Painting - The Highland Charge of Drummossie Moor
The Battle of Culloden was the final clash between the Hanoverian King George II and the Jacobites. It was the last battle to be fought on mainland Britain. In 1745, the exiled Stewart Pretender, “Bonnie Prince Charlie”, raised an army of Jacobites – mainly Highlanders – who supported his claim to the throne of Great Britain. The Jacobites marched as far as Derby, but there was little support from the English for their cause. The army returned north to Scotland but were pursued by the Redcoat forces of King George II. The Jacobites were finally defeated at the Battle of Culloden, near Inverness in 1746. Bonnie Prince Charlie fled abroad and never tried to take the throne of Britain again. Painted by James N. Madison in 1965 this oil on canvas features characters based on people the artist knew. On loan from OCS Publishing Group.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle has witnessed many of the defining events in Scotland’s history. Sieges were fought over the mighty stronghold. Royalty lived and died within its walls. Just the sight of the Castle Rock has terrified and inspired countless generations.
Fierce Iron Age warriors defended a hill fort here, and the nation’s oldest poetry tells of a war band feasting here for a year before riding to their deaths in battle.
The castle’s royal connections go back 1,000 years, and the city’s oldest building stands on the site. David I built St Margaret’s Chapel around 1130, as a tribute to his devout mother.
Edinburgh has been besieged more than any other castle in Europe, and the Scots and English struggled over its control during the Wars of Independence. In 1314, Thomas Randolph, a relative of Robert the Bruce, led a daring night raid to reclaim it from the English.
Over the last 200 years, Edinburgh Castle has become a national icon. Today it is Scotland’s leading tourist attraction and a chief element of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Home of royalty
Scottish monarchs commissioned grand buildings here – both as secure lodgings and to show off their wealth, power and good taste. The castle’s royal role continues today.
Monarchs who sheltered here include:
- Queen Margaret (later St Margaret), who died here in 1093
- Mary Queen of Scots, who gave birth to James VI in the Royal Palace in 1566
Edinburgh was among Scotland’s chief royal residences during the 1400s and 1500s.
Bonnie Prince Charlie – Mary’s great-great-great grandson – captured Edinburgh but failed to take the castle during the 1745–46 Jacobite Rising.
Army headquarters
Edinburgh Castle became more important as a military base from the late 1500s onwards.
After the ‘Lang Siege’ of 1571–3, the castle’s military strength was repaired, maintained and improved. Additions included:
- the distinctive Half Moon Battery
- a huge garrison
- a secure jail for prisoners of war
The military presence remains unbroken – Edinburgh Castle is still an active base today. It also houses three military museums, the Scottish National War Memorial and the Prisons of War exhibition.
Details
- Date Made
- 1965
- Dimensions
- 1210 x 1830mm
- Material
- Canvas/Textile/BM Processed
- Time Period
- 20th century, Modern
- Property Information
- Edinburgh Castle
- Object Number
- NHS342
- Access Status
- Conservation