Pride of place for dunkeld

“These sites preserve the last traces of historical events that shaped the nation of Scotland through history and there is no substitute for visiting the battlefields for understanding what happened in each battle.

“What we have found when researching the battlefields is that there is never any difficulty in persuading people of the importance of a particular site. The most difficult job has been explaining why individual battlefields have not made it on to the inventory.

“We have been really astonished at the high levels of enthusiasm for the preservation of battlefields at the local level — people are fascinated by them and want to see them preserved.”

That enthusiasm has been no more in evidence than in Angus, where local historians did their best to make the case for the inclusion of Dun Nechtain, the scene of the Pictish defeat of the invading Northumbrians under King Egfrith.

Angus cultural services director and Pictish expert Norman Atkinson, who has met with Historic Scotland representatives to discuss the Dun Nechtain claim, said he is hopeful that consideration of further excavation might unearth more firm proof of the Angus battleground.

There is a competing theory over the site of the battle being at Dunachton in Badenoch but MrAtkinson believes the recorded timing of the event would have made it impossible for that to be the location. Research has brought victory for the inclusion of the Battle of Dunkeld in the Historic Scotland list.

The 1689 clash was fought in the vicinity of Dunkeld Cathedral between Jacobite clans supporting deposed King James VII of Scotland and a Government regiment of Covenanters supporting William of Orange, King of Scotland.

It formed part of what is known as Dundee’s rising in Scotland, the August event coming after the death of Viscount Dundee in the Jacobite victory at the Battle of Killiecrankie.

The Battle of Dunkeld would rage for 16 hours before the Highlanders eventually withdrew, leaving 300 of their men dead or dying — but only after they reportedly stripped lead from the cathedral roof and Atholl House.

The centre of Dunkeld today owes its origins to the rebuilding which was carried out following the destruction of the battle.

The Battle of Dunkeld was fought in 1689 in the vicinity of Dunkeld Cathedral.