36. Has the 1745 Association Found the Site of ‘Cluny’s Cage’? The Story behind the 2017 Expedition to Ben Alder

by Glen MacDonald

Synopsis

Glen MacDonald will tell the story of an expedition launched by the 1745 Association in 2017 to seek the location of the famous ‘Cluny’s Cage’ on remote Ben Alder, the last hiding place of Prince Charles Edward Stuart as a fugitive in the Highlands between the 3rd and 13th September 1746 before his escape to France. Glen will relate how the cage was constructed by Ewan MacPherson of Cluny, considers the evidence regarding its physical layout and assesses different theories regarding its possible site before describing how the expedition discovered a likely location that appears to meet the Cage’s essential criteria.

Image caption: ‘Prince Charles Edward Stuart in Hiding’ by Thomas Duncan (1843)

About the speaker

Glen MacDonald was an officer in the Royal Navy for 33 years after which he worked for various armed forces charities including Combat Stress and Poppyscotland. In addition to these roles he was for many years a Mental Health First Aid instructor for the armed forces community in Scotland before retiring in March 2026. He is a member and former vice chairman of the 1745 Association, a member of the Clan Donald Society of Scotland and a keen learner of the Gaelic language.

How to participate

This talk will begin at 7.30 pm (GMT) and last up to one hour, followed by questions. As the audience for each talk will be limited to 100, please register in plenty of time by e-mailing us (click either on the ‘Register for Events’ button above, or click here click here ). You will then be sent a code to allow you to join the talk.

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