Culloden 275

Online talks that can be accessed from 10am

Charles Edward Stuart – Italian dandy, selfish alcoholic or charismatic prince?

Art historian Count Peter Pininski will reveal insights into the real character of Charles Edward Stuart, who was the driving force behind the 1745 rising that ended at Culloden.

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Please note that Charles Edward Stuart’s story is a challenging one, and this talk will look at issues associated with abuse, alcoholism and anorexia.

The Battle of Culloden 275 years on: ideology, optimism and why we still care

Join Dr Darren S Layne as he explores why Culloden still matters, 275 years after the battle. The battlefield and visitor centre remain a site of pilgrimage for visitors, re-enactors, annual commemorators and those members of the global diaspora who have ‘come home’.

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Afternoon event

Culloden: a place worth protecting – 11am–2.45pm

Find out what the latest research reveals about the Battle of Culloden and how we are battling to protect the site. This mini-conference will be compèred by Professor Murray Pittock and includes presentations by historian Professor Christopher Duffy on the latest map analysis, and archaeologist Derek Alexander on the analysis of LIDAR data which will help us understand more about what is hidden under the turf.

Operations Manager Raoul Curtis-Machin will present the findings of the Culloden 300 Report on the current threats and how we can better protect the battlefield. A panel discussion will discuss the significance of the latest research in more detail and how it helps our efforts to protect and conserve this important site.

This event will take place on Zoom, please follow the link in your email confirmation.

Professor Duffy studied history at Oxford and then became Lecturer in War Studies at RMA Sandhurst, while maintaining private interests in 18th-century warfare. He has had a connection with the National Trust for Scotland site at Culloden from 1998. He joined the English Court Witness Service as volunteer in 2002, working at a national high security court from 2014. Forensic experience has had a major effect on his methods of research.

Operations Manager for Culloden, Raoul Curtis-Machin said: ‘We look forward to welcoming people from all over the globe as we remember 16 April 1746, and consider how it continues to resonate, almost three centuries on.’

The battlefield is under greater threat than ever from developments, and there will be interactive debate and discussion about it can be better protected through the Culloden 300 initiative, which seeks to establish how people would like the site to look in 2046, 300 years after the battle.

To respond to the ongoing challenge of protecting and preserving the site of the UK’s last pitched battle, we’ve launched Culloden’s Fighting Fund.

Donations will:

• Enable us to continue to fight future development proposals that would encroach on the battlefield, ensuring we can protect this significant place for Scottish heritage. Culloden Battlefield is regularly threatened by residential and commercial developments and we recently objected to three residential housing plans.
• Help educate children across Scotland and beyond about the importance of the Jacobite Risings and how Culloden changed the course of European history.
• Help care for the animals who graze the battlefield to ensure the moor doesn’t become overgrown. A small herd of goats, ponies and Highland and Shetland cows keep the grass short, just as they would have done years ago, ensuring the site looks as it would have in the 18th century.

Culloden Battlefield is accessible to local visitors in line with current Scottish Government restrictions. The visitor centre is currently closed.