Highlanders & Hanoverians - CALL TO ARMS OVER LINK WITH THE '45 REBELLION

03/27/04 at 01:19:33

Alex Good McCracken Offline
Unit Commander
Part of a rebel alliance...
Columbus, Ohio

Posts: 129

Maybe something we could do in the future?

Alex

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CALL TO ARMS OVER LINK WITH THE '45 REBELLION

http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.u...ntentPK=9127663

09:00 - 08 March 2004

A Group of tourist operators are planning to bring to life a forgotten episode of Highland history.

Much is already made of Bonnie Prince Charlie's landing at Glenfinnan at the start of the '45 Jacobite rebellion and his subsequent defeat at Culloden.

But the scene of the initial skirmishes of the uprising - at High Bridge, near Spean Bridge - has been relatively unsung.

Glen Spean and Great Glen Tourism Group is now planning to re-enact the events of August 16, 1745 in which soldiers of the Hanoverian army were captured by the Jacobites. High Bridge, which spans the River Spean, had been built in 1736 as part of the military road linking Fort William and Inverness.

It lies in ruins today but members of the marketing group hope they can give local tourism a boost by re-enacting the event. They also want to turn the old school at Kilmonivaig, near to the site and which closed last year, into a theme centre and museum.

At present the High Bridge site is marked by a commemorative cairn, but group secretary Margaret Pratt said: "We feel this is an extremely important site which could have great tourist potential for the Spean Bridge area."

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Reply #1 - 03/31/04 at 19:50:39

Chris Timm Offline
Unit Commander

Posts: 140

It does seem to give yet another example of the growing interest in the '45 rising. I wonder what the ground is like there? It could be a real nice site!

Chris

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Reply #2 - 04/07/04 at 11:55:11

neil Offline
Member
Alba Gu Brath
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Posts: 37

The ground around Highbridge is standard highland heather bog at least around the cairn and by the roadside. The bridge itself is about 200 yards from the cairn via a path. The bridge, or whats left of it, crosses a very steep gorge about 70 feet or more above the water.
The river and gorge are surrounded by woods on both sides which were in existence there at the time. Around a dozen jacobites managed to convince 50 or so redcoats that they were outnumbered, by a lot of running from spot to spot in the cover to fire and playing of pipes etc.
I am not sure given the terrain where you would be able to re-enact the battle at the site but as was said previously at least there is some interest in the project
Cheers
Neil

Glenbuckets Regt.

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Reply #3 - 04/07/04 at 19:28:58

Jacobite Offline
Member
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
Aberdeen/Scotland

Posts: 42

I was up there a few weeks ago on the Glencoe weekend ,I certainly wouldn't like to get to close to that gorge and given the state of the bridge no one will be going near that.I know Rebel Highlander also on this forum has attempted to get in touch with the organisers without success so if anyone hears anything further it would be good to know.
I have a couple of photos of the gorge if anyone wants to see them just drop me a message with your e mail or if someone clever can post them on here I'll be happy to send them.

Heres Tae The King Sir Ye Ken who I mean Sir

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Reply #4 - 04/07/04 at 20:24:49

Chris Timm Offline
Unit Commander

Posts: 140

Good points made all around. None the less, it would still be nice to know what, if anything, comes out of the local plans. Keep us posted.

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Reply #5 - 04/08/04 at 02:38:18

Alex Good McCracken Offline
Unit Commander
Part of a rebel alliance...
Columbus, Ohio

Posts: 129

Hi Chris and all,

If we knew a bit more about the specifics of the battle itself, it might make a good scenario for the Bedford event, no? What, with that covered bridge and all that's there.

Jacobite,

Would love some snaps of the gorge! Please send to
Myrmiddon@aol.com

Thanks!

Alex

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Reply #6 - 04/13/04 at 18:46:37

Chris Timm Offline
Unit Commander

Posts: 140

That is something to think about Alex. While I think the "battle" was little more than a skirmish the Bedford site would lend itself nicely to re-createmake this as a scenario. Great thinking!

Chris

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Reply #7 - 04/14/04 at 13:14:07

Alex Good McCracken Offline
Unit Commander
Part of a rebel alliance...
Columbus, Ohio

Posts: 129

Quote:

That is something to think about Alex. While I think
the "battle" was little more than a skirmish the Bedford
site would lend itself nicely to re-createmake this as a
scenario. Great thinking!

Thanks Chris. It would make a cool morning tactical, I
think. I haven't been able to find many details of the battle though in any books I've looked at. Can anyone out there help? Here are some bits of info that I found
by surfing the web. It would seem perhaps that it was
the Keppoch MacDonalds that took on 2 companies of
government lads and won? Or maybe some of Lochiel's
lads?

http://www.glenspean.com/framesettop.htm

"Once the main crossing point before Telford built Spean Bridge, it dates from 1736. It was here that an important skirmish of the 1745 Highland Uprising took place when a small but fierce band of Highlanders ambushed two companies of Redcoats and sent them fleeing in terror."

"Spean Bridge & the Great Glen

North of Fort William a colossal geological fault that is more commonly known as the Great Glen splits the scenery apart all the way from Loch Linnhe and Fort William to Inverness and the Moray Firth.

