National Trust for Scotland commemorates Battle of Culloden's 277th anniversary in April
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A conservation charity will mark the 277th anniversary of a major Highland historic event series of in-person and online events next month.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) announced their programme for the annual celebration marking the Battle of Culloden, whose anniversary runs on the weekend of April 14.
Events will include the unveiling of a Culloden Memories exhibition and a virtual battlefield tour, with the Gaelic Society of Inverness set to lead the annual service at the memorial cairn.
Gail Cleaver, operations manager for the NTS’s Culloden Cluster, commented: “Culloden is a powerful and evocative historic site, and the story of the battle and its aftermath have global relevance and interest. We look forward to welcoming our visitors to the site for our commemoration weekend and exploring the story of Culloden together – mindful not just of the events and legacies of the battle, but of the impacts of war and civil war on the lives of people around the world today.”
The Battle of Culloden, which took place on 16 April 1746, was part of a civil war that would decide the ruler of Great Britain and ultimately have a global impact. It saw over 1500 lives lost in the space of an hour.
The commemoration services first took place at the memorial cairn in 1925 and have continued, in one form or another, to this day.
This year’s service, at 11am on 15 April, will include wreaths being laid and a piper.
The events planned for this year’s commemoration will include in-person seminars, livestreams and a digital tour of the site, in addition to the Gaelic Society of Inverness service. They include the launch of an exhibition, Culloden Memories, which has seen people from all over the world sending in their memories, photographs, and mementos of the site and will cover the social history of the battlefield since 1746.
More information on the programme and how to book can be found on the event's Eventbrite page or on the dedicated page on NTS's website.
Other events will include a lecture with NTS’s Head of Archaeology Derek Alexander and historian Dr Darren Layne on landscapes, legacies and traitors, leading Jacobite scholars from Scotland, Canada and the United States of America and an immersive virtual visit to the battlefield to ‘walk’ around Culloden Moor
Mr Cleaver continued: “We welcome the growing interest in Culloden and its stories, and look forward to extending people’s knowledge of and sense of engagement with the battle, the events that preceded and followed it, and people’s memories of it over the course of our commemoration events on 14-16 April. As at all times of year, we would ask all visitors to the commemoration service events to show respect to the site, and in particular to the graves area of the battlefield, remembering that over 1500 people lost their lives here.
“We will ask all visitors to the commemoration to help us care for this special place, by giving space to areas that show signs of high footfall or damage. We’re grateful for people’s support and co-operation in this, as well as for the support from National Trust for Scotland members, donors and visitors. This is vital in enabling us to care for Culloden and our other special places in support of our conservation and engagement objectives and our vision of nature, beauty and heritage for everyone.”
