Plan of action for Jacobite commemoration

A series of activities to mark the 275th anniversary of the battle of Prestonpans and the 300th anniversary of the birth of Bonnie Prince Charlie are set to take place in East Lothian this autumn.

The planned programme of events has been adjusted to ensure it will meet social distancing guidelines and will be amended as public health rules change. Other aspects of the anniversary year will also now take place in 2021.

The Battle of Prestonpans on 21 September 1745 was the first major battle of the last Jacobite Rising.

Photo by Tony Marsh

An army loyal to King James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart, alias Bonnie Prince Charlie, achieved a dramatic victory over the Redcoat army loyal to the Hanoverian king, George II, which was led by Sir John Cope.

The battle took place in fields between Prestonpans, Tranent, Cockenzie and Port Seton in East Lothian. The victory was a huge morale boost for the Jacobites, and despite their ultimate defeat the following year the battle left an important cultural legacy.

Events planned to mark the 275th jubilee this year include an Anniversary Weekend from 19 to 21 September 2020, which will include music, poetry, commemoration and remembrance, combined with a diverse and imaginative series of activities engaging with the community and clan groups.

Photo by Tony Marsh

The weekend’s activities will include “Beneath the Thorntree” on 19 September involving an evening of music and storytelling which will be filmed around the battlefield and streamed online as a “watch-party” event.

Based on writings of the time this performance will also bring to life some of the stories about how local life was interrupted by this unexpected battle.

On Sunday 20 September a Clans & Regiments Exhibition at Prestonpans Town Hall will reveal details of those who fought at the battle in 1745.

One of the highlights of the exhibition will be a paper replica of the battle with 5,000 hand-made figures representing every soldier who took part.

Photo by Tony Marsh

The exhibition will be open that morning with a special preview and commemoration for members of the clans which took part in the battle.

On the same day a Family Activity Day will be held at Prestonpans Town Hall to allow visitors a chance to chat to soldiers from the rival armies, meet the two commanders, and help refight the battle on the war-game table.

As well as craft activities, there will also be scheduled music and presentations to keep all the family entertained.

The following day, 21 September, will see a live-streamed Battlefield Commemoration to remember those who fell in battle on both sides. There will be a display of replica banners, readings, and a wreath-laying.

Photo by Tony Marsh

During the day family friendly guided tours of the battlefield will help visitors understand how the battle played out over the landscape.

In addition to the weekend’s activities there will also be a three-month exhibition running at Haddington’s John Gray Centre from October 2020 until January 2021. It will explore the way the story of the battle has been told in art and literature over the past 275 years.

From now until 20 December children between the ages of 10 and 17 are invited to take part in a project, ‘Victory, Hope & Ambition’ to mark the anniversary of the battle, as revealed in Scotland Correspondent issue 41.

Due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 outbreak other aspects of the anniversary year will now take place in 2021.

Photo by Tony Marsh

These will include a tour of The Prestonpans 1745 Tapestry, created 10 years ago, that will start with three-month exhibition at the Garioch Centre near the 1745 battlefield of Inverurie in Spring 2021. This will be accompanied by a series of talks and events.

Eighteen months of activity will then climax with a major re-enactment of the Battle of Prestonpans in September 2021. This large-scale living history event will bring the heritage to life for the widest possible live audience.

The event will provide the opportunity for visitors to come face to face with re-enactors in full character and period dress, and even try hands-on period activities.