Clan Donald Stone, Culloden Battlefield, Inverness.
The Battle of Culloden by William Topaz McGonagall;
The Highland army was drawn up in three lines in grand array,
All eager for the fray in April the 16th day,
Consisting of the Athole Brigade, who made a grand display
On the field of Culloden on that ever-memorable day.
Likewise the Camerons, Stewarts, and Macintoshes, Maclachlans and Macleans,
And John Roy Stewart’s regiment, united into one, these are their names;
Besides the Macleods, Chisholms, Macdonalds of Clanranald and Glengarry,
Also the noble chieftain Keppoch, all eager the English to harry.
Once again we are approaching the time of year of the Battle of Culloden Commemoration , where the Gaelic Society of Inverness will hold its annual service at the Memorial Cairn - on the Culloden Battlefield, at approx 11:00am Saturday 17th April 2010.
Clan Members, Septs and Associates will gather around the Memorial Cairn some having travelled from far and wide to take part in this Annual Reconciliation Service.
After the Service the individual Clan Groups will march behind their clan banners to the where their ancestors fell on that fateful day the 16th April 1746. The headstones that bear the names of their clans and marking the battle dead; amounting to over 1000, and who were buried by the local people some of whom were known to them. They were identified by their clan badge, or a plant sprig worn in their bonnet.
The Clan Donald group will gather behind the banners and follow their piper, to lay wreaths at The Keppoch and Clan Donald Stones. It is also planned to lay wreaths for Clanranald, Glengarry and Glencoe on the low- lying stone near to the Keppoch Stone. This has the words “Clan Donald” carved into it and is an exciting recent discovery for Clan Donald.
The National Trust for Scotland has plans to construct a path from the Main Cairn to The Clan Donald Stones within the next few years but in the meantime the Clan Donald group will be obliged to walk down the Hanoverian Line in order to reach the Stones.
Clan Donald Society of Edinburgh, 8 Ethel Terrace, Edinburgh, EH10 5NB
Culloden Battlefield visitor centre, Culloden Moor, Inverness, IV2 5EU.
Sun, Mar 7, 2010