Human settlement in Scotland
Glenfinnan
(
Scottish Gaelic
:
Gleann Fhionnain
[1]
[klan?????n????]
) is a hamlet in
Lochaber
area of the
Highlands
of Scotland. In 1745 the
Jacobite rising
began here when Prince
Charles Edward Stuart
("Bonnie Prince Charlie") raised his
standard
on the shores of
Loch Shiel
. Seventy years later, the 18 m (60 ft) Glenfinnan Monument, at the head of the loch, was erected to commemorate the historic event.
History
[
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]
Charles Edward Stewart
landed from France on
Eriskay
in the
Western Isles
, travelling to the mainland in a small rowing boat, coming ashore at the
Sound of Arisaig
just west of Glenfinnan. Upon his arrival on the Scottish mainland, he was met by a small group of Scotsmen from
Clan Donald
. Stuart waited at Glenfinnan as more Highlanders from the Donald,
Cameron
,
Macfie
and
MacDonnell
clans arrived.
On 19 August 1745, after Stewart judged he had enough military support, he climbed the hill near Glenfinnan as MacMaster of Glenaladale raised his
royal standard
. Stewart announced to all the mustered clans he claimed the
British throne
in the name of his father
James Francis Edward Stuart
. A member of Clan Macfie was one of two pipers with Stewart as he raised his banner above Glenfinnan. After claiming the British throne,
brandy
was distributed to the assembled Highlanders to celebrate the occasion.
Eight months later, the
Jacobite rising of 1745
ended in failure at the
Battle of Culloden
on 16 April 1746. Many members of Clan Macfies from Glenfinnan followed
Donald Cameron of Lochiel
on the right flank of the
Jacobite Army
at the battle. Stewart returned to the area after the battle of Culloden during his flight to evade
government troops
led by
Prince William, Duke of Cumberland
. After taking refuge with loyal supporters, he boarded a
French Navy
frigate on the shores of Loch nan Uamh close to where he landed and raised his standard the previous year. The Young Pretender died in
Rome
in 1788 without setting foot on Scottish soil again. The
Prince's Cairn
marks the spot from where he departed into exile.
Monument
[
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]
The Unknown Highlander
By 1815, the Jacobite cause was no longer a political threat to the Hanoverian monarchy.
Alexander Macdonald of Glenaladale
, a minor branch of the
Clan Donald
, built a memorial tower at Glenfinnan to commemorate the raising of the standard of the Young Pretender. The tower, which is 18 metres in height, was designed by the Scottish architect
James Gillespie Graham
.
[2]
The tower's construction was funded partially by the wealth accrued from
slave plantations
in
Jamaica
owned by Macdonald's father, also named Alexander.
[3]
The statue of an anonymous highlander, referred to at the point of commission as Charles Edward Stuart, by
John Greenshields
, was added in 1835.
[4]
Railway
[
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]
Glenfinnan Viaduct
and steam train at Glenfinnan
Station
[
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]
Glenfinnan
is about halfway between
Fort William
and
Mallaig
on the picturesque
West Highland Railway
. Along with a regular rail service by
ScotRail
, the line is used by the
Jacobite
steam train. A private railway museum operates at the station, using the former booking-office, the disused signalbox, and some stored coaches.
Viaduct
[
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]
Sir Robert McAlpine
constructed the
Glenfinnan Viaduct
between 1897 and 1898. The structure, which is built entirely out of
concrete
, has 21 arches with spans of 15 m (49 ft) and reaches a height of 30 m (100 ft) above the valley. To commemorate the viaduct's centenary in 1997, a plaque was unveiled at the base of one of its arches.
The landscape in which the viaduct is located has made it popular with film producers. In 1969, it was used in
Ring of Bright Water
, starring
Bill Travers
and
Virginia McKenna
.
It has since come to prominence in the cinematic releases of the
Harry Potter
series. The
Hogwarts Express
, is filmed crossing the viaduct in several of the films beginning with
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
in 2002. The train filmed is the
Jacobite Steam-Locomotive Train
, a tourist train.
In popular culture
[
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]
In the
Highlander
universe,
Connor
and
Duncan MacLeod
are both Scots born in Glenfinnan in 1518 and 1592, respectively.
Eilean Donan
castle is used as a stand-in for Glenfinnan in the franchise.
References
[
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]
External links
[
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]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Glenfinnan
.
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Settlements
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Geography
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Landmarks
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Transport
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