Doug L.

The Culloden Battlefield was run by the National Trust of Scotland which was a different membership from the one we had with Historic Scotland. We opted to book a guided tour of the battlefield which was well worth it with the insights provided by a knowledgeable and outgoing guide. The tour walked out as far as the British Line(red flags) but we later wandered out to the Jacobite Line (blue flags) on our own. Do stay on the gravel paths as the site does contain the remains of those who died in the battle. Another tip, dress warmly for the walk outside as the weather shifted while on the tour and it got quite chilly with some rain. The museum presented both viewpoints on the battle and the two sides throughout which was interesting to see and compare. Photos of the artifacts on displays were not allowed and docents would chase you down or stop you since some items were privately owned and on loan. It was ok to take photos of drawings or placards created by the NTS. Overall a stunning defeat for the Jacobites. Next time we're in Scotland I do want to visit the Battle of Bannockburn site to compare the battle that Scotland won over England.

Howard L.

This is a very well done memorial to the historic hand-to-hand Battle of Culloden that occurred on April 16, 1746 between British government troops and Scottish Highlanders who were in turn all Jacobites. I knew nothing about this important Scottish event until I watched the Outlander series on Netflix. Then, I read a little more about it, and here I learned a lot more. It's always interesting to actually set foot at the site of an event and it is still a somber grave site for many. Our tour guide, who is very Scottish, still cannot go out onto the battlefield as it is all still upsetting to him. The Outlander series by the way brought in a HUGE amount of tourism to Scotland and this battlefield is just one of the more popular venues of interest. I really liked the 10 minute immersive film that brought the battle to life on 4 simultaneous surround sound screens. I also learned shockingly that the battle only lasted 46 minutes with the Scots being obliterated and the Highlander culture and lifestyle ended forevermore from that time on. Afterwards, you can go out and walk the actual battlefield and see where the lines were drawn, etc. You can also see rock memorials for several of the major clans supporting the Scotsmen. In the museum, there are a multitude of artifacts and readings to peruse, as well as a gift shop and cafe. Overall, a very worthwhile and informative site to visit and experience.

Joseph T.

Pretty cool, I reckon. One thing I appreciated about the museum tour was that it told both sides. I don't think I've ever seen a battlefield tour really do that before (or maybe I have and I just can't recollect it at the moment). Either way, it was neat. Namely because I have absolutely no skin in the game on this sort of stuff, and it was 250+ years ago. The battlefield is setup pretty neat, too. There is a map and flags and various ways to follow along with what you're looking at. During the visit, I learned that Culloden was featured in a recent television show called "Outlander", which is apparently just half naked people with perfect bodies fighting one another while shirtless & in kilts, and many other scenes where babies may or may not have been made, all the while there are haunting bagpipes playing & incredible Scottish landscapes panning across the screen. And therefore, there has been a visitor spike. Who knew! I didn't! But apparently a lot of other people did! So prepare yourself for said spike, lest your patience run thin because someone knocks you out of the way so that they can get a selfie with a stone that says "Fraser" on it.

Sunil R.

No, this has nothing to do with the movie Braveheart in case you were wondering. This is where the last battle that involved hand to hand combat in England was fought. This battle on 16 April 1746 has tremendous significance for Scotland. Learning more about the history at the museum and the tour was fascinating.

Jacqueline S.

Beautiful well-organized, tribute and museum to the people of the Scottish Highlands. The battle is portrayed by a huge 4 wall video which puts you in the middle of the tumult with action and sound. The docents make history come alive with stories and hands-on demos. Kilt folding is one of the fun activities- audience participation is requested. Then the automated "action board " shows the movement of troops, that now makes sense after watching the movie. A GREAT museum of a devastating battle. The history and life of the the times is also shared.

Amanda R.

