Description

The monument consists of an area of ground containing the remains of constructions associated with static positions prepared in advance of the Battle of Glenshiel in 1719. This battle marked the effective end

of the Jacobite Rising which had begun in 1715.

The battle arose after Jacobite forces under the command of the Marquess of Tullibardine, gathered at Eilean Donan Castle, were forced out by naval bombardment. They marched up Glenshiel, only to receive intelligence that a strong Hanoverian force, under Major-General Wightman, was advancing down the glen after a forced march from Inverness. They met on 10 June 1719.

A party of about 300 Spanish soldiers under the command of Don Alonzo de Santarem formed the professional core of the Jacobite forces who were otherwise composed of Highland irregulars. They constructed two prepared positions. On a shoulder of the hill, overlooking a narrow point in the glen, a series of earth and stone breastworks with external ditches was prepared, facing the likely line of Hanoverian attack as well as to the open land W of the narrow pass.

These survive as overgrown banks with slight ditches. On the flat floor of the glen, and rising slightly up its N side, a wooden barricade and ditch were prepared. The line of the ditch can be ascertained with a fair degree of confidence, and lines of stones may mark the footing for the timber construction.

During the battle, these positions were defended by the Jacobite forces but ultimately over-run. The Spanish troops retreated to the N over the pass now called Bealach nan Spainteach (the pass of the Spaniards), but seeing their position was hopeless, surrendered the next morning.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan, bounded on the E by the Allt a'Choire Chaoil and on the S by the River Shiel. It excludes the modern road and also the old military road (post-dating the battle) which diverges from the modern line. The area measures a maximum of 245m WSW-ENE by 240m, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a rare example of a battlefield with physical evidence for elements of the battle, and also because of the significant place the battle has in the history of conflict between Jacobite and Hanoverian factions in the years from 1689 to 1746, and its place in the national consciousness. It is also of interest as the site of the last intervention of a sizeable body of troops of a major European power in a battle on British soil.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NG 91 SE 1.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland