Lochaber Archive Series: The Escape of Prince Charles Stewart

"attachment_795856" "" "300"] High Life Highland.

 

Trainee archivist Rory Green continues his journey through the fascinating collections at the Lochaber Archive Centre.

 

Our fantastic West Highland Museum Collection is a must see for anybody interested in the Jacobites - from the events leading to the 1715 rising to those following the 1745.

 

"attachment_945661" "" "217"] A true state of Prince Charles Stewart’s miraculous escape after the Battle of Culloden.

 

Within this collection is a bound volume entitled, A True State of Prince Charles Stewart’s Miraculous Escape After the Battle of Culloden.

 

It is written by John Macdonald of Borodale, Arisiag, and details all that happened to the prince between defeat at Culloden and escape to France in the dramatic aftermath of the battle.

 

MacDonald was the son of Angus MacDonald of Borodale, who, in 1745 was the first person to receive a commission from Charles Edward Stuart.

 

John Macdonald was sent to be educated at the Scots College, Ratisbon, but returned in 1745 to join Prince Charles and served during the campaign as lieutenant in Clanranald’s regiment.

 

He was later pardoned for his role in the Jacobite rising.

 

"attachment_945655" "" "200"] A true state of Prince Charles Stewart’s miraculous escape after the Battle of Culloden.

 

His account of the Bonnie Prince’s escape begins, ‘When the prince at the battle of Culloden perceived that the horse he rode was wounded and any stand he and his small band could make was needless, he made off accompanied by two Irishman, Mr Sullivan and Neil his aide-du-camp, and a few more and took little or no rest till they arrived at Glenbiesttle, Arisaig, which is a pendicle belonging to the farm of Borodale, being the place he first landed in the continent at his arrival.’

 

The prince and his companions rest at Glenbiesttle for three days before a boat, belonging to the aforementioned John MacDonald, is procured to transport them to Uist.

 

From Uist, it is planned that the prince will travel first to Stornoway, and then to France if a vessel which allows them to do so is found.

 

Travelling to Stornoway first, Mr Sullivan and his aide-du-camp do indeed find such a means of transport but decide to leave for France without waiting for the prince.

 

What follows for the prince has now become the stuff of legend.

 

He travels to Benbecula with the help of the Clanranald’s then, aided by Flora MacDonald, he and his remaining companions board a boat bound for Skye.

 

The prince does this disguised as MacDonald’s Irish maid, Betty Burke.

 

The prince moves swiftly between the estates of those families loyal to him sleeping a night here and a night there, helped along the way by ordinary Gaels who are by now aware of that ‘great temptation of thirty-thousand pounds promised by the government to any that would deliver him up.’

 

Heading back to the mainland, the prince makes it to Glenfinnan, this time accompanied by John MacDonald and MacDonald of Glenaladale.

 

To their great surprise, they find the place ‘surrounded by three hundred of the enemies.’

 

They quickly come to the resolution to depart the country for some time.

 

The small gang proceed under darkness to the top of a high mountain between Loch Arkaig and Loch Morar, hearing a camp of enemies ‘laying on each side’ of them. In the course of three nights, they pass by four camps and 25 patrols, all the while managing to stay unseen.

 

MacDonald writes that the enemy were sometimes ‘so nigh that we heard them

 

frequently speaking’.

 

On the third morning, they arrive near Lochournhead, on hollow ground covered by long heather and young birches, all five in the party laying down for rest ‘almost fainting for lack of food’.

 

In an act of generosity, MacDonald offers the prince the last of his food, which he

 

has kept in a napkin.

 

The prince insists that the party share it, which they do.

 

Want to know what happens next? This item can be viewed in the searchroom at the

 

Lochaber Archive Centre. Our opening times are 10am-4.30pm, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

 

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email: lochaber.archives@highlifehighland.com