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The Battle of Culloden remembrance ceremony has been held in Knoydart Nova Scotia since 1982.

The Battle of Culloden Remembered in Nova Scotia

In a site that would have pleased Bonnie Prince Charlie, and just a toss of the cabre from the home of Joe Johnny Joe MacDonald, a cairn was built in 1938, in memory of three men who fought in the battle of Culloden, namely, Angus, Hugh MacDonald, and John MacPherson. Angus MacDonald and John MacPherson came from Kinlochmoidart, Scotland and came in a ship named Dunkeld with other immigrants in 1791. They were both old men at the time and both had fought at the battle of Culloden. They were imprisoned in Kelso and Edinburgh and were released under the general pardon of 1747.

They settled in the place they named Moidart in Pictou Co. N.S. [Knoydart and McArras Brook today.] Sad to say I haven’t come up with any details of Hugh MacDonald. These three men are buried near the west side of the cairn. My uncle Joe told me that he believed that the graves are gone due to the erosion at the shore over the years. A cairn was erected in 1938 under the supervision of Dr. Ronald St. John MacDonald of nearby Baileys Brook, who at the time was a professor at McGill University in Montreal. A plaque was installed on the cairn in 1978 in loving memory of his father and also in memory of his great, great, grandfather Angus MacDonald, one of the men so honored here. Keen interest was also shown by D.C. Sinclair, Q.C. New Glasgow, who with Dr. MacDonald were instrumental in bringing stones from the actual Culloden battlefield and mingling them with native stones to build this cairn. A number of local people in the area helped erect the cairn with Dr. MacDonald as supervisor. This cairn is the only one of its kind erected to this cause outside of Scotland.

Excerpt from The Battle of Culloden Remembered in Nova Scotia by Bill McVicar.