Public plead to protect Culloden

The unique atmosphere, importance as a place of history and remembrance, and the open aspects of Culloden Battlefield must be protected, according to the public.

We are revealing the findings of our Culloden 300 consultation on 23 July, the 275th anniversary of Charles Edward Stuart’s arrival in Scotland which ignited the 1745 Jacobite rising.

Last year, around 3,000 people took part online and in person in the consultation which aimed to establish how people wanted the site of Britain’s last pitched battle to look in 2046, 300 years on from the event that marked the conclusion of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s attempt on the British throne.

Culloden attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year, and the impact of the battle and its aftermath still resonates across Scotland, and the wider world. However, in recent years the site has come under increasing pressure from piecemeal development.

Today’s report is the latest action from our charity, which owns and protects much of this important site, to tackle this issue.

The ‘Living with the Battlefield’ report sets out what people think is so special about Culloden, locally, nationally and internationally and shows the overwhelming support for protecting these qualities. This was highlighted in responses featuring keywords such as ‘peacefulness’, ‘open and empty’, ‘atmospheric’ and ‘unchanged’.

Of the participants, 68% came from Scotland, showing a strong national concern for the future of the battlefield, with a significant response from the rest of the UK (11%) and the wider world (21%).

Almost 40% of respondents specifically highlighted the issue of development in the area of the battlefield, with many expressing concerns about its long-term impact.

Raoul Curtis-Machin, Operations Manager at Culloden said: ‘This feedback shows how strongly the people of Scotland, the UK and the rest of the world feel about the battlefield. The public say strongly that these special qualities must be protected, now and for future generations. As the conservation charity charged with its protection, we are heartened to hear that so many people support our work to protect one of Scotland’s treasures.

‘Piecemeal, inappropriate development is without a doubt our greatest challenge for the future of Culloden and the Trust is seeking the support, expertise and input of Highland Council, Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Government and others to tackle this, and we will be beginning discussions with them soon.’