Marking the spot of the last major battle on British soil, the wild moor at Culloden is the resting place of 1,500 Jacobite and 50 Government soldiers who fought and died here in 1746. Today, you can walk along the battle lines and see the graves of the soldiers beside the memorial cairn in the centre of the battlefield.
Flags represent the front lines of both armies and show the vast scale of the battle, whilst in the centre clan markers indicate the graves of the fallen.
As part of our continued conservation of the site, we work hard to try and restore the land, as closely as possible, to how it would have looked in the 18th century. Working alongside our Facilities team, we have goats and Shetland cows who graze the land just as they would have years ago.
The unique landscape of Culloden is also home to a rich variety of wildlife, including skylarks (who both live and breed on the battlefield) and garden tiger moth caterpillars – these have been in decline since the 1970s but have found a space at Culloden.
The Culloden roof garden and wildflower meadow is a lovely space. Ox-eye daisies, ragged robin and vetches blow in the breeze as you take in the 360-degree views of the battlefield.
Archaeology
There are still many discoveries waiting to be unearthed on the battlefield. This landscape has been lived in for over 4,000 years. The Battle of Culloden only lasted for 1 hour. Searching for remains from the battle is like looking for a needle in a haystack. In addition, there has been continued agricultural use of the land since 1746. People also visited the site in Victorian times, regularly taking ‘souvenirs’ away with them.
There are many accounts of the battle – some were written down immediately, other years later. The opposing sides have very different perspectives on what happened. To try and get an accurate picture, we use forensic evidence to recreate what happened on the day. The archaeological remains, along with historical records, give a snapshot of the battle.
What we have found in recent years has changed some of what we thought we knew. When the present visitor centre was constructed in 2007, care was taken to choose an area of the battlefield where there was little chance of disturbing archaeological remains. Testing was done. The location was believed to line up with the second Government line, where the embankment stands today. However, excavations undertaken in 2021 revealed substantial evidence to suggest the second Government line was in fact almost 200m behind the berm, on the other side of the road to the car park.
We know there is more to discover, and we are excited about what we will find out next.
