BattlefieldsGovernment sweep through Arisaig 1746
Jacobite Risings

Government sweep through Arisaig 1746

1746
Scotland
Era
Jacobite Risings
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Clanranald MacDonald survivors; (Prince Charles evading capture nearby)
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Government sweeping columns
Outcome
Government burns Arisaig; armed Jacobite resistance encountered; Prince Charles hidden in same area evades capture
The Battle

History & Significance

Arisaig on the western coast of Inverness-shire was where Prince Charles had landed from France in July 1745 and where he would eventually be taken off by French frigate in September 1746. The Clanranald MacDonalds of Arisaig were among the most committed Jacobites. Government sweeping columns reached Arisaig in the summer of 1746, burning every settlement they could find. Armed men who resisted were shot. The people sheltered in the mountains and caves. Meanwhile, unknown to the government columns, Prince Charles was being hidden in this same area — moving from refuge to refuge as government soldiers searched systematically. The soldiers never found him.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Government sweep through Arisaig 1746

Loch na Eala,crannog
Scheduled monument · Iron Age–Medieval · ~1.2 miles
Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around this battlefield

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near this battlefield