Culloden Battlefield

The final battle of the Jacobite Rising lasted less than an hour but claimed over 1,500 Highland lives. Their spirits have never left.

The Battle (April 16, 1746)

Bonnie Prince Charlie’s exhausted army faced the Duke of Cumberland:

• The Jacobites were outnumbered, starving, and exhausted
• The battle lasted approximately 40 minutes
• Between 1,500-2,000 Jacobites were killed
• Only 50 government soldiers died
• The wounded were executed where they lay
• Cumberland became known as “The Butcher”

The Haunting

Anniversary Phenomena

Every April 16th:

• An unnatural silence falls over the moor
• Birds stop singing
• Animals refuse to cross the field
• The sound of battle erupts—then stops
• Ghostly figures appear fighting

The Highlanders

Throughout the year:

• Spectral soldiers in tartan
• War cries in Gaelic
• The clash of swords
• A tall, ghostly Highlander seen repeatedly
• Phantom horses galloping

The Clan Graves

Mass graves marked by simple stones:

• Cold spots hover over the graves
• Visitors feel crushing sadness
• Some are moved to tears without reason
• Flowers placed on graves are scattered by unseen hands

Witness Accounts

Visitors consistently report:

• Hearing their names called in Scottish accents
• Feeling watched by invisible eyes
• Seeing figures that disappear when approached
• Smelling blood and gunpowder
• Overwhelming emotions of fear and despair

The Stone of Tears

A rock near the battlefield:

• Said to be wet even in drought
• The tears of the fallen
• Never dries
• Touching it causes visions

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Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre is open year-round. The battlefield itself is freely accessible.