Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
About this place
Culloden Battlefield near Inverness marks the site where the last pitched battle fought on British soil took place on 16 April 1746.
The Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was defeated by government forces commanded by the Duke of Cumberland in under an hour.
The National Trust for Scotland cares for the site and runs the visitor centre.
Walking routes across the Highland moor let visitors trace the two battle lines and pass the clan graves marked by simple stones.
History
Charles Edward Stuart landed in Scotland in July 1745 hoping to restore his father to the British throne. His army advanced as far south as Derby before retreating north under pressure. By April 1746 his exhausted and outnumbered forces met government troops at Culloden, where the defeat effectively ended the Jacobite cause as a political force in Britain. The Trust has managed the battlefield and its interpretation for visitors, with the current visitor centre built to present the events and archaeology of the site.
Architecture
The visitor centre is a modern purpose-built structure designed to sit low against the moorland landscape, keeping the battlefield itself free of intrusive buildings.
Worth knowing
The battle and its aftermath, including the harsh reprisals against Highland communities that followed, have shaped Highland identity and folklore for centuries. The site is often visited alongside research into Jacobite family history.
Facilities
Plan your visit
Nearest station: Inverness Airport (4.1 miles)
Nearby properties
Fort George
View Fort George on heritage mapHugh Miller Museum & Birthplace Cottage
View Hugh Miller Museum & Birthplace Cottage on heritage mapFoulis Castle
View Foulis Castle on heritage mapBrodie Castle
View Brodie Castle on heritage mapHistoric places nearby
Within 5 miles of Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre (IV2) there are 1 historic properties, including 1 archaeological site.
Within 10 miles of Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre (IV2) there are 5 historic properties, including 1 historic building, 1 church and 1 castle, across Historic Environment Scotland and Historic Houses sites.
Within 20 miles of Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre (IV2) there are 15 historic properties, including 4 historic houses, 3 castles and 2 historic sites, across Historic Environment Scotland, Historic Houses and National Trust for Scotland sites.
Facts
Stand on the moor where the Jacobite cause ended, marked by the clan graves themselves.
- Type
- historic building
- Location
- Highland, Scotland
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