“It’s a field,” voiced our son with a look of dismay.  “Yes, but it is a field that ended a way of life.”  I said.  He still looked  a bit put off about to walk along a field on the only day that was raining since we arrived in Scotland. For me, it seemed appropriate.

The mounds of shared graves of the buried of those that will lie forever at Culloden; Rest in Peace those from Clan Mackintosh, Clan Fraser, Clan Drummond, Clan MacGregor, Clan Gordon, Clan Grant, many different clans of McDonald, and many more.

Forget not, the people of the town of Culloden that were forced to bury all the dead.

I am nameless now, and I will die here,
Buried beside my son, beneath the bloody turf
With no lament or a prayer
To mark our passing.

Now we charge, the last attack
Glorious and futile, musketry rattles
And the grape-shot scythes through our ranks
Rupturing flesh and bone.
See the scarlet coats advance,
Hurrahing, their bayonets glinting,
Moving towards us through the sulphurous smoke.
As I cradle your body, lifeless and broken
It’s your mother that I see before me
And our house, thatch and stone and earth
And the rich dark peat we cut, together.

Soon, we both, once again
Shall see our home,
And the tall pines, by the water,
Then the pain will be gone and we shall laugh
As we lie in the heather on Benmore.
Mo ghaol agad a’Chaluim, mo fheoil, mo fhuil, mo h’anam.*
I whispered that, for you, as we stood in the terrible rain.
I shall cover you with my plaid, as if you were sleeping, child,
And this day shall pass into night.

 Excerpt from A Father’s Farewell~Bill Martin

Going through the museum, you will find information and artifacts, but on the field, if you are quiet, you will feel a heaviness, and an overwhelming heartache. I do not have a fear of ghosts, but I would cannot fathom ever spending a night on the field of Culloden. For whatever reason, I get the distinct feeling that lost souls attempt nightly to charge the British frontlines, and trying with all the drive of highlanders holding fast to their way of life to change the outcome.

I recommend getting the audio that goes along with both the museum and the battlefield, there are stories from survivors. The “why didn’t they,” and “what if they,” will definitely run through your mind. Yet, another example of  good soldiers following a poor leader with a heart breaking outcome.

If you visit, take a few moments and watch the video: Go into the video room, wait and the battle will surround you. At first, my husband and son thought the museum had twisted humor and had made a video of the field. Wait for the battle to begin., not ideal for children under 4.