Why Culloden?
It was the last pitched battle on British soil — the final throw of the dice in a failing campaign, and what can no doubt be seen as the battle that most shaped the Scotland we know today. Culloden lives on in popular culture and remains as divisive now as it was nearly 280 years ago.
So what first sparked my interest in the battle?
It started on my eighth birthday. My mum, seeing my growing interest in military history and my ever-expanding collection of toy knights and soldiers, bought me the Battlefield Britain dvd box set by Dan and Peter Snow for the BBC.
Over the next few years I must have rewatched it countless times, but the penultimate episode — The Battle of Culloden — was always my favourite. Whether it was Dan Snow wading across the moor describing the desperate final charge of the clans, or the doomed cause of Prince Charlie and the Stuarts, something about it stayed with me. To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure what it was — but it left a lasting impression.
Fast forward to my time in college, where I chose to complete something called an Extended Project Qualification. The brief was simple: pick any subject, research it, write an essay, and present it to a group. Unsurprisingly, I chose Culloden. Around this time, the TV series Outlander had also just aired its first season, which reignited my interest in the ’45.
Since completing that project, I’ve had a real fascination with the period and always wanted to visit the battlefield and the Scottish Highlands, but from Nottinghamshire its quite a drive! However when it came to choosing our honeymoon destination, my wife said she wanted somewhere in the UK, and Scotland came up in conversation. Before long, we had booked seven nights in Inverness.
My chance had finally come!😁
On the way up to the highlands, we realised we were going to be driving past Prestonpans — an earlier battle from the campaign — and decided to stop off to have a look and take a break. It was only then I realised we were visiting on the anniversary of the battle! Not only that, but they were holding their reenactment event, which only takes place every three years. I assure you this was not planned out by me at all and I couldn’t believe my luck!
We spent a day touring the Culloden battlefield and its fantastic visitor centre. My wife is not a big fan of military history, but even she had a great time mostly thanks to the excellent staff in the centre. I’ve visited several battlefields across the UK, but Culloden truly felt different — quieter, heavier, almost as if you could still sense the weight of what happened there.
After returning home, I decided on my next major wargaming project:
Culloden.
And so it begins..
I plan to keep this blog updated frequently. In Part 2 of Gathering the Clans, I’ll be showing my first painted unit and talking a little about their history. I might even share a slightly over-enthusiastic spreadsheet I’ve been working on as well…
Stay tuned!
Dan (Sherwood Painting Studio)
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