Tour Scotland Glenfinnan

Tour Scotland Glenfinnan. W. Skeogh Cumming's painting depicts Stewart of Appin raising the Stewart's standard at Glenfinnan in 1745. The painting is one of a series on the '45 commissioned by Stewart of Fassnacloich, a descendant of the Stewarts of Appin.

On 19 August 1745 the supporters of Prince Charles Edward Stewart raised the Jacobite standard in Glenfinnan at the head of Loch Shiel, deep in the lands of Clan Ranald. It was an ideal spot to start a revolution that was designed to reinstate the exiled Stewarts to the thrones of Britain and Ireland. Three glens open out from Glenfinnan and it is surrounded by high hills reaching to over 2500ft, thus making the site both remote and accessible, important considerations for starting an insurrection.

Prince Charles had arrived in Scotland on the Arisaig coast a few weeks earlier, on 25 July, on board the French brig Du Teillay. With a few supporters he moved to Kinlochmoidart House while the clan chiefs of the Macdonalds of Keppoch and the Camerons of Lochiel began summoning their men to rebellion. His next stop was the house of MacDonald of Glenaladale, which stands on the western shore of Loch Shiel below Beinn Odhar Bheag. It was from here that Prince Charles was rowed up Loch Shiel to Glenfinnan to meet the clansmen who would support his cause. He arrived there at 11 o'clock in wet and windy weather to find the place deserted, but after two hours of suspense his followers began arriving. MacDonald of Morar, with 150 men, was the first to appear, then Cameron of Lochiel came on the scene with 700 men and the day was capped with the arrival of MacDonnell of Keppoch, who added 300 of his men to the gathering. Keppoch also brought with him a party of government soldiers, some 70 men of the Royal Scots whom he had captured in a skirmish at Spean Bridge north of Fort William.

With between 1000 and 1500 men committed to the Jacobite cause Prince Charles felt confident enough to raise the rebellion and the standard was unfurled - it was the Bratach Bhan, the white and scarlet banner of the Stewarts. William Murray, duke of Atholl, was the standard bearer and the banner was blessed by Bishop Hugh MacDonald, the Catholic Vicar Apostolic of the Highlands. James, the father of Charles, was proclaimed king and a great shout went up: "Long live King James VIII and Charles, prince of Wales; prosperity to Scotland and no Union!' With the promise of a great deal more support from the Stewarts of Appin the last great Jacobite rebellion was well and truly under way.

The site of these events is marked by a monument that is now under the care of the National Trust for Scotland. It was erected in 1815 by Alexander MacDonald of Qlenaladale, whose ancestor had supported the Jacobite cause and who was badly wounded at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. A grey stone cylindrical tower, the monument looks down Loch Shiel and from its top visitors can enjoy a grand
view of the winding loch and the hill slopes running down to meet it.

A later and incongruous addition to the monument was the construction of the statue of a bearded Highland chief who stands as a mute guard on this historic scene. Inscriptions in the wall surrounding the monument, written in Latin, Gaelic and English, commemorate both MacDonald of Glenaladale and the men who supported the Jacobite cause: 'Traveller, if you wish to celebrate the deeds of former days, pay homage here now!'

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