Strachan of Culloden
Culloden Castle (now Culloden House)
Culloden House Hotel
Inverness, Scotland, IV2 7BZ
The current Culloden House is around 200 years old, and is not the first structure to stand on this site.
The first time the name of Culloden appears on record is in
the Charter of Kildrummie, Nairnshire, by Alexander II to the
Bishop of Moray, dated Roxburgh, 4th March 1238, where the
following lands are mentioned in their order thus - - "Drakies,
Forest of Inverness ; Culloden, Essich." From the time that
the Mackintoshes settled in the north, and were hereditary
keepers of the Castle of Inverness, their retainers spread
over the lands of Culloden, Petty, and Ardersier having what
was termed " kindly possession," and not being moveable
tenants. Connage was the principal residence in that part, as
mentioned in the MS. History.
(Celtic Magazine, iv, 426)
The lands of Culloden
were included in the Great Charter by Robert Bruce to Randolph,
Earl of Moray, and remained with the Dunbars, successors in
the Earldom until the forfeiture, in 1452, of Archibald
Douglas, who had married the heiress of line, and proprietrix
of the lands.
(Celtic Magazine, iv, 426)
Culloden having thus
remained in the possession of the Earls of Moray for about a
century and a half, reverted to the Crown in 1452, and was
thereafter granted to Sir William Edmonstone.
(Celtic Magazine, iv, 426)According to the charters listed
below, Culloden came into possession of the Strachan family in
1506, and sold to Lachlan Mackintosh of Dunachton in 1582:
1 July 1506 at Perth: A Charter granted by William Edmonstone of Duntreath to Alexander Strachan upon the lands and Barony of Culloden, dated at Perth, the 1st July 1506. (Celtic Magazine, iv 427) Of relevance here, the territorial designation 'of Thornton' is never mentioned, which contradicts Celtic Magazine's claim that it was sold to Alexander Strachan of Thornton. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 426)
July 1506: The true Copy of the Precept of Sasine directed by WiUiam Edmonstone for infefting of Alexander Strachan in Culloden, under sign and subscription of Alexander Baxter, Notar Public. Prim^o Julii 1506.
27 September 1531 at Banff: Reversion granted by Walter Ogilvie to Alexander Strachan of Culloden of the lands of Easter Culloden. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
5 January 1538: A Charter given by Alexander Strachan to George Strachan his son, for all the days of his lifetime of the half of the Mid-Davoch of Culloden, to be holden of himself. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
May 1539 at Inverness: An Assignation made by Alexander Strachan of Culloden to George Strachan, his youngest son, of the reversion made by Walter Rose of Holme, and Margaret Grant, his spouse, for redemption of a quarter and half and auchten part of Culloden in the Easter Davoch thereof, wadsett for a hundred merks, dated at Inverness, the penult day of May 1539. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
May 1539 at Inverness: An Assignation made by Alexander Strachan of Culloden to George Strachan, his youngest son, of the reversion made by Walter Rose of Holme, and Margaret Grant, his spouse, for redemption of a quarter and half and auchten part of Culloden in the Easter Davoch thereof, wadsett for a hundred merks, dated at Inverness, the penult day of May 1539. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
31 August 1539: An Instrument of Resignation whereby the lands of Easter Culloden were resigned by Alexander Strachan of Culloden in the King's lands, in favour of George Strachan, his son, dated the last day of August 1539. Mr William Jameson, notary thereto. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
25 April 1540: Reversion made by Patrick Strachan to Alexander Strachan his father of the Easter half Davoch of Mid-Culloden, in the sum of two hundred merks, dated 25th April 1540. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
23 October 1540: A Procuratory of Resignation made by Alexander Strachan, 23d October 1540. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
16 December 1540 at Falkland: " A Charter under the Great Seal made by James, King of Scots, to George Strachan, son to Alexander Strachan of Culloden, upon all and haill the lands of West CuUoden, Mid-Culloden, and Colwhinnock, dated Falkland, 16th December 1540. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 428)
24 July 1547 at Edinburgh : A License granted by James OgUvie of Cardell, heritable laird of the lands of Culclachie, to George Strachan of Culloden, to draw a water gang to sei-ve the miln of Colquinnock. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 429)
13 September 1554: A Reversion granted by James Rose to George Strachan for redeeming of a part of his lands of Culloden, in the sum of one hundred merks, dated 13th Sept. 1554. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 429)
16 December 1555: A Reversion granted by Donald McFerson to George Strachan of CuUoden of the lands thereof, dated 16th December 1555. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 429)
On 9 October 1556 at Aberdeen: Gift of the Ward of Culloden, with relief thereof, given by Queen Mary, to George, Earl of Huntly, by the decease of George Strachan of Culloden, with the marriage of Marjory Strachan, Elizabeth Strachan, and Margaret Strachan, daughters and heirs to the said George Strachan. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 429)
7 January 1571 at Wrays: A Charter containing Precept of Sasine made by Elizabeth Strachan, one of the heirs of umquhile George Strachan of Culloden, with consent of Thomas Gordon of Wrays, to the said Lachlan Mackuatosh and Agnes Mackenzie, his spouse, of aU and haiU the lands of Easter Culloden, MidCulloden, Wester CuUoden, and Colquinnock. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 430)
7 September 1571: An Instrument of Sasine whereby Elizabeth Strachan, one of the heirs of umquhile George Strachan of Culloden, was seized in the lands and Barony of Culloden, on precept furth of Chancery. John Gibson, notar thereto. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 430)
22 March 1577 at Kinray: A Charter made by Margaret Strachan, youngest daughter of the three lawful heirs of umquhile George Strachan, with consent of Hucheon Rose, her spouse, to the said Lachlan Mackintosh and Agnes Mackenzie, upon all and sundry their three parts of the haill Barony of Culloden. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 430)
4 December 1582 at Inverness: A Charter containing Precept of Sasine of the date at Inverness, 4th December 1582, made by Marjorie Strachan, eldest daughter and one of the three heirs of umquhile George Strachan of Culloden, with consent of Alexander Dallas of Budzett, her husband, to Lachlan Mackintosh of Dunachton, and Agnes Mackenzie, his spouse, and their heirs, of her, third part of the lands of Wester Culloden, Mid-Culloden, Easter Culloden, and Colquinnock.. (Celtic Magazine, iv, 430)
On the modern foundations once stood a Strachan Castle. Timothy Pont's manuscript and map of the area surrounding Inverness, dating from 1595-1596, show Culloden as a fortified tower house, built in the traditional Scottish style. (Pont 8) This earlier house (a Strachan Castle) was designed in a castellated style, and Timothy Pont's cartographical manuscript of 1595 shows it with two square towers apparently protected by barmkin wall.
According to historical commentary made by present day Culloden House Hotel, "It is they [the Strachans of Culloden] who were probably the builders of the first Culloden House or castle, which is described in a document of 1634, when the estate comprised the lands of Easter, Mid and Wester Culloden, as the 'castle, manor place, mill and fishings of Culloden'."
As mentioned above the Strachan family sold Culloden estate to Lachlan Mor Mackintosh of Mackintosh (the 16th Chief of MacIntosh).
It was next acquired by Duncan Forbes, or Duncan of the Skins, as he was popularly known because he may have been in the fur trade, was born in 1572. He undoubtedly bought Culloden House in 1625 with the money earned from the fur trade. Thus, began nearly three hundred years of association of the Forbes family with Culloden.The House was partially destroyed by fire during the Battle of Culloden and rebuilt between 1772 and 1778.
The Forbes family were staunch Presbyterians and firm supporters of the Covenanters, but they suffered for their beliefs under Charles II and James VII. Because of their known support for the Presbyterian Party, the lands of Culloden were occupied and plundered by Jacobite troops under the command of Viscount Dundee in 1688. The family was recompensed in 1689 by the Scottish Parliament with a grant of the privilege of distilling whisky from the barley of their property at Ferintosh in Ross-shire free of all duty. This was a most lucrative privilege, and was eventually rescinded in 1785 for compensation of £20,000.
During the course of the Rising of 1745-1746, with Inverness becoming one of the main Jacobite bases in the latter stages of the campaign, the house's proximity to the town made it a natural choice of residence for Charles Edward Stuart, (Bonnie Prince Charlie), who spent several nights there, particularly the two nights immediately before the battle of Culloden, fought on the then open moor just to the east-southeast of the house. Bonnie Prince Charlie used Forbes' own bedroom for his own, and for many years a magnificent four-poster bed was kept in the house, reputedly the one in which the Prince had slept. [source]
Duncan Forbes died shortly after the conclusion of the '45 in 1747. It is to his grandson, Arthur, which we owe the modern Culloden House. It was sometime in the mid- to late-1700's that the stone castle was destroyed by fire. As can been seen in the photograph (below), behind a door in the parlor one can plainly see a burnt brick wall, which is evidence of the original Strachan-built castle.
The four post bed presumably used by Bonnie Prince Charlie, along with many other family heirlooms, were disposed of in the great sale of the house's contents in 1897, for the then huge sum of £750,000 to pay for death duties.
Today, Strachans can spend the night on the estate at the elegant Culloden House Hotel. Culloden House still attracts those of discerning taste, as it was visited by the Royal family, as well as acting Prime Minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair.
