Killiecrankie Battle Site

The Killiecrankie Battle Site is 31 miles northwest of Perth, 3 miles southeast of Blair Atholl.

This Attraction is maintained by the National Trust for Scotland. It is about a one mile, 15 minute, downhill walk from the Car Park to the Soldiers Leap. This is where the Jacobite's defeated around 4,000 Government Troops during the First Jacobite Rising in 1689, with one of the Government Soldiers leaping to safety across the River Garry between rocks about 18ft / 5.5m apart.

There is also the Highland Fling Bungee Jumping from the Bridge over the River Garry.

Killiecrankie can be visited all year with a small car parking charge. Postcode: PH16 5LG

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The Image top is from the car park to the Visitor Centre.

The Visitor Centre gives information on the Pass of Killiecrankie, such as how it was formed, wildlife, and the famous Jacobite victory here over Government Troops during the first Jacobite Rising.

The Woodland Walk down to the Soldiers Leap can be steep in places, taking about 15 minutes. There are a few seating areas with great views along the Path.

The Main Attraction is at the bottom of the trail where the Path reaches the River Garry. There is a viewing area at Rocks where a Government Soldier had to jump across to get away from persuing Jacobite's.

The views from the Path are amazing with the steep sided wooded hills on each side, the River Garry at the bottom, Railway Viaduct by the river, and main A9 road high above.

There is another Car Park 1 mile further south with other walks into the Pass.

Killiecrankie History

Pre History - a path through the Killiecrankie Hills was established for travel between the Perth and Inverness areas.

1517 - Preaching's by the German Philosopher Martin Luther led to the Christian Religion splitting into Catholic and Protestant.

1524 - England turned to Protestantism under King Henry VIII.

England's long running enemy France remained Catholic.

1560 - Scotland adopted Protestantism.

1603 - James VI Stuart becomes King of England and Scotland, the beginning of the Stuart Dynasty.

1689 early - King James II Stuart was overthrown by his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband to be William, who became Mary II and William II. James was accused of being a Catholic with close ties to France.

Many Scots known as Jacobite's began fighting to have James restored to the Throne.

The Jacobite's were led by John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee. He raised an army mainly from Highland Clans with their base at Blair Castle, 3 miles north of Killiecrankie.

1689 July - 4,000 Government Troops marched north to engaged the Jacobite's at Blair Castle. Viscount Dundee then led 2,500 Jacobite's south to the narrow Pass at Killiecrankie so as to give his smaller force a better chance of winning the Battle.

The first shot of the Battle was fired by a Jacobite sniper, killing a Government Cavalry Officer. That spot is now known as Trooper's Den.

Around 800 Jacobite's are said to have died from Gunfire during their Highland Charge at the Government Troops.

The Jacobite's continued their Screaming Charge that succeeded in scaring the Government Troops enough to prevent many from fixing bayonets and holding their lines.

About 2,000 Government Troops are said to have died during the short Battle, or after being hunted down in the hours following the Battle.

A Government Soldier, Donald McBane, escaped a number of perusing Highlanders by jumping across the River Garry between two rocks 18ft / 5.5m apart.

The Jacobite's won the Battle, although they lost their leader Viscount Dundee, hit by a musket ball during the charge at the Government Troops.

Viscount Dundee is said to have died on the north side of the Village of Killiecrankie while sitting against a stone in a field. This stone is now known as Claverhouse's Stone.

Viscount Dundee was buried three days later at St Bride's Kirk in the grounds of Blair Castle.

1689 August - Government Forces defeated the Jacobite's at the Battle of Dunkeld, 16 miles south of Killiecrankie. This ended the First Jacobite Rising with King James forced to live in exile in France.

Other Jacobite Risings took place in 1715 and 1745. Both Risings failed with the final battle being at Culloden 16 April 1746.

1800s - the first reports of Ghosts are made by people traveling through the Pass in Carriages.

1844 - Queen Victoria passed Killiecrankie stating she could not describe how beautiful it was.

1860s - the Railway Line was completed through the Pass of Killiecrankie connecting Perth and Inverness.

1900s - reports of Ghosts continue by people in Cars and on Bikes. One woman reported seeing bodies of Soldiers laying as if they had just died.

1970s - the main A9 road was moved higher up the hillside giving dramatic views over the Pass of Killiecrankie when traveling between Pitlochry and Blair Atholl.

2018 - plans are made to upgrade the A9 road at Killiecrankie into Dual Carriageway. This led to Highland Chiefs raising concerns the new road could disturb the graves of around 3,000 Jacobite's and Government Troops that died at the Battle of Killiecrankie.