A SHOE buckle thought to have belonged to a Jacobite clan chief wounded in battle at Culloden has been discovered by archaeologists among other artefacts.
Among the discovered artefacts are a large number of musket balls and grapeshot which were uncovered in a 60 square-metre area close to what was the British government frontline at Culloden Battlefield.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) have revealed the findings ahead of the 278th anniversary of the battle on April 16, 1746.
Around 1600 men were killed in less than an hour and the battle marked the end of the 1745 Jacobite rising.
READ MORE: NC500: Scottish business issues warning after motorhome accident
A single piece of heavy lead grapeshot and a broken copper alloy buckle, which were in proximity to each other, were of particular interest to the NTS archaeologists.
It is believed the copper alloy buckle (below) may have belonged to Donald Cameron of Lochiel, a Jacobite, and the hereditary chief of Clan Cameron.
Cameron is believed to have led the 400-strong clan regiment into the battle at Culloden where he was wounded.
Derek Alexander, NTS head of archaeology, said: “The grapeshot has obviously hit something with great force as one side of the lead ball has been completely flattened.
“The juxtaposition of both these artefacts, recovered from the same hole and within 20-30m of the British army front line, is intriguing and the obvious conclusion would be that the grapeshot hit the shoe buckle and broke off one end.
“This is of particular significance as one of the most recounted stories of the Jacobite charge at Culloden is the wounding of Donald Cameron of Lochiel, known as The Gentle Lochiel.
“The late Christopher Duffy, a leading authority on the Battle of Culloden, tells how Lochiel, advancing at the head of his regiment (the Camerons), was so near Barrell’s (government regiment) that he fired his pistol, and was drawing his sword when he fell, wounded with grapeshot in both ankles.
“This description shows us that Lochiel was hit in the ankles charging forward and if he had been wearing shoes with buckles, it is possible that these would have been hit and partly absorbed the impact.
“We can’t prove that this is what happened but both objects combine to tell the story of the terrible events that took place on that day.”
Donald Cameron of Lochiel played an important role in the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Despite being wounded at Culloden he managed to escape to France with Bonnie Prince Charlie in September 1746.
Cameron died in 1748 of a stroke at the age of 53 in northern France.
He earned the nickname “The Gentle Lochiel” due to him preventing the Jacobite army from sacking the city of Glasgow in 1746.
Donald Cameron of Lochiel, the current chief and Tory peer who sits in the House of Lords, said: “This fascinating archaeological discovery adds to the legends surrounding one of my most famous ancestors, the Gentle Lochiel, and certainly tallies with the fact that he was injured by grapeshot in that particular location at Culloden.
READ MORE: Scottish town to play host to EU-inspired art exhibition
“We will, of course, never know the full picture but it’s intriguing that the battlefield is still producing such interesting artefacts even today.”
The artefacts were found during test pit excavation and metal detecting in late 2023 at the site and experts have since been processing the discoveries.
Gail Cleaver, NTS operations manager for Culloden, said: “Culloden Moor is a powerfully emotive place, and it’s rare for a landscape of this age to be so relatively intact.
“The National Trust for Scotland has been acquiring and caring for parts of the battlefield since 1937.
“But the field of battle and the views that surround it are increasingly under threat from development and, as well as sharing the stories of Culloden, our charity works hard to protect its sense of place.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel