Highly regarded historian leaves £1m to safeguard Culloden Battlefield

A highly-regarded historian has left more than £1 million in his will for the protection of Culloden Battlefield.

Professor Christopher Duffy, who died in 2022 aged 86, made the bequest to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to safeguard the site for the future, it has emerged.

The donor had a long connection to NTS and was considered an authority on the Battle of Culloden. His deep knowledge of the site informed many campaigns against development within the historical boundary of the battlefield, where the Jacobites clashed with government forces in 1746.

Professor Christopher Duffy , historian and authority on Culloden, who died in 2022. | NTS

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Prof Duffy’s books on the battle are considered amongst the most authoritative on the subject. Perhaps his best known is The ’45: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the untold story of the Jacobite Rising.

The royalties from the sale of his books will also go to NTS to benefit Culloden from now on.

The Memorial Cairn at Culloden to those who fought and died in battle on April 16, 1746. A historian who devoted much of his research to the battle has left National Trust for Scotland more than £1m in his will. PIC: NTS. | NTS

Ali MacLeod, the trust’s head of fundraising and philanthropy, said: “Through his academic brilliance, generous collaboration and philanthropic support for Culloden 300 and Culloden Fighting Fund, in his lifetime Prof Duffy made an extraordinary and lasting impact on how we understand, interpret and protect Culloden.

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“By leaving the royalties from his books and a remarkably generous legacy, he ensured that his life’s work and passion will continue to shape the future. His foresight and his gift will play a vital role in helping the charity safeguard Culloden for generations to come.”

Gail Cleaver, the trust’s operations manager for Culloden, said: “We are deeply grateful that Christopher continued his lifetime of support by leaving a gift for the National Trust for Scotland’s work at Culloden in his will.

“His generosity will help us ensure that this place, which he knew so much about and cared for so deeply, will be protected now and for the future, and that the stories, which incredibly are still emerging from this momentous historical event, will be shared.”

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Prof Duffy was an active advocate for the site, visiting frequently and generously sharing his knowledge, research and expertise.

A much-respected authority on 18th-century military history, he provided the NTS with valuable information that has added hugely to the understanding of this complex battle, the site itself, and its impact in Scotland and around the world.

Prof Duffy read history at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1961. Throughout his career he focused particularly on military history, teaching at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and college of the British General Staff.

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He was a research professor at De Montfort University and a founder member of the British Commission for Military History and the Scottish Battlefields Trust, and was a vice-president of the Military History Society of Ireland and Chairman of the 1745 Association.

Prof Murray Pittock, fellow historian and NTS trustee, paid tribute to this deep connection, saying: “Working with Christopher on the defence and protection of Culloden Battlefield was a privilege, which can only bring home to us all how deep this loss is.

“Travelling the length of the UK well into his 80s, Prof Duffy tirelessly brought home to numerous audiences the scale and immense importance of the UK’s most visited battle site, and the need to protect it for future generations in Scotland and throughout the global diaspora, which had its beginning there.”

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Prof Duffy’s philanthropic and academic support enabled the development of a new way to research battlefields. This approach fuses archaeology with forensic historical analysis and landscape history, to give a deeper understanding of the battle and the battlefield.

In 2021, Prof Duffy was on site while the trust’s archaeological team undertook digs on previously unexplored areas of the battlefield.

Grids of test pits were excavated, and artefacts were recovered from the topsoil. The team also undertook metal detecting for lead shot and other items close to the second line of the Government infantry, as shown on his map research.

Prof Duffy was particularly interested in the use of LiDAR survey data to review the micro-topography of the battlefield. This data allows an identification of the areas that might have once been boggy hollows or burns, which could have affected the troops’ movement.

Derek Alexander, the trust’s head of archaeology, said: “Working with Christopher was always a privilege and rewarding. He once gave an impromptu lecture about the Culloden map evidence he had collected to our archaeological volunteers as we started our series of recent investigations.

“He grabbed the attention of everyone in the room and armed with his knowledge and enthusiasm, we went out to look for evidence. Without Christopher's support, we would not have been able to undertake our wide range of investigations.”

The NTS is an independent charity that relies on the generosity of its many supporters. Last year, donors who included a gift in their will contributed more than £12m to the charity.