The area around Highbridge and the Spean gorge was the scene of the first military action of the 1745 rising — the capture of Captain Scott's government company by MacDonald of Keppoch. The Jacobites used the narrow gorge of the River Spean to create a natural ambush position. MacDonald of Keppoch had only a handful of men but positioned them among the rocks above the bridge, creating the impression of a much larger force. Captain Scott's company, marching to Fort Augustus, was surrounded and captured. The prisoners were taken to witness the raising of the standard at Glenfinnan three days later. The precise spot on the old High Bridge over the Spean is now a ruin in the forest above the river.
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