The harsh reality

The 1745 Rebellion has become part of the romantic heritage in both British and Scottish history. At the time there was little romance to it. The many myths and misconceptions about Bonnie Prince Charlie and his followers need to be corrected and the glamorous image of the Rebellion eradicated. The harsh reality of the Rebellion is typified by the scene on a January day after the Battle of Falkirk. The white bodies of the dead and the dying lay on the hillside above the town, stripped of their clothing and resembling sheep.

The main battles caused many casualties. The distinguished clergyman, Dr ‘Jupiter' Carlyle, was a student in 1745. On the night before the Battle of Prestonpans he was staying near where the Battle was to take place. In his memoirs he recollected that after the Battle was over: ‘The crowd of wounded...