Battle of Culloden Timeline

(April 16, 1746)

The Battle of Culloden, fought on April 16, 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, was the decisive confrontation between the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart ('Bonnie Prince Charlie') and the British government army led by the Duke of Cumberland. Lasting less than an hour, it ended in a crushing defeat for the Jacobites and marked the end of the Jacobite attempt to restore the Stuart dynasty to the British throne. The battle was followed by brutal repression of Highland culture, including the dismantling of the clan system, making Culloden a pivotal turning point in Scottish history. More Less

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Commemoration and Battlefield

Battlefield used as common grazing ground

1701 - 1800

During the 18th century, the battlefield area was used as common grazing ground, mainly for tenants of the Culloden estate.

Leanach farmhouse built

1760

The thatched roofed farmhouse of Leanach that stands today dates from about 1760; however, it stands on the same location as the turf-walled cottage that probably served as a field hospital for government troops following the battle.

Centenary commemoration of the battle

1846

The Inverness Courier's account of events surrounding the centenary in the spring of 1846 suggests the commemorations had a recreational dimension, but as the century progressed they became more solemn and elegiac.

Foundation stone laid for Culloden monument

1849

Thoughts turned to erecting a physical memorial, and in 1849 a foundation stone for a Culloden monument was laid on the battlefield.

Monument project abandoned

1852

By 1852, the project to build a Culloden monument had been abandoned due to a lack of funds.

Memorial stone carved by Edward Power

1858

A memorial stone carved by Edward Power in 1858 was eventually incorporated into the cairn erected on the battlefield in 1881.

Memorial cairn erected on the battlefield

1881

Possibly the most recognisable feature of the battlefield today is the 20-foot (6 m)-tall memorial cairn, erected by Duncan Forbes in 1881.

Annual commemoration ceremony begins

1925

An annual commemoration ceremony under the auspices of the Gaelic Society of Inverness began in 1925.

200th anniversary commemorations

1946

A major event attended by up to 500 people marked the 200th anniversary of the battle in 1946.

Archaeological surveys of battlefield begin

2001

Since 2001, the site of the battle has undergone topographic, geophysical and metal detector surveys in addition to archaeological excavations.

Culloden Battlefield visitor centre opens

Dec 2007

It was first opened in December 2007, with the intention of preserving the battlefield in a condition similar to how it was on 16 April 1746.

Image source: Battle of Culloden

Battlefield protected by Historic Environment Act

2011

The battlefield has been inventoried and protected by Historic Scotland under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011.

Image source: Battle of Auldearn

Archaeologists recover musket balls near front line

2024

In 2024, in a 60 m² area near what is believed to have been the government front line, archaeologists recovered large numbers of musket balls and grapeshot, indicating extremely intense close-range combat.

Discovery of unexploded mortar shell

Oct 2025

In October 2025, archaeologists unearthed a complete 17.5 lb (8 kg) unexploded mortar shell, still packed with gunpowder.

Jacobite Rising and Battle

Charles Edward Stuart lands in Scotland

Jul 23, 1745

The Jacobite rising of 1745 began on 23 July when Charles Edward Stuart landed in the Western Isles, seeking to restore his father James Francis Edward Stuart to the British throne.

Image source: Charles Edward Stuart

Jacobites face shortages by April 1746

Apr 1746

By April 1746 the Jacobites were short of supplies and facing a superior and better-equipped opponent commanded by the Duke of Cumberland.

Battle of Culloden

Apr 16, 1746

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 under the Duke of Cumberland, ending the Jacobite rising of 1745 and Jacobitism as a significant force in British politics.

Aftermath and Repression

Trial and transportation of Jacobite prisoners

1746

Only one in twenty prisoners was actually put on trial, most transported to the British colonies for life under the Traitors Transported Act 1746. In all, around 1,200 were transported, 905 released under the Indemnity Act 1747, and 362 exchanged with France as prisoners of war.

Senior Jacobites flee via Loch nan Uamh

1746

Many senior Jacobites made their way to Loch nan Uamh, where Charles Edward Stuart had first landed at the outset of the campaign in 1745.

Image source: Loch nan Uamh Viaduct

Cultural Depictions

Frank Watson Wood paints The Highland Charge

1862 - 1953

Frank Watson Wood (1862–1953) was better known as a naval artist who mainly painted in watercolours, but he painted The Highland Charge at the Battle of Culloden in oil.

Skye Boat Song composed

1890

The Skye Boat Song was composed in the late 19th century and recalled the journey of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Benbecula to the Isle of Skye.

Broster's The Flight of the Heron published

1925

Broster's The Flight of the Heron (1925), the first volume of her Jacobite Trilogy, was later made into TV serials by Scottish Television in 1968 (eight episodes) and by the BBC in 1976.

Naomi Mitchison's The Bull Calves published

1947

Naomi Mitchison's novel The Bull Calves (1947) deals with Culloden and its aftermath.

Image source: Dairy cattle

BBC docudrama Culloden aired

1964

Culloden (1964), a BBC TV docudrama written and directed by Peter Watkins, depicts the battle in the style of 20th-century television reporting.

Image source: Culloden (film)

Doctor Who serial The Highlanders

1966 - 1967

The Highlanders (1966–1967) is a serial in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, in which the Doctor and his companions Polly and Ben arrive in 1746, hours after the Battle of Culloden.

Dragonfly in Amber published

1992

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (1992, London) is a detailed fictional tale based on historical sources, featuring time travel with a 20th-century protagonist caught up in the foredoomed struggle at Culloden.

Image source: Dragonfly in Amber

Chasing the Deer released

1994

Chasing the Deer (1994) is a cinematic dramatisation of the events leading up to the battle, starring Brian Blessed and Fish.

Image source: Chasing the Deer

Lillias Fraser published

2001

The Portuguese author Hélia Correia opens her novel Lillias Fraser (2001) in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden.

Alexander McQueen's The Widows of Culloden collection

2006

The Alexander McQueen fashion collection The Widows of Culloden (Autumn/Winter 2006) is inspired by the widows left after the battle.

Image source: The Widows of Culloden

Drummossie Moor historical novel published

2008

Drummossie Moor – Jack Cameron, The Irish Brigade and the battle of Culloden by Ian Colquhoun (Arima/Swirl 2008) tells the story from the point of view of the Franco-Irish regulars who covered the Jacobite retreat.

Image source: Ian Colquhoun

Key Facts

The Battle of Culloden took place on April 16, 1746, on Drummossie Moor near Inverness, Scotland, and lasted less than an hour.
Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) commanded roughly 5,000–6,000 Jacobite troops, while government forces numbered about 8,000–9,000 under William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland.
The exhausted, hungry Jacobite army launched an ineffective Highland charge against well-prepared government lines armed with muskets and cannon, resulting in heavy casualties—around 1,500–2,000 Jacobites killed versus only about 50 government soldiers.
After the defeat, Bonnie Prince Charlie fled and eventually escaped to France with help from Flora MacDonald during his famous flight disguised as 'Betty Burke.'
In the aftermath, Cumberland earned the nickname 'Butcher Cumberland' due to harsh reprisals, and new laws suppressed Highland dress, weapons, and the clan system, ending the traditional Highland way of life.

Source

This Battle of Culloden timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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