Where Kilted Men Fell

1987 seems like aeons ago! Back then I was in my early twenties, having travelled from Australia to the UK to visit relatives and then drove north and explored Scotland.

When I arrived at Inverness in the Scottish Highlands I enquired about historical points of interest. The words Culloden and battle were reverently spoken in many a conversation which led me to stand, for the very first time, on what was once called Drumossie Moor – boggy, heather-clad moorland, south-east of Inverness.

It was there I learned about the plight of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite forces. Hundreds of the Prince’s army, predominantly Highlanders, lost their lives in less than an hour in a battle fought against the Hanoverian forces commanded by the brutal Duke of Cumberland.

On that fateful day, 16th April 1746, Prince Charles Edward Stuart and his loyal Jacobites suffered a crushing defeat against the English, so ending all hope of the Stuart dynasty regaining the throne.

I enjoyed history classes growing up, and reading and writing short stories, although never did I aspire to become an author. That ambition developed much later in life, so it was with an inherent interest in the lives and times of yesteryear that I carried with me the memories of a place where each year tens of thousands make the pilgrimage to honour the fallen in what was the last ever pitched battle to be fought on British soil.

Over the years I’d catch myself reflecting on the knowledge I’d gleaned through further research about the Battle of Culloden. They were brave men who fought on both sides, but as is often the case, thoughts inevitably focus on the vanquished. In this case, the Jacobite army’s devastating defeat affected the whole future of the Highlands. It fractured and dismantled the Scottish clans and led to the Scottish clearances.

Fast forward to May 2013. I revisited Culloden Moor. On this occasion my two children (both in their early twenties) and my husband accompanied me. As part of our UK holiday I’d wanted to return to Inverness, particularly for research purposes because the seed of a plotline had taken shape. What of those clansmen who’d managed to escape? Research revealed that those who fought in, and fled the battle were hunted down and killed. This begged the question, Each and every escapee? My story idea was borne of two wonderful words. What if?

Culloden’s Visitor Centre had expanded since my initial visit and I was delighted to be able to take part in one of the Living History presentations and to hold a dirk (a long thrusting dagger), targe (a Highland shield) and broadsword. I was able to view Jacobite artefacts, clothing, coins and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s letters.

On the day of our visit the weather was blustery and bitterly cold as I once again walked the front lines where the Jacobites made their final stand against government troops. I could not conceive of the harsh conditions they’d endured prior to, and during the battle. Aside from being hungry, cold and exhausted after marching all night from an abortive foray, they were ill-equipped, their artillery poor, and lacked military strategy. Not only were they outnumbered by Cumberland’s army, they were no match for his cannon and cavalry and the ground underfoot handicapped the Jacobites main tactic – the charge.

In consideration of this, I stood before individual stones which marked the place where collective clan members lost their lives. It’s easy to understand why one’s emotions stir when giving thought to hundreds of kilted men whose blood soaked the marshy soil. Their gallant courage has passed into legend.

In my quest for further knowledge we visited Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Dunvegan Castle is the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod. It has been continuously occupied by the same family for over 800 years. By the end of our family holiday, I was pleased to have left Scotland armed with a better understanding of the era about which I was writing.

Fast forward again to the present. My new release, THE PRODIGAL LAIRD (HarperCollins Publishers AU) is the culmination of an investment in research and travels through the Scottish Highlands. The story is set in 1747, one year after the Battle of Culloden. The following verse provides a synopsis:

Under the quill the parchment has filled

With words to tell a new story

Of a Scotsman proud returning home

In his heart he feels no glory

 

By proxy marriage a young lass awaits

One goal she has in mind

To send the laird back from whence he’d come

Pray not her secret he find

 

My previous bestselling novel, THE PIRATE LORD, shifts between 18th Century England and the Caribbean. I’ve been fortunate to have combined research with travel to the places where both my books are set. The creation of fictitious characters and dramas were inspired by authentic historical and geographical backdrops.

About the Author

Before residing in Australia, Vanda’s birthplace and early childhood years were spent in Papua New Guinea. At the age of eleven, a holiday in England sparked an interest in the days of old. Castles, ruins and discovering Jane Austen novels inspired a life-long interest in all things historical, a passion that later kick-started Vanda’s desire to write historical fiction.

The Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, is home to Vanda and her husband where they enjoy walks along world-renowned beaches or a quiet getaway to the lush hills of the Hinterland.

If you’d like to know more about Vanda and her books, visit vandavadas.com

Engage and connect with Vanda on Twitter @Vanda_Vadas or Facebook VandaVadasAuthor

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About The Prodigal Laird

His marriage might cease decades of hostilities between two clans, but that doesn’t mean he wants it─or his bold new wife who is keeping secrets of her own.

Roderick MacLeod arrives in his native Scottish Highlands to pay brief respects to his recently deceased father─the man Roderick blames for the death of his English mother. But before he can return to England, he is saddled with two responsibilities he never asked for: the title of Laird of Clan MacLeod and an unwanted marriage, by proxy, to the daughter of a rival laird.

Annabel MacDonald thought she had the perfect marriage; her husband’s continued absence allowed her independence and the freedom to secretly hide and abet the escape of her fugitive clansmen. When the husband she’d never met shows up, she must convince him to return to England before he uncovers her many secrets, and perhaps her heart.

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing