BattlefieldsSkirmish at Nairn 1746
Jacobite Risings

Skirmish at Nairn 1746

1746
Nairnshire, Scotland
Also known as: Action near Nairn — Jacobite night march
Era
Jacobite Risings
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Nairnshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Jacobites
Forces
Government: c.9,000 (Cumberland's main army nearby, but direct engagement unclear).
VS
Victor
Indecisive
Forces
Jacobites: c.4,000-5,000
Outcome
Jacobite night attack on Cumberland's camp at Nairn abandoned; men exhausted
The Battle

History & Significance

The night before Culloden, Lord George Murray led the Jacobite army on a night march to surprise Cumberland celebrating his birthday at Nairn. The march went wrong — the guides were lost, the men were exhausted from hunger, and dawn was approaching. The attack was abandoned and the army struggled back — arriving at Culloden Moor hungry, exhausted, and demoralised for the battle that followed. The failed night march is considered one of the decisive moments of the '45.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Nairnshire

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 Nairnshire