Hidden Stories’ Creative Writing Competition

260 years after the Battle of Culloden was fought on Culloden Moor, we found artefacts in the battlefield that tell the “Hidden Stories” of the men – and women – that were on the moor on that fateful, rainy day in April 1746.

Who was the person that lost the celtic cross pendant?  What happened to the man that held the musket whose trigger guard was ripped off by the opponent’s shot?  

Between October 2008 and February 2009, we invited everyone to submit their own short stories about the ‘Hidden Stories’ behind the artefacts.

Submissions came from as far away as Germany and New Zealand, and from school children as young as seven years old.

Our judges were authors Scoular Anderson and Janet Paisley, as well as Ian MacDonald from the Gaelic Book Council.

Click on the links below to read the winning submissions and honourable mentions.

Thank you to our judges and to all the writers that submitted their stories.

English Under 14 category:
Winner:  Eleanor Huggan, A Day to Remember
Runner Up: Ben Anderson, Prayer of the Dead

The following stories deserve to be mentioned, although they did not contain an artefact found on the field:
Emma Booth, The Young Warrior
Kaitlin Chisholm, The Collar
Hannah Danson, The Hairclasps

Gaelic 14 – 18 category:
Winner: Sarah Appleby, Fear-brathaidh
Runner Up: Caitlin Smith, An Latha Mu Dheireadh aig Murchadh
Honourable mention: Shannon Cowie, Na Jacksons

English Over 18 category:
Winner: Rob Anderson, Rab’s Story
Runner-up: Helen Cormack, The Plaid Clasp

Honourable Mention:
Ursula Edgington, The Loyal Soldier
Jennifer Morag Henderson, After the Battle
Lorna Murray, The Crossing Point