Historic Battlefield (Inventory): Battle of Culloden (BTL6)

The battle of Culloden was the last pitched battle fought on the British mainland. It was also the last battle of the final Jacobite Rising that commenced in 1745 when Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie), grandson of the exiled King James VIII & III, arrived in Scotland from France in July and raised his standard at Glenfinnan on 19 August. His aim was to put his father on the throne in place of the Hanoverian George II. Spurred on by a glorious victory at Prestonpans in September 1745, the Jacobite army made an unsuccessful attempt to march on London in December that year. On their return they were confronted by Government troops at Falkirk in January 1746 and, after this indecisive victory, turned north and arrived in Inverness in February. The Government army marched north and arrived at Nairn on 14 April. The two armies met on Drummossie Moor at dawn on 16th April. The battle was a total and bloody defeat for the Jacobites which effectively marked the end of almost sixty years of the Jacobite struggle, as never again would an armed uprising be used in the attempt to return the Stuarts to the throne. The Government victory paved the way for a sustained programme to destroy the power base of the rebel clans.