Taking place on June 23 and 24, 1314, the Battle of Bannockburn was a decisive battle during the Scottish Wars of Independence between forces led by Robert the Bruce and King Edward II of England. Visitors today can see the historically significant battlefield where Scottish forces were victorious against the English. A visitors' center is located where Robert the Bruce is said to have erected his standard before the battle. It is approximately two miles south of Stirling, itself the site of the 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge and the 1648 Battle of Stirling.
Culloden Moor near Inverness was the site of fighting between the Jacobite and British armies in April 1746. Culloden was the final, decisive battle of the Jacobite Rising, which began in 1745 in an effort to restore the House of Stuart claim to the British throne. The last hand-to-hand battle on British soil was fought at Culloden, and the battlefield has been a tourist attraction since the mid-19th century. Opened in December 2007, a visitors' center includes historical exhibits, a gift shop and a restaurant.
Since the Roman occupation, the Falkirk area has been a strategic location and features remains of the Antonine Wall. The Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal also played a role in the region's importance in the Industrial Revolution. William Wallace, a leader in the Scottish Wars of Independence, immortalized in the feature film "Braveheart," was defeated at Falkirk in July 1298. In 1746, Falkirk was again the site of a battle during the Jacobite Rising. Although housing developments are slowly being built on the battlefields, much of it remains farmland.
The first violent confrontation between government forces and the Jacobites occurred in Killiecrankie in 1689. The battle was fought between Highland Scottish clans loyal to King William of Orange and King James VII of Scotland. Although their leader was killed in action, the battle was a Jacobite victory. Open daily from April to November, a visitors' center three miles north of Pitlochry includes exhibits about the Battle of Killiecrankie and information on the area's natural history and wildlife.
