‘Secret’ discovery found on Culloden amid housing development plans

Developers Kirkwood Homes want to build 16 homes within the battlefield conservation area at Viewhill to the north of the battle site.

Now the annual Lament for Culloden procession and lunch to take place next Saturday April 14, three days before the anniversary of the battle, will be told what was found during metal detection and seismic sweeps of the grounds around Culloden House.

The details are being kept secret but could prove that there is a burial site in the vicinity which would lend credence to the theory that the north side of the battlefield is a war grave and should be designated as such.

According to the Inverness Courier, Robert Cairns, chairman of Lochaber Archaeological Society, will tell the Circle of Gentlemen – organiser of the Lament – that the surveys “unearthed a great many items of Jacobite interest”.

It is claimed that the results around the area of the “Brangas Tree” mound at the gates of Culloden House “are of special interest and excitement”.

There has long been an account that 17 Jacobites were killed and buried around the tree.

One of the Lament organisers Alastair Alexander told the Courier: “I attended the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s recent meeting at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness where the results of the exhumation of the supposed remains of Lord Lovat were reported. I believe that nearly 450 people attended so the 1745 Rebellion still generates considerable interest in the Highlands.

“We are indebted to the Lochaber Archaeological Society and to the management of Culloden House for agreeing to permit the presentation of the findings of the survey of the house grounds at our event.”

Culloden House stands on the site of a castle where Bonnie Prince Charlie spent the last night before the battle. The importance of any finds in its vicinity is that they will show that the core battlefield site – some 90 per cent of which is preserved – extended further out from Culloden Moor than thought.

The issue of how far the battlefield extends was debated at the Highland Council local planning committee meeting last month which seemed to have given permission for the Viewhill development.

Thanks to an almost incredible mix-up at the committee meeting, however, two councillors claimed to have recorded their votes wrongly and as a result, the application has now been referred for a fresh hearing at the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee on May 17.

Small amendments to the Kirkwood application have already been made, but objectors want the whole plan rejected, despite the previous permission being granted by the Reporter who overturned the original refusal by Highland Council.

The Historians Council on Culloden led by Dr Christopher Duffy has also intervened.

In a press release they stated: “When the Highland Council initially turned down the application of Inverness Properties for 16 houses to be built on Viewhill Farm, the decision went to the Scottish Government. The Historians’ Council on Culloden has seen evidence that the Scottish Government was given incorrect information by Historic Scotland at the time. The decision made by the Scottish Government Reporter in favour of the development therefore appears to be based on incorrect information about the location of the battle. We are calling for the Scottish Government to examine the nature of this evidence and reassess their decision regarding development at Culloden.”

A local government planning consultant who asked not to be named told The National: “The original planning permission given by the Reporter has expired and that’s one reason why Kirkwood Homes had to bring in a new application. Objectors could contend that the new application must be considered entirely on its own merits which would allow fresh information of a historical nature to be considered. It is very important for their cause that the new information found by the survey should be put before the relevant committee as soon as possible.”