Cumberland's Stone

Just off the intersection of two roads in the Highlands is a large stone. It may not look important, but it has, in fact, witnessed one of the most consequential events in British history.

The Battle of Culloden was fought on 16 April 1746. It saw a British government force led by Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, crush a Jacobite army led by his his older cousin, Prince Charles Edward Louis Philip Casimir Stuart, better known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie." This event ended the latter's hopes of regaining the British throne for his father and the Stuart dynasty.

If you want to find out more about the '45 Rising, then visit the award-winning Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre just half a mile down the road. In summary, in the space of less than an hour, a force of about 5,000 Jacobites was defeated by a 9,000 strong Government army. More than 1,000 Jacobites were killed, compared to around 50 Government troops.

Watching all this unfold was Cumberland. From the stone which bears his name, he saw his forces crush Charlie's army. In the aftermath, he ensured the Jacobites would no longer be a threat and personally issued an order to "give no quarter." In other words, his troops were to show no mercy to any Jacobites they came across. Incidents like these earned him the nickname: "Butcher Cumberland."

The stone bears the inscription "POSITION OF THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND DURING THE BATTLE OF CULLODEN." Some say the Duke had his breakfast, or lunch, on it on the day of the battle. Others say he stood atop it to get a better look of the battle.