The Jacobites: Major new exhibition opens for the summer

A major new summer exhibition on the Jacobites will explore some of the bloodiest encounters of the risings and the personal stories of those torn apart by Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempt to return his family line to the British throne.

Portraits of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, by William Mosman and Jacobite heroine Flora Macdonald, by Richard Wilson, will form part of the exhibition that looks at the impact of the risings on Perthshire and its people. PIC: National Galleries of Scotland.

Jacobites and the Clans will open at Perth Museum and Art Gallery tomorrow (Friday) and will coincide with the 330th anniversary of the Battle of Killiecrankie.

The show explore Perthshire's key role in the Jacobite wars and their impact on its people.

Key episodes examined will be the Burning of Strathearn, when hundreds of Jacobites tore through rural Perthshire and burned out a number of small towns and villages, and the 1689 Battle of Killiecrankie, which led to heavy rebel losses and the death of revered commander John Graham, Viscount Dundee - also known as 'Bonnie Dundee' - in the last throes of the encounter.

Helen Smout, Chief Executive of Culture Perth & Kinross, said “Jacobite Clans presents an exciting opportunity to explore the stories of some of the individuals caught up in the huge conflicts which played out across Perthshire, Scotland and the UK during the Jacobite Wars.

“From large scale pitched battles like Killiecrankie and Sherriffmuir, to raids, skirmishes, armed occupations and the notorious ‘Burning of Strathearn’, Perthshire families and communities found themselves at the heart of a nation tearing itself apart over the question of who was the rightful ruler.

“We’re thrilled to be able to explore these stories through loans of great importance from a range of Scottish partner institutions and collectors. These include a significant number which have never before been on display.”

The exhibition will feature portraits of Jacobite heroine Flora Macdonald, by Richard Wilson, and Prince Charles Edward Stuart, by William Mosman. Both have been loaned by National Galleries Scotland for the first time.

The story will also be told by a number of family heirlooms which have been drawn from homes across Perthshire.

They include the 'Culloden Letters', a collection of 19 pieces of correspondence written around the rebellion of the 1745 when Anthony Murray of Dollerie wrote to his father to say he was joining the cause.

Various letters trace his movements and family connections give news and information about him and he joins Bonnie Prince Charlie on the march to Culloden. The final letters are his father’s account of his actions and the sad confirmation that friends ‘saw him fall’ at the battle.

Another exhibit is a brooch containing a lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie's hair. It belonged to Lady Margaret Nairn, a prominent Jacobite supporter and spy who met Queen Ann to get her husband 'off the Tower' after he was arrested on suspicion of being a rebel.

Her daughters were all married off to Jacobites and one of them, Lady Lude, welcomed the Jacobite leader to Blair Castle.

Nicola Small, Jacobite Clans Exhibition Curator, said “For a conflict that played out across the length of Scotland, England and Ireland, it is notable that many of the bloodiest episodes of the Jacobite Wars took place in Perthshire.

"A great number of local sites have Jacobite associations whether they hosted Bonnie Prince Charlie, like Castle Menzies near Aberfeldy, or were besieged by Jacobites, such as Blair Castle.

"Alongside the Jacobite material held in the permanent collection at Perth Museum & Art Gallery, curators have been able to draw from a wealth of Jacobite material held by organisations and private individuals across Perthshire.

"Often these objects are family heirlooms and are attached to little-known experiences of the individuals caught up in these enormous events.”

Jacobite Clans is on at Perth Museum and Art Gallery from 29th June – 26th October 2019.