Glenfinnan Monument

The Glenfinnan Monument stands in the village of Glenfinnan in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands. It was erected in 1815 to commemorate the Jacobite Rising of 1745 that began in Glenfinnan when Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard on the shores of Loch Shiel claiming the thrones of England and Scotland in the name of his father, James Stuart. Designed by Scottish architect James Gillespie Graham, the monument stands 60 feet tall at the head of the lock and has also come to honor Alexander MacDonald, who built the tower but died before it was completed. Jacobites still gather at the monument each year on August 19 to commemorate the 1745 uprising.
The monument has been in the care of the National Trust of Scotland since 1938 and a visitor center offers information and exhibitions, as well as a café and ticket booth. An audio guide is available that details the Prince’s final campaign from Glenfinnan to Derby and back to Dulloden.

Practical Info

Glenfinnan is located halfway between Fort William and Mallaig on the West Highland Railway and the Glenfinnan train station is located about one mile from the Glenfinnan Monument visitor center. Shiel Buses also run from Fort William to Mallaig and stop at Glenfinnan. The monument site is open daily all year round, while the visitor center is open from March 28 to October 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and July 1 to August 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The monument itself is visited by guided tour only and closes after September 1.