Transcend centuries and take yourself back in time to Scotland in the year 1743. The land is dewy and fresh, there are no streetlamps lighting up cities in the distance, and the spoken sounds of Gaelic flow across the Highlands. This historical period, once again brought to light by Outlander, is a unique period for Scottish identity and the Jacobite Risings. Take a walk through history and explore Outlander and the Jacobite Risings in the 18th century.
Who were the Jacobites?
When Claire steps through time at the stones Craigh na Dun, she leaves the year 1945. She then unknowningly arrives to the year 1743, still in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Before Claire realizes she’s even left her time, she finds herself caught in a duel between British soldiers and Highlanders. It’s not a Jacobite just yet battle, but it is another wedge being driven through the English and the Scots.
Whispers about Jacobites won’t be heard in Outlander until several episodes later, but the stage has been set from the very beginning – a rebellion is coming.
Claire is sitting in a quaint pub, sipping ale from a horn-carved chalice as Gaelic bellows all around her. Catching words here and there, clever Claire realizes Dougal MacKenzie is secretly raising funds for the Jacobites.
The Stuarts had reigned in Scotland for centuries, and these proclaimed Jacobites craved the reinstatement of the Stuart line, ensuring freedom for Scotland. Jacobites in Outlander and beyond supported the cause for various reasons. Some committed to the Stuarts’ right to the throne of Britain. Others hoped that a Stuart king would result in a return to the Protestant form of church government. Some were moved by clans and family loyalties, and some simply got caught up in the adventure. Without a doubt, though, many Scots became Jacobites because they resented the Union and believed a Stuart king would restore their parliament, freeing them from Britain’s chains.
Outlander does not pick up on the beginning of the Risings, however. Rebellions started long before in the late 1600s and endured their final battle at Culloden in 1745.
Located just outside of Inverness, the battlefield museum is steeped in Jacobite history where visitors can learn who were the Jacobites fighting against, Jacobite clans, and even the British government along the way.
The pink flower that grows at Eriskay on the Outer Hebrides…
On the quaint island of Eriskay in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, there grows a petite pink flower. Unique to the island, the Convolvulus flower links to both the Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Rebellion.
Before arriving to raise the Jacobite standard at Glenfinnan in 1745, Prince Charles first arrived at Eriskay. H docked his French Frigate La Doutelle at this charming little island. It was a typical windy and overcast day when the Prince stepped ashore at what is now called Coilleag d’Phrionnso’ or the Prince’s Strand. The prince then reached his hand into his pocket, revealing a handful of flower seeds. As the wind blew, the Stuart Prince scattered the seeds along the shore.
In due time, the Prince’s seed grew alongside the beach. As a result, these rare pink flowers became known as the prince’s flower for this reason. They are still flourishing here today.
It’s almost like preluding a symbol of finding beauty in something devastating. Only months later the final Jacobite Rising would fail, and thousands would lose their lives fighting for the Bonnie Prince on the Culloden Battlefield.
The battle that ended it all…
This Outlander filming location is featured in both timelines of the series. First, Claire and Frank venture outside of Inverness to visit the Culloden Battlefield on a breezy afternoon. They were there combing through Frank’s ancestry. Of course, this visit actually allowed Claire to gather some Jacobite insight without realizing just how powerful that information would soon be for her.
Later, a pregnant Claire would return to this very battlefield alongside her beloved Jamie, in preparation for the battle to come. This battle was a turning point for Highland culture. It was an an end to the Jacobite Rebellion, sending Claire back through the stones.
On a chilly morning days later, Jamie, alongside Jacobite clans, some Englishmen, and thousands of eager soldiers fought for everything that believed in a bloody, doomed battle against Britain’s Hanoverian government.
Learn more about the Culloden Battefield and how to visit on a trip to Scotland by reading my article here.
