If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 251

 Culloden Batterfield, Inverness, Scotland

This postcard above is of the Culloden Battlefield, Inverness, Scotland printed by J. Arthur Dixon and shows the Memorial Cairn (top left), the Old Leanach Cottage—battle museum (top right), The interior of the cottage (bottom left) and the burial ground of the clansmen (bottom right).  The number on the reverse of the card is PIN/84695.  The site is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. 

The second postcard shown below is a closer view of the interior of the cottage museum.  Credit for the photo is given to Precision Limited of St. Ives, Huntington and Colourmaster International printed it.  There are two numbers on the reverse of the card—NS 639 at the mid top and PT36895 at the mid bottom. 

Interior of Leanach Cottage, Culloden

The 1745 Jacobite uprising to over throw the Hanoverian George I and restore the House of Stuart by putting Charles Stuart, known as “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” on the British throne was halted by defeat in a short battle at Culloden in 1746.  Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 Scottish Jacobites were killed or wounded in the brief 1-hour Highlander charge and battle that occurred here.  The British government lost 50 dead and had 259 wounded.  Even today strong feelings about the battle and its aftermath continue with many modern commentators alleging that the penalties inflicted on the Scots were brutal.  Attempts were made to integrate the “wild” Highlands into the Kingdom of Great Britain, civil penalties were introduced to weaken the Gaelic culture and attack the Scottish clan system. 

The final battle was held near where the small Leanach cottage shown on the cards stands today.  This cottage dates from 1760 and is located on the site where the original turf cottage used as a field hospital for government troops during and after the battle is thought to have stood.  

Duncan Forbes, a descendant of Duncan Forbes, Lord of Culloden, had the memorial cairn erected at Culloden in 1881.  The cairn is 20 feet or 6.1 meters tall and is perhaps the most recognizable feature of the battlefield today.  That same year he had headstones erected to mark the mass graves of the clans.  Forbes also had another stone placed to mark the spot where Alexander McGillivray of Dunmaglass was found after the battle.  McGillvray fell while leading his clan and followers into the battle.  The location of about sixty government soldiers is unknown but may be located in the future since directly under a spot where a coin was found there appears to be a large burial pit.  It is thought that a soldier may have dropped the coin when he came to visit the graves of his fallen comrades. 

During the last 16 years or so there has been archeological, topographical, geophysical and metal detector surveys conducted at Culloden battlefield.  So far where the fiercest fighting occurred pistol balls and shattered muskets have been uncovered and it is hoped that more items of interest will be uncovered as time goes on. 


For more detailed information about the Jacobite uprising and Culloden check out these sites:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden
http://www.cullodenhouse.co.uk/about-us-history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Forbes,_Lord_Culloden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacGillivray