Culloden’s past is present for man who makes living history

IN the Soldier’s Tale, Mike Newcomen, a living history presenter based at the Culloden visitor centre near Inverness, describes what fascinates him about the famous battle site.

Mr Newcomen first visited the site after a knee injury prevented him from going mountaineering with friends.

“Culloden is where everything began for me … I arrived on the anniversary of the battle, and they were holding a commemorative service. I went to the service, and as one of the guys was piping this old guy started to cry. I thought ‘why is this man so motivated by this?’ It really affected me.”

Mr Newcomen recalls helping the groundsman to move a stone from the Well of the Dead – a spot where it is believed many Jacobites were killed after the battle.

“I found an old whisky bottle in the well and under it in a clump of mud were two musket balls. It was quite an incredible moment – almost like gripping a piece of history.”

SHÂN ROSS