The Jacobite uprising of 1745 was a bitter affair. The ' Old Pretender' James Stuart had been succeeded by his son, 'Bonnie Prince Charlie'. Charles Stuart had sailed back to Scotland with men and some support from exile in France. He knew that he could rely on his own clan in the Highlands of Scotland to give him further support.

The British were fighting a protracted war with France on the continent and it was against a relatively unprotected England that 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' and his ferocious Highlanders had marched. Having reached the English town of Derby the Highlanders were forced to retire with support from clansmen, locals and French, dwindling.

Having made their way back to Scotland the Highlanders found themselves laying siege to the historically important Stirling Castle. It was this siege which led to the battle of Falkirk. The Highlanders defeated the English who replaced their commander with the Duke of Cumberland, the second son of the King and well-liked among his men. Perhaps in a bid to counter the demoralising effect this had, if any, on his men Charles Stuart took personal command of his army. Culloden would be where they met, Hanoverian and Stuart.

Charles could not have known it but 15th April was the birthday of the Duke of Cumberland. Having acted against the best advice of his more experienced generals Charles deployed some 5,000 Highlanders ready for a set-piece battle. The Hanoverian force did not come to order and as the Highlanders stood ready without the benefit of either food or shelter for a whole day Cumberland's men enjoyed a day of rest. Charles then had the notion that the next ploy should be a night march and a dawn attack upon the redcoated British. This proved as catastrophic as the prince's first order of battle as the Highlanders became lost and separated with many finding the firmness of the ground beneath their feet being replaced by bog. The night's maneouvres only resulted in the Highlanders returningto their original start point. If it had not been so serious it would have been laughable. They were now tired, wet and dispirited, hardly the best frame of mind to face the redcoats.

Cumberland's force numbered some 9,000 men, nearly twice as many as the Scots. The difference in weapons between the two sides was just as marked. The British had the flintlock and cannon whereas the Scots, their assured supplies from France not materialising, relied in the main on the traditional Highlander's weapons such as the famed claymore. At close quarters the Highlander was a match for any man in the world but the trick was to get to this close quarter. Having proven ineffective as a military commander with his previous day's orders it may be reasonable to assume that Charles Stuart would now tend to lend a more favourable ear to his advisors. Not so. The Scots generals begged him to rethink his intention to fight that day but he discarded their entreaties as being spawn from fear.

The battle opened with a cannonade with the weight of numbers leading to the Scots batteries being silenced with great carnage by the British guns. Perhaps with a dawning of reality Charles made his way to the rear of his army. He left his personal standard bearer to the fore in an attemopt at steadying the Scots morale, and perhaps confuse the enemy.

His hesitation at sounding the advance led to great losses as the British cannon-fire tore through the ranks of the valiant but vulnerable Scots. The Atholl brigade, led by Lord George Murray, was the first to act independently and charge at the redcoat positions. This led to the Highlanders attacking in their usual ferocious fashion. They became bogged down on the sodden ground and were slaughtered by the flintlocks and case shot of the British. The right flank of the Scots became more confused as a detachment of Campbell Highlanders (despised by the Stuarts) and one led by a future hero, General Wolfe, poured their gunfire into their flanks. It says a lot for the bravery of the Scots that through all of this carnage they continued to close on the enemy (they knew that at close quarters they were superior fighters). The sight of these fanatical fighters closing must have struck fear into many British hearts.

The Scots right flank broke into the British lines with steel replacing lead as the harbinger of doom. New tactics and weight of numbers assisted the Redcoats in their defence.

The left flank was a different matter. The Clan MacDonald which and originally claimed the 'honour' of taking up the prince's right flank were reluctant to advance. Their left flank was eventually lost to the Scots, the reason for the MacDonald's not advancing being the prime reason for this.

The feared British dragoons then broke through the Scots lines and engaged the poorly equipped Scots horse which they outnumbered around five to one. It was little wonder the Scots horse were virtually cut to pieces trying to protect their 'King'. The prince fled from the field and with him went the spirit of the Scots. The Redcoats now advanced. No mercy was to be shown, earning Cumberland a new nickname, 'The Butcher'. Of the 5,000 Scots who had fought that day some 1,000 or so lay dead on the field while the Redcoats lost a reported 350 or so. In less than an hour the battle was over.