The Skirmish of Arisaig, 1745

On May 16, 1746, a small but significant battle took place on the shores of Arisaig, Scotland. The Skirmish of Arisaig was the last armed conflict of the Jacobite rising of 1745, a rebellion led by Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, to reclaim the British throne for the Stuart dynasty. The battle was fought between a British Government force and Jacobites of the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald.

The background of the skirmish can be traced back to the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Following this defeat, the Western Highlands of Scotland came under increased attention from the British Royal Navy. Captain John Fergussone of the Royal Navy had sailed north in the bomb vessel HMS Furnace through the Sea of the Hebrides and The Minch, and had come under fire from the Jacobites in what is now known as the Skirmish of Loch Ailort on May 9, 1746.

On May 16, 1746, the British naval expedition was joined by another bomb vessel, HMS Terror, and Fergussone came under the command of Robert Duff, the senior captain. The next day, Duff and Fergussone launched a joint expedition against Morar. Their sailors landed on the western end of the beach and burnt the house of Alan MacDonald.

As the boats approached the coast of Arisaig, the Jacobites of Clan Macdonald of Clanranald opened fire and exploded three French gunpowder mines as the sailors reached the shore. In response, Duff and Fergussone retaliated by burning all of the houses along the loch. The combined force of regular troops and the Campbell of Argyll Militia then embarked on a campaign of destruction in the surrounding area, leaving the coastal settlement of Moidart in flames and capturing the Jacobite leader Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat.

The Skirmish of Arisaig marked the end of armed resistance in the Western Highlands of Scotland and the Jacobite rising of 1745. The rebellion’s defeat resulted in the brutal suppression of Highland culture and the forced displacement of thousands of Highlanders. Today, the Skirmish of Arisaig serves as a reminder of the complex and violent history of Scotland, and the sacrifices made by those who fought for their beliefs and their way of life.