Trusts join forces to explore complexities of the Battle of Culloden

The National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust have teamed up to give an insight into the complexity of the Battle of Culloden in a pair of podcasts this April.

Article Source: The National Trust for Scotland
Last Updated: 15 April 2025 11:12

In a unique link-up, both conservation charities are dedicating an episode of their popular podcasts to explore two of the key figures of the battle which ended the Jacobite claim on the British throne.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Love Scotland episode, hosted by Jackie Bird, explores the fascinating story of Lord George Murray with guest, historian and National Trust for Scotland Trustee, Professor Murray Pittock.

Meanwhile the National Trust will focus on the story of James Wolfe, whose childhood home Quebec House in Kent is in its care, and who was a critical player in the Government army at the battle.

The episodes are released around the anniversary of the Battle of Culloden. The battle took place on 16 April 1746 and was part of a civil war that would decide the ruler of Great Britain and ultimately have a global impact. It saw over 1,500 lives lost in the space of an hour.

Annually more than 250,000 visitors come to the battlefield, which is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, the conservation charity that cares for, shares and speaks up for Scotland’s heritage.

National Trust for Scotland President and Love Scotland Presenter Jackie Bird said: “The Battle of Culloden is one of the most enduring events in Scottish history, and all these years later there is still so much to learn. Professor Pittock’s insights into the role of Lord George Murray and his difficult relationship with Charles Edward Stuart give us a sense of these historical figures as real people, with complex motivations. I hope this pair of podcasts will help listeners appreciate the personalities involved and their importance alongside the politics, tactics and legacy of the battle.”

Michelle Douglass, Senior Podcast Producer, National Trust said: "People love history podcasts because these are stories that tell us something bigger about the human condition. There are all sorts of points of views and angles to how we tell our histories. Working with the National Trust for Scotland is the first time we’ve explored this kind of story-telling opportunity: to bring listeners history from two different perspectives. They’ll get a deep dive into the Battle of Culloden – the people involved; the build up, what happened at battle and what it meant for Britain. It’s a unique treatment of a pivotal moment of our past."

The National Trust for Scotland’s Love Scotland episode on Lord George Murray will be released on Friday 18 April.

The National Trust’s episode on James Wolfe is released on Monday 30 April.
Listen and subscribe to Love Scotland from the National Trust for Scotland and Back When from the National Trust on Apple & Spotify.

2025 marks the 279th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden and the 100th year that the Gaelic Society of Inverness have been commemorating the event. The commemoration service will take place on Saturday 19 April. The event begins at 10.30am with a procession starting at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre and ending at the memorial cairn where the service takes place from 11am until 12 noon.

Inside the visitor centre, costumed presentations will take place over the weekend including Clach An Airm, the story of a Clan as they prepared for battle, and Fight like a Highlander, where visitors can discover what it was like to fight with a basket-hilted broadsword on the field at Culloden. As part of the Christopher Duffy Memorial Lecture series on Saturday 19 April at 1:30pm, Dr Darren Scott Layne and Dr Arran Johnston will share insights into the Jacobite uprising using data and eyewitness testimony.

Tickets are available via www.nts.org.uk/culloden

Image: Murray Pittock and Jackie Bird

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