A significant archaeological dig has begun at Culloden Battlefield, the site of the historic 1746 battle that shaped British, European, and global history.

Nearly 280 years after the final clash of the Jacobite Rising, a team of experts and volunteers is excavating the site to uncover new details about the fateful event.

Led by Derek Alexander, Head of Archaeological Services at the National Trust for Scotland, and Tony Pollard, Professor of Conflict History and Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, the project combines traditional archaeology methods with modern technology. The goal is to deepen the understanding of the battle, which marked the end of the Jacobite cause and had lasting repercussions across the UK and beyond.

Volunteers from around the world, including those from RAF Lossiemouth, Kinloss Barracks, and archaeology students from North America and Europe, have joined the excavation. Together, they are working alongside specialists to uncover artifacts and unravel untold stories from the battlefield.

This collaborative effort is part of ongoing research aimed at shedding new light on one of the most significant moments in Scottish history.

-- Advertisement --

Ellen Fogel Walker, Estates & Conservation Manager at Culloden Battlefield, said: "Working with our Archaeological team over the past four years has uncovered extensive knowledge of the battlefield and its role as a living landscape. Not only have we found material from the time of the battle, but prehistoric and modern material, which shows the continual presence of people here both before and after 1746."

Derek Alexander, said: "It's always exciting to be working at Culloden Battlefield and so many of the artefacts have great stories to tell. Even small scale pieces of fieldwork can contribute to a better understanding of how the battle unfolded. We are really looking forward to working with Professor Pollard again and to making use of the techniques he has developed and honed at Waterloo."

Lorne MacLeod, Visitor Services Assistant, Estates, at Culloden discovered the first artefacts of the dig on Monday. Lorne discovered what is believed to be a button, kicking the week off to a great start. Previous digs have uncovered a wide range of artefacts, including a shoe buckle believed to have belonged to Donald Cameron of Lochiel; grapeshot; and musket balls, each telling a piece of the story in this historic battlefield.

Professor Tony Pollard said: "It's been nearly 20 years since I've worked on the archaeology of Culloden. We made some spectacular discoveries with metal detectors back them, and I’m delighted many of them are on display in the visitor centre.

"It's exciting to be back, and I'm looking forward to us applying archaeological techniques we’ve developed more recently at Waterloo, where, as we did at Culloden first time around, we have made a valuable contribution to our understanding of a battle which in its own bloody way made history."

This excavation combines traditional archaeological methods, such as grid-based test pits, metal detecting and modern techniques to uncover more artefacts that could provide further insights into the Battle of Culloden.

Areas such as the Field of the English will be targeted for metal detecting, utilising techniques applied during the excavation at the Battlefield of Waterloo, which maximised artefact recovery. Gary Craig will join the archaeologists on the project, who has led the detecting team for charity Waterloo Uncovered since its inception in 2015.