Events announced to mark anniversary of Battle of Culloden

THE National Trust for Scotland will mark the 278th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden with a series of events, including an in-person discussion with authors Flora Fraser and SG MacLean.

The anniversary weekend, on April 13-14, will include the annual commemoration service led by the Gaelic Society of Inverness at the memorial cairn, which have taken place since 1925. This year’s service, at 11am on Saturday, April 13, will include wreaths being laid and a piper playing.

The battle, which took place on April 16, 1746, saw the final Jacobite Rising come to a head. More than 1500 lives were lost in just an hour.

In addition to the Gaelic Society of Inverness service, the events planned for this year’s commemoration include Fact And Fiction: Telling The Jacobite Story, an afternoon tea and discussion between novelist MacLean and Fraser, a historical biographer, also on the Saturday.

The pair will explore the trials and tribulations of portraying the Jacobite period. Fraser, author of Pretty Young Rebel: The Life Of Flora Macdonald, will share insights into the intricacies of writing biography while MacLean, author of The Bookseller Of Inverness – which was the Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2023 – will explore the art of crafting compelling fiction from history.

On the Sunday there will be a family drop-in day where people can try their hands at conservation work. Throughout the day, the Culloden NTS team will host various activities on the battlefield, allowing families to learn together about enhancing biodiversity and experience a taster of the Trust’s outdoor programmes.

Among presentations in the gallery spaces – which are included in admission to the Culloden Visitor Centre – will be Clach An Airm, the story of one clan and how they prepared the day before the battle, and Fight Like A Highlander, where visitors can discover what it was like to fight with a basket-hilted broadsword on the field at Culloden.

Gail Cleaver, operations manager for the NTS’s Culloden Cluster, said: “Culloden is an evocative and atmospheric historic site.

“The commemoration weekend is always a moving experience and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors to explore the stories of Culloden and share them with others – mindful not just of the events and legacies of the battle but of the impacts of war on the lives of people around the world today.

“Just as at other times of year, we would ask all visitors to the commemoration service and other events to show respect to the site, and in particular to the graves area of the battlefield.

“We would also ask them to stick to the designated routes around the battlefield to help us protect high-usage areas.”

For more information about the Culloden 278th anniversary events and to book a place, visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/culloden-33778937903

More information about Culloden and how to visit the site is available at: www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/culloden