Launch of new Bonnie Prince Charlie travel trail

A new history trail of 25 historic properties and attractions has been launched, allowing history fans to follow in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie (Prince Charles Edward Stuart). Read our special feature on Outlander attractions around Inverness.

The trail is a partnership between Historic Environment Scotland, National Museums Scotland, Royal Collection Trust and National Trust for Scotland, and has been given a £40,000 boost by VisitScotland to help reach a greater digital audience and tie in with the Year of History, Heritage & Archaeology.

The campaign was launched at Edinburgh Castle on 31 January, the 229th anniversary of Bonnie Prince Charlie's death. The Bonnie Prince Charlie trail can be downloaded from the trail website, with a range of further resources to be added in the coming months.

Key trail locations

Among the highlights of the trail are:

• Glenfinnan Monument, Highlands
  The site where Bonnie Prince Charlie came ashore on 19 August 1745 and raised the Stuart standard, beginning the final Jacobite Rising which would end at Culloden
• Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh
  When the Jacobite army took Scotland’s capital city in September 1745, Charlie set up court at the Palace
• Doune Castle, Stirling (pictured)
  A principal filming location for Outlander, the castle was occupied by government troops during the 1689 and 1715 Risings but was taken by the Jacobites in 1745
• Culloden Battlefield, Highlands
  Using 360-degree immersion theatre, the multi award-winning attraction takes visitors back to one of the bloodiest periods in Scottish history, where the Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie fought to reclaim the throne
• Fort George, Highlands
  Established in the aftermath of Culloden to house government soldiers, the fort has changed little in almost 250 years of active service

A key part of the campaign takes place from 23 June to 12 November, when the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh will host the biggest exhibition on the Jacobites in more than 70 years. This will include, among numerous other items, Charlie’s shield, sword and his travelling canteen.

For more on the trail, and the Bonnie Prince Charlie exhibition, read the Mar/Apr 2017 issue of History Scotland magazine, available from our website.

(Images from top copyright Historic Environment Scotland and Godot13)