About Culloden
HISTORIC BATTLE
Iconic … evocative … historic. These words only hint at the
profound significance that the Battle of Culloden holds for Scots and
their descendants. Many Scots-Americans and Scots-Canadians trace their
ancestry to the battle’s aftermath. In a brief, but fateful hour-long
clash on April 16, 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s exhausted cadre of
5,000 Jacobite partisans was defeated by a Hanoverian governmental force
numbering 9,000. This catastrophic rout shattered any prospect of
restoring the exiled Stuart dynasty to the British throne. It altered
forever the lives of Scottish Highlanders: their traditional way of life
was destroyed. Highland villages were laid waste, livestock was
confiscated and sold. Bagpipes were designated ‘weapons’ and along with
all other arms had to be surrendered. The wearing of tartans or kilts
and the speaking of Gaelic was forbidden. These appalling measures
resulted in a major migration of Highlanders across the Atlantic in
order to find new lives free of oppression.
The historic battle and its global repercussions are to
be objectively presented in an innovative new visitor center, scheduled
to open in late 2007. The evocative site is owned in perpetuity for the
Scottish nation by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). NTS has
launched an impassioned international appeal to raise funds to rebuild
the on-site Culloden Visitor Centre.
 
THE CULLODEN BATTLEFIELD MEMORIAL PROJECT
Today, the bleak Drumossie Moor on which the battle was fought
evokes a visceral response from its 250,000 annual visitors. It is a
place of somber reflection. A war grave for over 1,000 fallen
warriors. The NTS is a thoughtful conservator: They recognize that in
order to preserve this hallowed ground for future generations and
guarantee that The Battle of Culloden will never be forgotten; that its
meaning is never trivialized, immediate action is necessary.
NEW VISITOR CENTRE AND THE APPEAL
A new world class visitor center will open later this year to
cater to the 250,000 visitors the site receives each year. The National
Trust for Scotland has launched an international appeal to raise $3.6
million to complete this project. The innovative center will tell this
complex story in a balanced way and allow visitors to draw their own
conclusions about the Jacobite uprising, the battle and its
consequences. It will enhance the visitor experience and educate
international travelers about this crossroads in Scottish, and indeed,
world history. Mindful of sustainability and environmental
considerations, locally sourced larch and Caithness stone will feature
prominently in the new construction. Heating will be via a biomass
plant. The center is being built on a gentle slope, which while close
to, is nearly invisible from, the battlefield itself.
The battlefield has been
carefully restored to its natural state - the way it looked at the time
of the battle in the mid 18th century. During the construction period
the old visitor center will remain open.
 
HOW TO HELP
The NTS hopes that Americans and Canadians of Scottish ancestry
will want to be a part of this historic endeavor and make a donation –
perhaps by purchasing a Culloden Stone. The Culloden Stones, enduring
signs of support, which can be engraved with a brief message or a name,
will be laid in the approach to the new Culloden Visitor Centre. The
cost of stones (from $135US per stone) purchased for the Culloden
walkway are 100% tax deductible when purchased in the US. The National
Trust for Scotland Foundation USA is a 501©(3), tax-exempt charitable
organization.
"Cuimhnich air na daoine on tàinig thu."
* Gaelic for "Remember those from whom you are descended."
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