18th century lead ammo found in Scottish Highlands

Archaeologists in Scotland have excavated over 100 weapon projectiles, including cannon shot and lead musket balls from one of the country’s most famous battlefields. With these new finds, experts say they can better contextualize the Battle of Culloden, as well as highlight some of the conflict’s lesser known participants.

The Battle of Culloden

In July 1745, Charles Stuart arrived in Scotland seeking to return his father to the British throne. For the next nine months, Stuart proceeded to lead thousands of supporters, militiamen, and conscripted soldiers in a military campaign now known as the Jacobite rising of 1745. While short-lived, the uprising had far-reaching consequences across England and mainland Europe.

Stuart’s attempt to take the throne was ultimately doomed, and the Battle of Culloden proved his final attempt at the throne. On April 16, 1746, he and upwards of 6,000 fighters met around 7,000 British loyalists near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Between 1,500 and 2,000 of Stuart’s men were killed or wounded in less than an hour, forcing the Jacobites to retreat and effectively ending the revolt. 

In the years since, the battle’s decisive tactics have been closely studied, but archaeologists from the University of Glasgow and the National Trust for Scotland recently discovered an array of physical relics from the deadly conflict.

Fighting (and digging) on boggy ground

Although previous surveys of the same section of battlefield failed to yield any artifacts, experts recovered the various ammunition using two strategies called trial trenching and test pitting. Both techniques allow archaeologists to quickly assess an area without the need to dig too deep into the ground. Metal detectors then helped pinpoint the likely locations for more extensive examinations. Experts believe the prior surveys likely failed because the boggy landscape was first forested in the 19th century, then recently cleared.

Archaeologist Tony Pollard said that initial analysis indicates their finds were some of the last shots fired during the skirmish.

“Musket balls fired by Jacobite and government troops, including pistol balls fired by government dragoons, likely relate to one of the last actions in the battle,” he said in a statement. “This fight took place between the initial battle lines, at a location where boggy ground slowed the Highland charge, and this in combination with heavy fire from Cumberland’s line helped to seal the fate of the Jacobite cause.”

‘Valiant action’

Pollard explained that the munitions likely didn’t come from the Jacobites themselves, but from an Irish battalion enlisted by their French allies.

“[The battalion] made a brave stand against hundreds of mounted men… advancing from the right of Cumberland’s line,” he recounted. “The job of these horsemen was to cut down the disordered Jacobites, and we have recovered some of the shot fired from their heavy pistols.”

Historical accounts say about 150 men under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Stapleton blocked these horsemen. After retreating behind the walls of Culloden Parks, the remaining fighters soon surrendered. However, Stapleton was not among them. He died at some point during the cavalry onslaught. As regular troops in French service, the British treated them as prisoners of war instead of Jacobite rebels, and eventually repatriated them to France.

“This valiant action helped thousands of Jacobites get away from the field, but it gets only brief mentions in most of the history books,” said Pollard.