Stepping thru the mossy grass of this epic field where the hearts of Scotland's sons made the last stand to keep their way of life, is solemn, and sad for anyone that carries Scottish blood in their veins. To physically be there and try to envision that day is really an eye opener to what it must of been like on that fateful day. The battle was in 1746. The museum was fantastic; interactive, informative and extremely well laid out. Being able to handle a few of the weapons if the time made the experience real somehow as to weight and manoeuvrability. It was torrential rain that morning and I could only do a partial walk of the battlefield. We got totally drenched. This was the only day it rained while I was in Scotland. The quiet, the views, and mostly the atmosphere have left a lasting impression. If in the area you must go! The day I visited they had a small indoor concert going on. That was pretty cool! Most everything is written in English and in Gaelic. A Celtic language that is still spoken today in the Highlands and Islands of western Scotland. August 2023

Manish C.

Located a short drive out of Inverness is Culloden Battlefield. I can't claim to be big on Scottish history, but my tour guide explained that this 1746 battle was the last military engagement fought on British soil. It was an utter massacre where some 1500 Jacobites died as opposed to about 50 British soldiers, as British strategy and fighting style severely outmatched their opposition. It's not heavily marked with monuments like many US battlefields, but is rather a solemn place to reflect on loss of life that occurred here. While it is free to visit the battlefield, there is an admission charge to view the exhibits and film at the visitors center. Being used to many such places in the US being free (including exhibits and film) under the jurisdiction of the National Parks service and seeing a majority of the national museums and galleries in Edinburgh also being free of charge, I found it a bit odd that there would be a charge to learn a bit about the history that transpired here. There is a gift shop, a cafe, restrooms and plenty of seating in the visitors center. I found it a great tribute that the wall of the visitors center on one side is lined with one brick for each soldier that died at Culloden Battlefield, but I would have never known had it not been for the excellent explanation provided by our group tour guide. Chances are you might visit here as a tourist as part of a group tour, but I likely wouldn't recommend a visit unless you really like history of Scottish conflict.

Excellent museum, set up in chronological order with the English perspective on one side and the Jacobite perspective on the other. Well documented, good east to read notes and a good short film. Lots of interactive areas for kids at the end. The tour is the battlefield was good and informative and made clear what the movies get wrong and what the archeology has learned. My ancestor fought there and it's a big part of our family lore, so we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Jessica S.

Holy wow, this is sobering. You definitely should carve several hours out of your day to visit the museum and battlefield. Outlander fan or no, this is worth the time. We took the bus out of Inverness, which made things so much easier. We actually hopped off one stop before the Culloden stop, because we wanted a chance to mosey past the moor. It was only a mile from the second-to-the-last stop to the visitor center, and it was a beautiful, sunny and mild day, so we were in heaven. I didn't realize before our visit that the battlefield itself is a park, free to anybody who wants to visit and that it's dog-friendly. I love that. The visitor center (I call it a "museum", in my head) is very well done, and chock-full of information and experiences. They laid the whole thing out so that you're able to get into the heads of both sides of the battle, with the same timeline providing movements across the divide. It can get a bit loud in there, though, so it's sometimes hard to hear the audio presentations built into a lot of their experiences. But, they provide way more information than I would've expected, which is a nice bonus. You can walk in the front doors not knowing anything about Culloden, and - if you give the museum the time it deserves - you can walk out an expert on all things political, battle and civilian-related. The museum itself is quite immense, meandering from one wing to the other, culminating in a theater that provides a wrap-around video of a recreation of the battle. They don't pull any punches in that room, so if you're scared of loud noises, gore, or have very small children, I wouldn't recommend going in. The star of the area definitely is the battlefield itself, though. (Pause at the double doors to snag a loaner umbrella, if the weather looks iffy. It definitely came in handy on our visit!) There are several different paths, all detailed in the free maps available at the desk near the doors, and explained on the battlefield itself. We took the less crowded path at first, as everyone and their mother were walking towards the monument in the middle of the field. Our first path took us towards the Clan Donald stone, which is way far away from the main monument, closer to the road. I think the path typically circles back around the outside of the battlefield, but on the day we visited, they had the path past the Donald stone closed off, so we had to turn around and head back in the other direction. We decided to go towards the main monument at that point, passing by other clan stones on the way (of course the Clan Fraser stone had a worn path in front of it, with a few fresh flowers scattered around). My husband and I walked every path we could that afternoon, and are still amazed at the scope of the battlefield itself. For me, reading about it (yes, in "Outlander") and seeing the references in the museum did little to prepare me for how huge the battlefield itself was. They have flags placed across the land, showing where the Jacobites lined up, versus where the British forces lined up. The distance between the two flags is incredible. How battles were fought - on a slushy moor in poor weather, with men in kilts and sandals running at fully armed ranks - is astounding. Definitely something you have to see in person to really absorb. I am so glad we took the bus out to Culloden, and that we allotted half a day to the experience. You do get your money's worth if you take the time to reflect and review. We took a ton of pictures, but I don't want to overwhelm the Yelp servers, so I'll only post a few.

