Battle of Culloden

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby ending the Jacobite rising of 1745.

Charles landed in Scotland in July 1745, seeking to restore his father James Francis Edward Stuart to the British throne. He quickly won control of large parts of Scotland, and an invasion of England reached as far south as Derby before being forced to turn back. However by April 1746 the Jacobites were short of supplies, facing a superior and better-equipped opponent.

The Jacobite commanders decided their only option was to stand and fight. When the two armies met at Culloden, the battle was brief, lasting less than an hour, with the Jacobites suffering an overwhelming and bloody defeat. This effectively ended both the 1745 rising and Jacobitism as a significant element in British politics.

The Jacobite rising of 1745 began on 23 July when Charles Edward Stuart landed in the Western Isles and launched an attempt to reclaim the British throne for the exiled House of Stuart. After their victory at Prestonpans in September, the Jacobites controlled much of Scotland, and Charles persuaded his colleagues to invade England. The Jacobite army reached Derby before successfully retreating across the border.

Despite its lack of tangible results, the invasion boosted recruitment, bringing Jacobite strength to more than 8,000. These troops, along with French-supplied artillery, were used to besiege Stirling Castle, the strategic key to the Scottish Highlands. On 17 January the Jacobites repulsed a government relief force under Henry Hawley at the Battle of Falkirk Muir, although the siege itself made little progress.

Soon after, Cumberland arrived in Edinburgh to take over command from Hawley. On 1 February, the Jacobite army abandoned the siege and withdrew to Inverness. Cumberland's army entered Aberdeen on 27 February and both sides halted operations until the weather improved. Although several French shipments were received during the winter, the Royal Navy blockade left the Jacobites short of money and food. When Cumberland resumed the campaign on 8 April, Charles and his advisers agreed their best option was to gamble on a set-piece battle.

On 12 April, Cumberland's army forded the River Spey, which was guarded by 2,000 Jacobites under Lord John Drummond, who withdrew towards Nairn, an action for which he was later criticised. The Jacobites evacuated the town on 14 April, and Cumberland's troops camped just to the west. Although significant elements were absent elsewhere, the main Jacobite army of about 5,400 left Inverness on 15 April and assembled on the Culloden estate, five miles (eight kilometres) to the east.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Culloden lies on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Culloden

Culloden Battlefield, Graves of the Clans, Cairn and Well of the Dead

Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

Culloden Battlefield, Graves of the Clans, Cairn and Well of the Dead is a scheduled monument in Inverness-shire, Scotland, protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM967. The site comprises three interconnected memorial features that mark the graves and gathering places associa…

Ballaggan, mound 420m WNW of

Scheduled monument · ~0.7 mi

Ballaggan is a mound located 420 metres west-north-west of the settlement in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The monument sits on bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a complex geological formation of the Middle Devonian period comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This natural f…

Culdoich, ring cairn 490m NW of

Scheduled monument · Bronze Age · ~0.8 mi

Culdoich Ring Cairn is a Bronze Age ring cairn situated in Inverness-shire, Highland Scotland. The monument occupies ground underlain by Middle Old Red Sandstone bedrock of Middle Devonian age, composed of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. This substantial stone structure represent…

Lower Cullernie,ring-ditch 750m ESE of

Scheduled monument · ~2.2 mi

Lower Cullernie is a ring-ditch monument located in Inverness-shire, approximately 750 metres east-south-east of Cullernie. The site sits upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a formation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period. This geol…

Isle View,ring cairn 125m SW of

Scheduled monument · Bronze Age · ~2.2 mi

Isle View is a Bronze Age ring cairn located in Inverness-shire, Scotland, and is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The monument sits upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a formation of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Mid…

Lower Cullernie, settlement 415m SSW of

Scheduled monument · ~2.3 mi

Lower Cullernie is a settlement situated 415 metres south-south-west of Cullernie in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The monument occupies ground underlain by Middle Old Red Sandstone bedrock, a mixed deposit of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian perio…

Other Jacobite Risings Battles

Battles near Battle of Culloden

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• Battle of Culloden · Wikidata
• Battle_of_Culloden · Wikipedia
• Battle of Culloden · BritishBattles.com
• Battle of Culloden · Historic Environment Scotland
• Battle of Culloden · Battlefields Trust