres further away from the government troops than the right. This was also going to be a problem.
The course of the battle
The battle began at around 12.30 pm. Initially there were eight to twelve minutes of artillery fire. The cavalry of the government army approaching through the enclosure on the right may have forced the Jacobites to begin the attack. The soldiers of Bonnie Prince Charlie ran straight into the cartouches of the enemy. A cartouche is a cannon charge filled with shot.
Worse, however, was the uneven speed of the advance. Units on the road were faster than those on the terrain. But the road led these units too far to the right, where they encountered other units. So the Mackintosh, Fraser and Appin regiments bunched up with the Camerons and Atholls on the right. On the left, on the other hand, the troops had to cover 500 metres more – they were far behind.
The attacks of the Highlanders were feared because of their charge, the so-called “Highland Charge”. The idea: the brave attackers ran so fast towards the enemy that they could only fire one volley. Once this had been fired, the Highlanders were already in the midst of the enemy with their swords, bloodily slaughtering them. However, the government soldiers were prepared for this tactic this time. They had practised their defences.
Normally, the Jacobite regiments were supposed to make several breaches at the same time. However, they only succeeded in massively attacking one point for a short time. But the line of government troops held firm – even worse, they were able to form a horseshoe around the attackers and catch them in the crossfire of the muskets. In just a few minutes, 700 men died.
Many officers were also killed in the attack, meaning that the chain of command was almost non-existent. Nevertheless, the Jacobites managed a reasonably orderly retreat, partly due to Irish forces and their own cavalry, which covered them. In the end, however, they suffered a heavy defeat and the prince had to flee.
The battle was over at 1.40 am.
After the battle
In the end, around 1,500 Jacobites had fallen. Previously, it was assumed that only 50 government soldiers had died. This is also seen differently today. Although only a few died during the battle, there were 259 wounded. It is certain that many of these also died in the aftermath of the battle.
What happened after the battle, however, was a disgrace: the government soldiers killed the enemy wounded with bayonets or shot those fleeing. Even some uninvolved civilians became their victims. Even if the enemy commander Cumberland did not necessarily order this directly, he did not prevent it. This rightly earned him the nickname “Butcher”.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart wandered through the Highlands for the next few months before returning to France. The Jacobites regrouped in Ruthven Barracks the day after the battle. But the Prince sent them home with an order by letter.
The uprising was over.
Tip: Visit in the evening
The atmosphere of the battlefield is particularly captivating when you witness the sunset – there are fewer visitors then. So it’s best to arrive in the late afternoon. But in good time so that you can take around an hour to visit the exhibition in the main building. You should visit this first before going onto the field.
Disadvantage: You can’t take the digital audio device with you, which gives you explanations on the tour.
By the way: If you visit the battlefield, this is also a good opportunity to visit nearby Fort George – it is regarded as the government’s response to the last Jacobite uprising, carved in stone.
Directions:
With satnav: “IV2 5EU” will take you to the Visitor Centre.
Without satnav: From Inverness, the B9006 leads directly past the battlefield – journey time around a quarter of an hour. If you are travelling from Nairn, take the A96 past the signs for Fort George and Cawdor Castle, continue past Inverness Airport and the turn-off for Castle Stuart – until you finally come to the sign for “Balloch, Smithon, Culloden”. There is also a brown sign for the battlefield. Turn left here and then take the second road to the left again, towards Balloch and Culloden Battlefield. The road eventually meets the B9006, which you turn right onto and where the car park is soon signposted on the left.