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Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we turn our attention to a misty moor outside Inverness, to the blood-soaked fields of April 16, 1746. On this day, the hopes of a Stuart restoration came crashing down in the thunder of musket fire and cannon shot at the Battle of Culloden—the final, tragic act of the Jacobite Rising of 1745. And if you’re curious about other fascinating events that happened on this day in history, be sure to check out my blog at bagtownclans.com/thisday. The link will be in the description!

Culloden wasn’t just a battle—it was the end of an era.

At its heart was Charles Edward Stuart, known to history—and legend—as Bonnie Prince Charlie. Young, charismatic, and descended from the exiled House of Stuart, he landed in Scotland the previous year with dreams of reclaiming the British throne for his father. Against all odds, his Jacobite army had marched from the Highlands into England, sweeping through with remarkable success. They even reached as far south as Derby, just 125 miles from London. But the tide turned. Facing dwindling support and the looming threat of massive government reinforcements, the Jacobites retreated to Scotland. And on this April morning, they made their final stand.

Facing them was the government army of King George II, commanded by his son, the Duke of Cumberland. His forces were well-trained, well-fed, and well-rested. In contrast, the Jacobite army was cold, hungry, and worn down by months of grueling campaigning. On the eve of the battle, a failed night march meant that many Jacobite soldiers arrived on the field of Culloden exhausted, if they made it there at all.

The terrain favored the government. The flat, boggy moor made it nearly impossible for the famous Highland charge—a brutal, close-quarters tactic—to break the British lines. The Jacobites had few cannon, little cavalry, and no meaningful reserves. In less than an hour, it was over.

The numbers tell a grim story. Some 1,500 to 2,000 Jacobite soldiers were killed or wounded, many cut down while fleeing or trying to surrender. Government casualties? Fewer than 300. It was a massacre.

But what followed was even more brutal.

Cumberland earned a chilling nickname—"the Butcher"—for his ruthless suppression of the Highlands. In the days and weeks after the battle, wounded Jacobites were executed where they lay. Whole communities were burned. Livestock was seized or slaughtered. The message was clear: rebellion would be crushed without mercy.

The British government then set out to destroy the Highland way of life altogether. Laws were passed banning the wearing of tartan and kilts. Bagpipes, once symbols of Highland pride, were declared instruments of war. The Gaelic language was suppressed, and the clan system—centuries old—was systematically dismantled. Chiefs lost their traditional powers, and Highland culture was driven to the brink of extinction.

In many ways, Culloden marked not just the end of the Jacobite dream but the end of the traditional Highlands. What followed was an era of forced change, displacement, and sorrow. And yet, it also sparked a cultural awakening in later centuries. The Highlands, once seen as dangerous and backward, became romanticized through poetry, music, and legend. Bonnie Prince Charlie became a tragic hero, and Culloden a place of pilgrimage.

Today, the battlefield is preserved by the National Trust for Scotland. Walk it, and you’ll see the stones marking the fallen clans—MacDonald, Fraser, Cameron, MacLean. It’s a quiet, haunting place, echoing with the ghosts of that terrible day. It reminds us of the price of war, and of the fragile line between history and memory.

The Battle of Culloden was the last pitched battle fought on British soil. Its impact was immediate and lasting, changing the face of Scotland forever. And yet, from its ashes, a new Scottish identity would emerge—one that still draws strength from the sorrow, the bravery, and the resilience of the past.

Thank you for joining me today on This Day in Scottish History. I hope this journey to Culloden has given you pause to reflect on what was lost—and what still endures. Don’t forget to visit my blog at bagtownclans.com/thisday for more stories from Scotland’s rich and rugged past. I'm Colin MacDonald—Haste Ye Back!

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