Culloden

Culloden is a village to the east of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It's nowadays a commuter town for Inverness, but it's best known for the 1746 battle that destroyed the Jacobite cause. Near the village are the remarkable Bronze Age "Clava Cairns", and Cawdor Castle.

Understand
After Cromwell died in 1658, Britain gave up on being a republic and invited the exiled King Charles II to return to the throne. He soon made them remember why they'd deposed the Stuart monarchy, and when he died and was succeeded by his brother James (II of England, VII of Scotland) a crisis developed. In 1688 James fled and was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, the start of the Hanoverian dynasty.

Over the next century, there were several attempts to restore the Stuart (Roman Catholic) monarchy, and this faction was called Jacobite referring to James II/VII. The last and most determined was the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, when Prince Charles Edward Stuart (James' grandson) landed in Scotland and marched south with a French-backed force to retake the throne. They got as far as Derby.
 * Twas in the year of 1746, and in April the 14th day,
 * That Prince Charles Stuart and his army marched on without delay...
 * - William McGonagall, who else, Scotland's National Worst Poet

Until April 1746 "Bonny Prince Charlie" had never lost a battle, yet his forces had retreated and retreated all the way back to the Highlands because of lack of support in England, the massing of government forces against them, and an effective Royal Navy blockade of French supplies and reinforcements. The final encounter was on 16 April on Culloden (or Drumossie) Moor. It began at 1PM with a short artillery exchange then the Jacobite advance. Less than an hour later the Jacobites were slain, captured or in flight. The Prince escaped but his cause was broken: he was a fugitive across the Highlands for six months before getting back to France. Fierce government reprisals ended the traditional Gaelic way of life.

Get in
You need a car or at least a bike. Culloden village is off B9006, 5 miles east of Inverness. The battlefield is another two miles southeast, and Culloden's other sights and amenities are scattered.

Stagecoach Highland Bus 27 runs hourly M-Sa from Inverness via Westhill university campus to Culloden (40 min), Croy and Tornagrain.

is 5 miles north, see Inverness for details. Bus 11 between Inverness, the airport and Nairn doesn't come into Culloden village, but passes within a mile at Balloch estate.

Get around
Bike is ideal for this scattered area. You can hire bikes in Inverness.

See

 * Gruffalo: anyone who claims "there's no such thing as a Gruffalo" should try the woodland walk in the village, just north of Barn Church Road.
 * is a 1800-ft (549 m), 29-span viaduct. It opened in 1898 and carries the Perth-Inverness railway over the valley of the River Nairn.
 * has entertained Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Duke of Cumberland and Robert Burns. It's now an events venue, no tours.
 * : see Nairn for this extensive and well-preserved 18th-century fortress.
 * : see Nairn for this extensive and well-preserved 18th-century fortress.
 * : see Nairn for this extensive and well-preserved 18th-century fortress.

Do

 * Golf: Cabot Highlands Castle Stuart is on the coast. White tees 6592 yards, par 72, and a round here will set you back up to £295. A second course will open in 2025.
 * Eriskay Golf Club happen to have their offices in Culloden, but the course is on faraway Eriskay. Perhaps that's how the Whisky Galore! ship got off-course and wrecked.

Buy

 * Co-op Food in the village is open daily 6AM-10PM, and so too is Spar 200 yards west.
 * Aldi is on Inshes Retail Park by A9 at the east edge of Inverness.

Drink

 * Blacksmiths Pub on Keppoch Rd serves Cantonese food and is open M, W-F 15:00-22:00, Sa Su noon-22:00.
 * Distilleries are found further east between Forres and Grantown-on-Spey. Royal Brackla near Cawdor has closed.

Sleep

 * Most visitors day-trip from nearby Inverness. Premier Inn and Travelodge are east side of the city and therefore close to Culloden.



Connect
As of Aug 2022, Culloden and the B9006 from Inverness have 4G from EE and O2, but no signal from Three or Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Inverness is the agreeable Victorian city only four miles west.
 * Loch Ness starts a few miles above Inverness. The road follows the northwest shore, with Drumnadrochit the main village.
 * Nairn to the east is a genteel beach resort.
 * Cairngorms National Park spans the mountain range. It's most easily explored from its west side via Aviemore.