Along this strategically important glen, the magnificent Caledonian Canal threads its way from one dark loch to the next - Loch Linnhe, Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness - while the road twists from village to village, or (if you are of a military mind) from fort to fort - via Fort William, Fort Augustus and Fort George.

The first major stop north of Fort William is the village of Spean Bridge which boasts a fine selection of local accommodation and its own 9-hole golf course. A mile from the village, the famous Commando Memorial commemorates those commandos who fell during the 2nd World War - many of whom trained in this area when based at the Commandos Basic Training Centre at Achnacarry. A commando exhibition at the Spean Bridge Hotel tells the story, and there are many other mementoes to be seen in the Clan Cameron Museum in Achnacarry itself. The museum also celebrates the history of the clan and their role in the Jacobite Rising - when 'gentle Lochiel', the chief of Clan Cameron, went into exile in France with Prince Charles Edward Stuart."

http://www.visitscotland.com/library/speanbridge?view=Standard

"East of Spean Bridge the A86 heads through Glen Spean towards Loch Laggan and on to Strathspey and the Cairngorms, passing through the picturesque village of Roybridge on its way. Near Roybridge lies Keppoch House, the ancestral home of the MacDonells of Keppoch. An earlier castle on the site was pulled down by clansmen after the treacherous murders of two sons of the clan chief by a branch of the same clan."

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Reply #8 - 04/26/04 at 20:18:35

Chris Timm Offline
Unit Commander

Posts: 140

Hello.....
I was at High Bridge last week and agree with Jacobites assessment. It sure is an impressive site but not one conducive to a re-enactment of any scale. If the locals would like to do a re-creation they might want to look for something in the town of Spean Bridge itself. If anyone does get in touch with the organizers I'd appreciate being kept in touch since if they did it in April our group that travels over there (15 this year) might be able to get involved.

Chris

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Reply #9 - 04/28/04 at 17:48:51

Jacobite Offline
Member
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
Aberdeen/Scotland

Posts: 42

We have one of our guys going up there next week and he's going to try and find out what is happening but as you would have seen Chris its hardly a good place for people to go and watch or do to much running about.

Heres Tae The King Sir Ye Ken who I mean Sir

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Reply #10 - 09/20/05 at 13:00:58

Bill Jeffery Guest

The best information I have found on the High Bridge rout is in Magnus Magnusson's "Scotland, the Story of a Nation." I have loaned this book out to a friend so am unable to look up the incident and post his information, but if anyone has access to this fine history of Scotland, it is a great piece of some of the most objective, up-to-date historical information on the history of Scotland from pre-history to today.
Alba aye!

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Reply #11 - 09/20/05 at 20:09:34

Henrik_B._Boegh Offline
As Good as it gets
Prosperity to Schottland
and NO UNION!
Tvedestrand, Norway!

Posts: 328

In Stuart Reids' book "1745 A military history" I think there is some information about the skirmish... I'll check it.

Cheers,
Henrik

God save King James VIII!&&&&Constant and True.

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Reply #12 - 09/21/05 at 15:57:21

Henrik_B._Boegh Offline
As Good as it gets
Prosperity to Schottland
and NO UNION!
Tvedestrand, Norway!

Posts: 328

Allright, lads!
I am quoting from Stuart Reids' "1745 A Military History of the Last Jacobite Rising":

"Although the regiment is now firmly linked with the Lothians, throughout the 18th century the Royal Scots [as they became] actually found a fair proportion of their officers and recruits in the Highlands, and for that purpose therfore both of the Additional Companies were quartered in Perth at the beginning of July and had moved on to Fort Augustus a month later. Aware of the deteriorating situation, the governor of that place, Major Hu Wentworth of Guise's 6th, took it upon himself to order them south on the 16th of August, in order to reinforce the rather more exposed garrison at Fort William instead.
Given that the two companies under Captaion John Scott and Captain James Thomson can have mustered no more than fifty wholly untrained men between them and were, as the Lord President sadly remarked, 'without anything Royal but the name' this was the height of folly. Neverteless, and perhaps for that very reason, they almost got away with it, but were ambushed at High Bridge over the river Spean, just eight miles from safety. As it happens, at first the Royals were faced by only a dozen men under Donald MacDonnel of Tiendrish, but he kept them well concealed and unawae of this, Captain Scott attempted to withdraw. A running fight ensued as more and more Highlanders arrived, in which two of the Royals were killed and Scott himself was slightly wounded. Hard pressed, Scott attempted to seek refuge in Invergarry, but was forestalled by yet more hostile Highlanders. By now surrounded, Scott formed a hollow square and tried to keep moving, but then MacDonnell of Keppoch arrived and called upon them to surrender. Exhausted and seeing no prospect of escape, Scott and his raw recruits finally laid down their arms.
Although the propaganda value was considerable, the Royals had in all the circumstances performed remarkably well and moreover stoutly refusedall the blandishments offered them both then and subsequently to change sides. Indeed as Colonel John Sullivan ruefully remarked; 'non of them wou'd take party, they were a great charge to us being obliged to escort them, and to see them every night into houses, whereas our men lay out in the open air',"

Cheers,
Henrik

God save King James VIII!&&&&Constant and True.

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