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Around Inverness Accommodation
The National Trust Culloden Moor Visitor Centre - shop, cafe and exhibitions
Pathways lead you through Culloden Moor Battlefield
Flags mark the frontlines of the Jacobites and the Hanoverians
Guides are available to take you round the site and explain the history of the Battle of CullodenBattle of Culloden Moor Inverness Highland Tattoo Scotland
The area around Inverness is steeped is some of the most significant events in Scottish and British history. The Battle of Culloden is the most memorable of these having effectively led to the demise of the Highland clan system and the dominance of the British Government over the Scots until recent years.
As a consequence fortifications such as Fort George remain a poignant symbol of the British efforts to ensure Scotland remained in British hands. Today the Highland Tattoo is a celebration of Scottish Regiments and military honour as well as showcasing participants from around the world.
Battle of Culloden - Culloden Moor
To the east of Inverness is the battleground of Culloden Moor - the site of the last battle on British soil. The battle was between the Jacobites supported by the French and which many Highlanders fought for under the leadership of Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart) and the Hanoverians supported by the British. The battle is often thought to be between the Scots and the English but it wasn't as clear cut as that as there were more Scots fighting for the Government side. However, the loss suffered by the Jacobites effectively saw the demise of the Highland clan system.
The Jacobite uprising in 1745 was one of many attempts to restore the Stuarts, former Kings of Scotland, to the throne. Charles Edward Stuart led this uprising and became known as The Young Pretender although he was attempting to restore the crown to his father. The Jacobites had got as far as Derby pushing down from Scotland but decided to retreat when support from southern Jacobites was not forthcoming and the French wouldn't be able to invade in sufficient time. In actual fact support was in the offing from Welsh and Oxfordshire Jacobites and it is said that if they hadn't retreated they had a good chance of overthrowing George II and thereby changing the course of history. The retreat back up to Scotland sealed the Jacobites fate where Culloden was chosen as the battleground. The boggy, treeless nature of the moor actually gave the Government's forces the advantage. The Jacobites had to wait two days after they'd left Inverness and their supplies. They had tried to mount a surprise attack on the Government army by marching to Nairn where they were drinking the king's health but had to turn back to Culloden when they hadn't reached Nairn in time. By the time the battle came they hadn't eaten in two days, had undertaken a wasted march to Nairn and back and were ultimately outnumbered by an 8,000 strong Government army better equipped with a variety of weapons. The outcome is obvious although it was brutal and remains a poignant event in Scottish culture.
Today the National Trust for Scotland own and manage Culloden Moor near Inverness. In recent years muted interpretation has been put in place to help interpret the battle and the two sides' positions using coloured flags and small notices. A visitor centre on the site holds an exhibition on the battle and you can take guided walks or audio tours around the moor which is useful in bringing the battle to life. You can walk freely around the moor but it is difficult to make sense of it on your own. You will see memorial graves to the different Highland Clans as you walk around the Jacobite positions and there is a memorial cairn in the centre of the site. The Leanach Cottage close to the existing visitor centre is the site where thirty Jacobites were burnt alive and has been restored to recreate life in the eighteenth century. Re-enactments are sometimes held on the site and if you're venturing out on the anniversary of the battle you might see the ghosts of soldiers and Highlanders who were killed in the battle and are said to return to haunt the battlefield. The current visitor centre has an exhibition, gift shop, cafe and toilets.
A new visitor centre is due to open shortly and will bring greater interpretation to the 200,000 people who visit the battlefield each year. Using local oak and Caithness stone it is being sympathetically designed so it won't overshadow the moor. Restoration work has also been ongoing on Culloden Moor under the guidance of archaeologists to bring into how it would have been during the 1746 Culloden Battle. Even if you're not a battle buff the walk around Culloden Moor is pleasant amongst the bog and heathland that covers the site and gives you views north over to the Moray Firth.
Inverness Highland Military Tattoo
Inverness hosts its own Highland Tattoo. This is a full-scale international military tattoo and has been held at The Northern Meeting Park in Inverness or at Fort George 11 miles north east of the city centre, about a twenty minute drive.
Inverness Highland Tattoo has been going for 56 years and attracts participants from around the world. Sea cadet, Army and Air Training Corps along with Scottish Regiments are accompanied by display teams and marching bands for a colourful and rousing display. Check the weblink right for information on the last tattoo and information on next year's nearer the time.
Fort George by Inverness Scotland
Fort George is the best preserved and largest fort in Europe and lies 11 miles north east of Inverness and 10 km west of Nairn at Ardersier. George II had the fort built directly after the uprising which culminated in the Battle of Culloden in 1746 nearby. It is strategically positioned on a promontory jutting out in to the Moray Firth surrounded by a mile of boundary walls against attack - it never actually came under siege. It is huge and contained accommodation for a governor, officers, artillery detachment and a 1600-strong infantry garrison. It is still functioning as an army barracks today, but you can visit the historic barrack rooms and The Regimental Museum of the Queen's Own Highlanders in on the site. There is also a gift shop and cafe.
Open 1 April-30 September: Monday-Sunday: 9.30 am-5.30 pm. 1 October-31 March: Mon-Sun: 9.30 am-4.30 pm. The Regimental Museum is open all week in the summer from 11am-6pm. Winter opening times: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Check the weblink right for more information.
Clava Cairns - Neolithic Burial Chambers
Just south of Culloden is the less visited Clava Cairns, the site of one of the best preserved Bronze Age burial sites in Scotland.
Also known as Bulnaraun of Clava there are two passage graves and one ring-cairn made out of water-worn pebbles and boulders and encircled by standing stones. Their passageways appear to be aligned in such a way that the midwinter sunset shines a shaft of light in the chambers. Some of the stone of the cairns has been carved with cup and ring markings.
They are thought to have been used for elite members of a tribe for a short period rather than by a large community. Their style is particular to this area of Scotland rather than the larger Neolithic tombs found in other parts of the county.
You can find the site on a minor road off the B9006 from Inverness, or the B851 from Grantown-on-Spey. Historic Scotland produce a useful downloadable interpretation leaflet, the "Visitor's Guide to Balnuaran of Clava", available from their website, link right.
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