On April 16, 1746, at what is now known as Culloden Field, the final conflict of the Jacobite Rising of 1745–46 was fought. A battle between government forces led by the Duke of Cumberland and Jacobite rebels who supported Charles Edward Stuart, commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, for the British throne, was fought on Culloden Moor, near Inverness, Scotland.

The battle was short but bloody, with government forces utilizing musket volleys and bayonets to beat a Jacobite army composed mostly of Highlanders and Gaels. The government forces won the battle decisively, and the Jacobites were severely defeated. Bonnie Prince Charlie had to go into hiding when his plans to retake the British monarchy were thwarted.

After the fight, the Scottish government took drastic action, including the notorious Highland Clearances, which were intended to break up the ancient clan structures and culture of the Highlands. The site of the Battle of Culloden, now a historical landmark and memorial, is a powerful emblem of Scottish national identity.