The Prince's Escape
The story so far...
The Jacobites have been defeated at the bloody Battle of Culloden. The troops have disbanded, fleeing in terror of the Duke of Cumberland. His treatment of the Highlanders was so severe that history remembers him as "The Butcher" and gruesome stories are recorded of the terrible torture he inflicted. Of course, the real prize for the Duke would be Prince Charles Edward. The capture of the Prince was worth £30 000 - a lot of money even by today's standards! Such an unimaginable sum of money would be irresistible temptation even for some of the Prince's former friends or supporters. He knew he was no longer safe in Scotland and should trust no-one. His only hope of regaining his freedom was to somehow find a way back to France - with no money, and all his resources having been destroyed or sold to fund his campaign there was little in the way of hope.
The prince wasted no time in his escape after the Battle of Culloden. He forded the River Nairn straight away and made for Invergarry castle. Although all his troops and cavalry had been dismissed, he was accompanied by a loyal following of seven men (not the same seven men who had arrived with him from France, although one, O'Sullivan was among them.) With the help of these men and the many friends who gave him shelter along the way, Charles the fugitive was taken to the Hebrides. It was thought that he would be safer away from the mainland, and that one of the islands might provide him with a vessel to France or more likely Orkney.
The details of the Princes escape from Scotland are subject to much romanticism and myth. All over the Western Highlands and Islands are caves and bothies said to have housed "Charlie" during his time on the run. Amazing feats of courage are also part of the Jacobite folklore - sheer cliffs, crevices and raging torrents which "Charlie" allegedly jumped, scaled or swam to evade his captors. Among the tall tales
the actual movements of the Prince are not entirely clear. He would certainly have kept a low profile - travelling by night, keeping to the hills and forests, careful not to be seen by a soul other then his proven trustworthy companions who would keep a constant watch for any signs of danger.
In this way he travelled through the Western Isles - from Benbecula, on to Harris and Lewis, then to South Uist.
It was here he met with Flora MacDonald - a famous name in the Prince's story around which another romantic myth has been built.
She was a descendent of Clanranald, who had been sheltering the Prince at his home on Benbecula. She was to accompany the Prince to Syke and on this particular voyage he famously disguised himself as a woman to avoid detection. He posed as "Betty Burke" lady maid of Flora MacDonald. Here the traditional story takes on a humorous element - with Flora trying to coach the Prince into ladylike habits - such as how to walk in skirts - so that he would not clumsily give himself away! A lesser known story surrounding this crossing to Skye is the tale of the stopover in Airdmaddy, where it is said they halted due to the high winds and rough seas ahead. Here the pair were dried off and rested in a wee cottage belonging to Eobhan (Ewan) MacPherson, a crofter and fisherman. A neighbour, who happened to have been at Culloden, recognised the disguised Prince at once but did not betray him. The next day, after Flora & her "maid" went on their way, he informed Eobhan who his guest had been. Eobhan's three teenage daughters began immediately to contest over who should get to sit on the stool on which
the Prince had sat (he was a celebrity - with equal following of any modern day pop star!) In the tussle that ensued, the youngest daughter lost two teeth. She was awarded the stool out of kindness, having fought hard and suffered so much in the Prince's cause! The arrival of the Prince and Flora MacDonald on Skye was an anxious one - the place where they had hoped to land was occupied by troops who spotted and fired at them, so they changed course and came to shore at Alt na Chuain. The next day the Prince discarded his female guise and donned Highland dress for the walk to Portree. At Portree he met with another MacDonald who made arrangements for the onward journey, and parted company with Flora. After leaving the Prince, she was captured but refused to giveaway his whereabouts. It was by now the beginning of July, 1746. The Prince has been running from the law for nearly 3 months. From Skye he made a return to the Mainland - still dangerous territory but with extensive wilderness it perhaps offered more opportunity to remain hidden than on the tiny islands where a stranger would be very easily spotted. The next three months saw the Prince constantly on the move, slipping between advancing armies who would get word of a sighting here or there. Creeping around in the wilds, sleeping in the open air and being constantly vigilant must have taken its toll on the Prince. He was lucky to have the unwavering support of his loyal clansmen, Clanranald and the MacDonalds giving the most frequent assistance. From Arisaig, where he came ashore, to Morar, Knoydart, Glen Morriston and LochArkaig all saw fleeting glimpses of the Prince on his passage.
His final hideout is famously known as "Cluney's Cage" a shelter on the southern slopes of Ben Alder, where the Prince lived undiscovered for nearly a month. In this place he got word of a fleet of French ships having arrived at Lochnanuagh. He set out immediately, and arrived with his followers some days later at Borradale, where they were able to board a ship bound for France. The next day, 20th September 1746, Prince Charles Edward left Scotland for France. He was never to return.
