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Culloden Tales: Stories from Scotland's Most Famous Battlefield

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This is not a scholarly history of the Battle of Culloden. It is a collection of stories from, and about, Culloden compiled by Hugh Allison who works there. Everyone descended from families who took part in this battle, this civil war between the Houses of Stuart and Hanover, will have their own perceptions about the battle and its consequences.

The Battle of Culloden was fought at Drummossie Moor on 16 April 1746. There were many brave, on both sides of the battlefield, and many legends have grown. For myself, as a member of Clan Cameron, I am pleased to see a photograph of the Clan Cameron Stone and to read an account of the actions of the Gentle Lochiel and Dr Archie Cameron. Generally, the Clan Cameron account in the book accords with oral family history and other sources.

Much has been written about Culloden. Much of it romanticised and simplified, and is often presented from the Jacobite perspective. This book fills a particular gap. It provides a sense of the place, a perspective for the events and, most importantly, combines histories from a number of different sources. The select bibliography will be of value for those who want more information about the history and events. For myself, I am happy to welcome this book to my bookshelves. I first learned a particularly partisan account of Culloden some 45 years ago. I have since learned that legend is not necessarily fact.

Recommended to those with an interest in the place, the battle and the aftermath.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I just finished Hugh G. Allison's "Culloden Tales." Mr. Allison is not just the author, but is employed by the national Trust of Scotland and has worked at Culloden for numerous years. His passion of the subject is evident!

I'm not sure what I expected when I ordered this book. However, the cover depicts a classic Scottish basket-hilt broadsword sticking out of a grassy field, and a discarded "targe" (shield) lies off to the side. The heavy overcast of sky is enhanced by the swords blade glittering in the rays of dying sunlight. Litteral or, symbolic, it draws you into the pages of the book as strongly as the shrill of the bagpipe!

Mr. Allison immediately advises the reader what his intentions are in the book during his Introduction and Prologue. He lays out the contents perfectly and follows each sub-title exactly as he indicates he will.

The first part of the book quickly shoots the reader through the ancient history of Scotland and then, proceeds into the time period of Culloden. I admit, that despite the author's excellent format structuring, I became somewhat lost in the quagmire of the Stewart (Stuart?) dynasties, and those of Hanover. Perhaps, my American ignorance of royal family linage is partially to blame.

Despite the cousins, uncles, and other familial conglomerations, Mr. Allison keeps the reader attuned to numerous facts which include such specifics as: "The battle of Culloden was not a war between England and Scotland: it was a British Civil war between the houses of Stuart, and Hanover." Further, "It was not a religious war between Catholic and Protestant, but Protestant Presbyterian versus Protestant Episcopalian," and ...many more reasons that the reader will discover.

Allison mentions numerous Clans who participated on both sides, but mainly that of the Jacobites. He describes some of the Clans and their battle positions within the attacking frontal assault. He also tells where these Clan members fell in realtionship to the overall battle. Apparently, many rocks are placed throughout the battlefield where these Clansmen are buried. However, an aerial photo of the historic site would have been more helpfull for readers such as myself.

Allison supplies numerous photographs of rock monuments showing the inscription of Clan names, but again... without a visual reference to their overall positions. Furthermore, he mentions some new artifacts which recently came to light, but...not a drawing or photograph to help the reader visualize them.

Perhaps, the most interesting part of the book is ...Part Four. Part Four centers on certain stories handed down to descendants of the battle participants and "Naturally...the Supernatural!" Many of these collected ghostly stories from those who work there, or have simply visited the site are truly interesting!

All in all...a good job Mr. Allison!

My mother was a Campbell and...the words to an old folk song of the 60's played in my head as I read the book. The words went something like this:

"The cry of the raven rang over the moors; the drums were calling the Clans to war. Then,it's good by Mum and Mary, I'm off to war to fight for the honor of the son that you bore. Never forget who you are my son, never dishonor the Clan, for your fathers before you they died in the fields...died for our green pasture lands. And over the hill lies brave Bobby Campbell ...the gun still clutched in his hands..."

Grab your sword and dirk! Culloden is calling!!!!

I picked up "Culloden Tales" at the Illinois Scottish Games, and found it to be a delightful book. It will be enjoyed by everyone who loves Scotland, history or just good stories. A note: it is not to be read as a definitive history of the battle, but as a collection of stories, tying history to people today.

Robert A. Hall
Author: The Coming Collapse of the American Republic
(All royalties go to a charity to help wounded veterans)

I loved this book. Finding my own clan in these pages made me prouder yet to have a heritage with the Scots Highlanders. Wonderful stories....and they are well written.

A keeper.

We visited the site of the Battle of Culloden in July. Our tour guide was Hugh Allison!! We wanted to read more about the battle and Scots history as my husband's family came from there. Hugh pointed us to the stone marking where our clansmen fell. The book is well written and full of the history of the Highlands. It's a book that is hard to put down. Since we were just in that area, the story really came to life for us!!

This is probably one of the greatest books of its kind written about the Battle of Culloden. Its personality reaches out to every reader, and grabs especially those of us with ties to the field where many of our direct forebears fell. These ties - blood ties, literally - are felt even more strongly as one reads "personal," historical, and supertnatural accounts of the field, the battle's outcome, and the men and women who work and interact with it today. An excellent read for anyone, but especially recommended for those who, like me, had fathers who fell on or were forced from the field of Culloden Moor.

I found this to be a disappointing book.

First of all, the author clearly believes that the soldiers of the regular (ie British army) who fought at Culloden have no part to play in this story, except as men who commit atrocities. I find it hard to believe the author is unaware of the heroism of the men of Barrell's regiment, or of the gripping letters written by Edward Linn, James Wolfe, Enoch Bradshaw and others.

Second, a few facts could do with checking. Derby is not 2 days' march from Culloden. Some of his comments are very controversial, eg he repeats the story that Wolfe refused a direct order form his immediate superior on the field of battle - Wolfe's letters do not even hint at this and the origin of the story is decades after Culloden. There is also no evidence that Cumberland wanted to massacre the garrison at Carlisle; he wanted a battle in order to blood his troops, not to murder prisoners.

The author thinks that had the Jacobites won at Culloden (it is hard to see how), then there would have been no Franco-British warfare, with global consequences, after 1746, but the discussion of this is very superficial.

Finally, the author uses imagined accounts of the battle; a technique employed by Prebble in Culloden.

The book is for those who like Jacobite sentiment and who see the battle as a tragedy. True, this is one viewpoint, but not the only one. When I visited the battlefield last year I came away with a sense of how the site has become a propaganda exercise for the Stuart cause. An acquaintance once said he'd like to dance a jolly jig around the site.