Culloden, Scotland
Encyclopedia
Culloden is the name of a village three miles east of Inverness
, Scotland
and the surrounding area. Three miles south of the village is Drummossie Moor (often called Culloden Moor), site of the Battle of Culloden
.
Culloden village was originally made up of estate houses attached to Culloden House. Historic buildings include Culloden House itself, which is now a hotel, the Culloden stables, now rebuilt as holiday homes, and the historic tithe barn
which is now the Barn Church
. In the 1960s an area near the historic village was drained for a council housing project, including Culloden Stores, Culloden Academy
and Duncan Forbes
Primary School, named after the Forbeses of Culloden, who owned Culloden House from 1626 to 1897. More recent private housing developments have since grown up around it. Culloden House now stands as one of the luxury country house hotels in Scotland.
The parish of Culloden includes three other communities: Balloch
(icon), Smithton and Westhill. Like Culloden, Balloch is a village of some antiquity. Smithton and Westhill are post-war housing developments. Note possible confusion with Balloch (icon) in West Dunbartonshire
or Balloch in Cumbernauld
and Westhill, Skene near Aberdeen
.
Today, Culloden Battlefield is under the care of the National Trust for Scotland
, and its visitors' centre is a huge tourist attraction. A new interactive visitor centre has recently been built by the National Trust for Scotland and include's an interactive battle experience including an immersion film battle room. The state of the art visitor centre was officially opened to the public on 16 April 2008.
Apart from the battlefield, the most notable site in the surrounding area is the "clootie well
", in Culloden Woods, where brightly coloured rags are hung as offerings from people wishing to be cured of ailments. A similar, and better known, well is near Munlochy
. This tradition may be based on Celt
ic ceremonies, involving votive offerings to water spirits. The Cairns of Clava
, a group of Bronze Age burial mounds, are located at Balnauran of Clava, about a mile south-east of the battlefield.
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the surrounding area. Three miles south of the village is Drummossie Moor (often called Culloden Moor), site of the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
.
Culloden village was originally made up of estate houses attached to Culloden House. Historic buildings include Culloden House itself, which is now a hotel, the Culloden stables, now rebuilt as holiday homes, and the historic tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
which is now the Barn Church
Barn Church, Culloden
The Barn Church is a parish church of the Church of Scotland at Culloden, in the Presbytery of Inverness. Although the congregation is relatively young, and only received full status as a parish church in its own right in the late 1980s, the building is of considerable historical interest...
. In the 1960s an area near the historic village was drained for a council housing project, including Culloden Stores, Culloden Academy
Culloden Academy
The Culloden Academy is a non-denominational secondary school in Culloden, Highland, Scotland. The building was completed in 1982 and, as of session 2007/08, has an enrollment of 1,031 pupils. The current rector of The Culloden Academy is Mr Stephen T Dowds who became rector in 2004...
and Duncan Forbes
Duncan Forbes of Culloden
Duncan Forbes was a Scottish politician, and supporter of the House of Hanover.-Life:Born and educated in Inverness. His father owned the estate of Culloden and was MP for Nairnshire....
Primary School, named after the Forbeses of Culloden, who owned Culloden House from 1626 to 1897. More recent private housing developments have since grown up around it. Culloden House now stands as one of the luxury country house hotels in Scotland.
The parish of Culloden includes three other communities: Balloch
Balloch, Highland
Balloch is a residential village located 4 miles east of the city of Inverness, Scotland.Many children living in the area attend Culloden Academy. Balloch also has a local shop which is currently having an extension constructed. There is a village hall, a bowling club, a village trust and a .Like...
(icon), Smithton and Westhill. Like Culloden, Balloch is a village of some antiquity. Smithton and Westhill are post-war housing developments. Note possible confusion with Balloch (icon) in West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Bordering onto the west of the City of Glasgow, containing many of Glasgow's commuter towns and villages as well as the city's suburbs, West Dunbartonshire also borders onto Argyll and Bute, Stirling, East...
or Balloch in Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
and Westhill, Skene near Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
.
Today, Culloden Battlefield is under the care of the National Trust for Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
, and its visitors' centre is a huge tourist attraction. A new interactive visitor centre has recently been built by the National Trust for Scotland and include's an interactive battle experience including an immersion film battle room. The state of the art visitor centre was officially opened to the public on 16 April 2008.
Apart from the battlefield, the most notable site in the surrounding area is the "clootie well
Clootie well
Clootie wells are places of pilgrimage in Celtic areas. They are wells or springs, almost always with a tree growing beside them, where strips of cloth or rags have been left, usually tied to the branches of the tree as part of a healing ritual...
", in Culloden Woods, where brightly coloured rags are hung as offerings from people wishing to be cured of ailments. A similar, and better known, well is near Munlochy
Munlochy
Munlochy is a small village, in northern Scotland, lying at the head of Munlochy Bay . There are few early records of a settlement, but it seems likely that Munlochy expanded in the 1760s due to quarry workers extracting stone nearby to build Fort George on the far side of the Moray Firth.-GM...
. This tradition may be based on Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic ceremonies, involving votive offerings to water spirits. The Cairns of Clava
Clava cairn
The Clava cairn is a type of Bronze Age circular chamber tomb cairn, named after the group of 3 cairns at Balnuaran of Clava, to the east of Inverness in Scotland. There are about 50 cairns of this type in an area round about Inverness...
, a group of Bronze Age burial mounds, are located at Balnauran of Clava, about a mile south-east of the battlefield.