Bonnie Prince Charlie's Tartan
After
the Battle of Culloden on 16th April 1746, Prince Charles
Edward Stuart was a fugitive in the West Highlands until
rescued by French ships in Arisaig on 20th September.
His escape took him into the 'safe' Clanranald territory
of Morar, Arisaig and Moidart. He was sheltered by Angus
and Catriona MacDonald of Borrodale.Six
days later the Prince, four companions, Donald MacLeod
and seven Clanranalds, sailed for the Outer Hebrides
in an eight-oared boat of the Borrodales. As soon as
they were clear of the sheltered waters of the sea loch
at Arisaig, a violent storm arose. Driven by the gale
through the night and in constant danger of capsizing,
the boat reached Benbecula where the Prince, his companions
and crew hid for two days. They then sailed to Scalpay
off Harris where they were hospitably received by Donald
Campbell a tenant of MacLeod of Dunvegan, and where
the Prince was given a change of clothes. On departure,
he left the sea-soaked tartan lately given to him by
Lady Borrodale, with Donald Campbell and his family.
Two
fragments of this tartan cloth are known to have survived.
One in the West Highland Museum, Fort William, and the
other among a collection of Stuart relics at Stonyhurst
College in Lancashire. The pieces were brought together
by Peter MacDonald, Handloom Weaver, Crieff, who reconstructed
the original tartan, using dyes to match the original
colours of indigo blue and cochineal red. The research
to authenticate the history of the tartan, was carried
out by Mr Tom Massey Lynch on behalf of Stonyhurst College,
and the recreated tartan was displayed in the Royal
Museum of Scotland by courtesy of the Trustees of the
College.
