Falkirk, the forgotten battle.....the penultimate battle fought on British soil.... the final Jacobite triumph, yet a pyrrhic victory which left Prince Charlie's forces severely depleted.....

"Tonight we shall lie either in Falkirk or in Paradise"
– reported words of Lord George Murray, General of the Jacobite Army, January 17th 1746

270 years after the battle was fought, The 1745 Association is organising a free event to remember what happened on that day.This is an open invitation to members of the Scottish Local History Forum to a free event entitled "Falkirk or Paradise? Commemorating the 270th anniversary of the Battle of Falkirk" being held at Callendar House, Falkirk, Saturday, January 16th 2016.

Details and itinerary are as follows:

Midday: Those who wish to enjoy The Prince's Dinner (details attached) before the Main Event will gather in the Green Room, Callendar House, where, on September 14th 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart dined with the Earl of Kilmarnock.
1.30 PM: Green Room: Welcome and Introduction to Callendar House and the Earl of Kilmarnock during the ‘45 (Michael Nevin).
2:00 PM: The group will depart for a guided tour of the Battle of Falkirk by Geoff Bailey, author of "Falkirk or Paradise" (1996), the authoritative account of the events leading up to the battle and the course of the battle itself. If there are sufficient numbers, we will hire a minibus to take us to Bantaskine Park. In the event of inclement weather, we may stay on the tarmac within the Park rather than run the risk of getting bogged down in muddy fields (we don't want to repeat the experience of the Hanoverian cavalry!)
3:45 PM: Return by way of Falkirk Parish Church, to pay our respects to the graves of Colonel Sir Robert Munro and Captain William Edmondstone, Hanoverian officers who fell at Falkirk and were buried there with full military honour by the Jacobite commanders, and the Jacobite divisional leader Glengarry, who was killed in a tragic accident in the immediate aftermath of the battle, and who now lies beside Sir John Graeme who fell at the earlier Battle of Falkirk in 1298 fighting in the cause of William Wallace.
4:30 PM: Return to Callendar House for a warming cup of tea, coffee or mulled wine, with bannock / scones, following the sound example of the Highlanders who carried bannock with them into battle 270 years ago, to ensure that they would have some nourishment afterwards – always provided that they survived the ordeal!
5:00 PM: Close.

Note that the Main Event from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM is free, but places are limited by capacity and will be allocated on a "first-come, first-served" basis. There is free car parking at Callendar House.

Bookings should be made through Michael Nevin, either by e-mail on: mike@nevinassociates.co.uk or by phone on 0782 4829 445 stating whether the booking is for The Main Event from 1:30 PM onwards, or whether you also like to book for the Prince’s Dinner at midday.