David R.

A real bargain for £5. For that price, you get access to the battlefield and a smallish museum exhibit, a ten-minute "living history" demonstration, and a fifteen-minute film. The NTS has constructed a new Visitor Centre which was not yet open at the time of my visit. Apparently the old Visitor Centre was discovered to stand on the site of the Government's third line of battle. Thus, it has been moved as part of the effort to restore the battlefield to its 1746 appearance. All of the indoor portions of the exhibit were excellent. Out on the battlefield, you are welcome to meander and explore at your own pace. It really isn't much more than a tall-grass field, but markers and memorials scattered across the site remind you what took place here. It is rather haunting to stand in the place where so many dreams died, not to mention the last battle ever fought on British soil. Red flags mark the Jacobite lines; yellow flags, the Government lines. Participating clans each have a modest stone memorial somewhere on the battlefield. I found the marker stone for Clan Maclean, from which came my Scottish ancestors. Apparently the Macleans always remained loyal to the Stewarts, answering the call to battle in 1692, 1715, and 1745. Kudos to the NTS for their commitment to preserve and protect the battlefield and to keep the memorial spirit alive.

Letisia S.

The food in the cafe was so-so, the brownie was dry and chalky. The prices for tickets were a bit high. The battlefield was cool. La comida en el café era regular, el brownie estaba seco. Los precios de los boletos fueron un poco altos. El campo de batalla fue genial.

Hayley S.

Highly recommend. So much history. Such beautiful and haunting scenery. Large gift shop, and helpful staff working the Reception desk! Helpful (maybe?) tip: If you are taking a cab out there ask the driver before he leaves if his credit card reader is working. We forgot to ask and found out once we arrived that he couldn't complete the transaction. There is no ATM in the Visitor Center, and they don't do cash back (not their fault). So unfortunately our time was cut short because he waited for us to do a quick tour before taking us back into town and to an ATM. It was our fault for not having cash on us, but we had also been successful in using credit card with all our other taxis! Just a tip if this might help you out.

Sam S.

Even if you are not a fan of Outlander, this is one of the most interesting spots to visit. First of all, the exhibits indoors are educational and interactive. The short film was amazingly well done. The best part is the staff, dressed in period costume, who showed my friend how to fold and wear tartan. It was one of the best experiences of our trip. Outdoors, be sure to use the audio guide to tour the actual battlefield. If you have traveled a lot and are questioning whether to bother with another audio guide, please be aware that this is one of the best I've ever heard. It was easy to understand and navigate and answered so many questions that I had about history. What a wonderful way to learn about history! So much better than boring textbooks. Very highly recommended historic site. One more thing! The chef at the café was happy to prepare a special entrée for me given my multiple dietary restrictions. I was even able to find some gluten-free, dairy free shortbread that was absolutely scrumptious. Lovely gift shop as well.