Culloden Battlefield

The Culloden Battlefield is a must-see site for any history buff hoping to untangle the story of the British Isles. Visitors can purchase entrance tickets to find themselves on the frontlines of one of the most important battles in British history and explore the popular site at their own pace. The battlefield is also often a stop on guided day tours from Inverness and Invergordon, most of which include round-trip transportation and visits to other famous attractions, such as Loch Ness. Entry to Culloden is included in National Trust for Scotland Discover Tickets, 3- or 7-day sightseeing passes that grant visitors entry to a number of Scottish sights, including Culzean Castle, the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, and the Preston Mill. Many travelers combine a visit here with a trip to the nearby Clava Cairns, a Bronze Age site located just 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) away.

• To ensure entry, it’s best to book tickets in advance.

• The center and the battlefield are both wheelchair accessible.

• Audio guides are available, so visitors can take a self-guided tour of the outdoor battle site.

• It’s best to wear warm clothing to walk around the windswept moor where the battle took place.

Culloden is about five miles (eight kilometers) east of Inverness. Buses travel from Inverness’ city center to the site, though schedules change seasonally. If traveling without a car, the easiest way to get there is via organized day trip tour from Inverness, most of which include pickup and drop-off.

The battlefield is open daily, and most visitors go during summer, when mild weather makes for pleasant strolling around the open-air battlefield site. The visitor center is open daily from 10am to 4pm from January 3 to March 31; from 9am to 5:30pm in April, May, September, and October; from 9am to 6pm in June and July; from 9am to 7pm in August; and from 10am to 4pm from November 1 to December 23, with varying seasonal hours in late December. It’s best to visit in early morning to get in before the crowds.

Visitors can amble around the battlefield in Culloden Moor, where headstones memorialize fallen soldiers and the Memorial Cairn pays homage to those who died for the Jacobite cause. The battlefield is also the setting for Leanach Cottage, a thatched residence that’s one of the few remaining examples of a common building type in the area during the early 18th century.

Yes, it is worth visiting Culloden Battlefield, especially if you are interested in Scottish or British history. This is the exact spot that marked the end of the 1745 Jacobite Rising; beyond seeing the battlefield itself, there’s an excellent visitor center with a 360-degree battle immersion theatre to get you a feel for this moment in time.

Most visitors find roughly 2 hours to be a reasonable amount of time at Culloden Battlefield, though history buffs may want a bit longer. With that much time, you can wander the battlefield and stop by the Leanach Cottage and visitor center to appreciate the artifacts, exhibits, and more.

Yes, you can walk around Culloden Battlefield for free. That being said, it’s a difficult-to-interpret spot unless you venture inside the onsite visitor center, which does require a fee. There, you’ll get a deep dive into the history, learn how and why the battle took place, and work your imagination in their 360-degree battle immersion theatre.

Technically, visiting Culloden Battlefield is free; it’s a protected outdoor area. But if you’re looking to explore the onsite visitor center (which will give you a real feel for the history), that costs anywhere from £1 to £14, depending on your age. There are also sizeable discounts for families.

Culloden Battlefield was not plan A for the Jacobites—they got a late start and didn’t get as far as they had planned. As it turns out, Culloden’s open landscape gave Cumberland and his army a clear vantage point to fire their artillery. As such, the vast majority of the lives lost at Culloden were Jacobites.

Some sources say nearly all the soldiers lost at Culloden—some 1,500—are buried there. Of course, many graves have been lost (or never truly existed), so that number is questionable. The Graves of the Clans, the Memorial Cairn, and the Well of the Dead were all erected in the 18th and 19th centuries, years to decades after the battle.