PICTURES: Battle of Culloden anniversary marked by hundreds
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CROWDS flocked to Culloden at the weekend to attend a memorial ceremony marking the 277th anniversary of the battle between government and Jacobite forces.
The ceremony, which took place in glorious sunshine, was well attended by members of the public as part of a wider programme of events held by the National Trust for Scotland to mark the rebellion.
The Battle of Culloden, which took place on April 16, 1746, marked the end of decades of Jacobite rebellions aimed at restoring the Stuarts to the throne. More than 1500 lives were lost during the battle.
Formal commemoration services have been held at the battlefield’s memorial cairn every year since 1925.
As well as Saturday morning’s memorial service, which saw a number of wreaths laid down, the wider events in the days leading up to the ceremony included in-person seminars, live streams and a digital tour of the site, among others.
Events also included a recreation of the aborted night march to Nairn, which the Jacobite forces had attempted the day before the Battle of Culloden. That march saw troops head out to surprise the Duke of Cumberland’s forces in Nairn before being abandoned when the Jacobite leaders realised their men would be too tired and at a disadvantage.
The following night the Jacobites marched to Culloden in another bid at a surprise attack which culminated in the infamous battle.
The recreation of the failed march to Nairn saw volunteers walk from Culloden to Nairn and back to raise money for Culloden’s Fighting Fund and awareness of the threats to the battlefield caused by developments outside the Culloden conservation area.
Ellen Fogel Walker, estates manager for the National Trust for Scotland at Culloden Battlefield, said the night march had been a big success, and had helped to raise thousands of pounds.
She said: "The walk went really well, it was challenging as we expected it would be, but we found it was really enlightening to step back in the shoes of the Jacobites that evening.
"At moments we took the time to surround ourselves in darkness, switching all the head torches off, and really experience that isolation.
"Throughout the night we took the time to see the path that they would have taken and the obstacles they faced, putting yourself in the landscape that we couldn't have replicated otherwise.
"If you are moving with many more people, you can envision that you would have gotten disconnected and lost in the woods from each other. It was really eye opening."
She added that the evening "was an experience which I don't think we will forget soon."
"Especially when it got to night time you could see how more recent development – especially the further we got to Nairn – was creeping this way."
"We raised more than £8000 for the fighting fund - but the fight is not over so we hope more people will donate."
You can donate at www.justgiving.com/campaign/cullodenfightingfund.
