WE have had Braveheart and Rob Roy, now the bloody killing fields of Culloden are set to be brought to the big screen in a film by Scottish director John Mackenzie and starring Robert Carlyle, writes Rosemary Free.
It was at the 1746 Battle of Culloden that Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites lost their fight for the Stuart cause after coming face-to-face with the Duke of Cumberland's troops.
However, rather than recreating Braveheart-style battle scenes, the film will focus on the aftermath of the battle and the persecution of the Jacobites by the Royal Army.
Unlike its predecessors, which featured Australian Mel Gibson as William Wallace and Irishman Liam Neeson as Rob Roy, Scottish actor Robert Carlyle has been lined up to play the hero of the film - John Mackintosh.
Mr Mackenzie, director of The Long Good Friday and The Fourth Protocol, said yesterday they were still in the early days of planning but he hoped the film would be shot in Scotland.
''This is about Scotland and the Scottish scenery,'' he said. ''It's not going to be shot on any old moor. The Scottish Highlands are an integral part of the film.''
He said Carlyle, who he directed in the BBC television series Looking After Jo Jo, was interested in playing the role of clansman John Mackintosh as he goes on the run from Cumberland's officers.
''The whole story is so dramatic,'' said Mr Mackenzie, who is working with London-based
producer Lawrie Dalziel on the project. ''It has got so much going for it.
''I have always had a big interest in that time in Scottish history - the aftermath of Culloden and what it did to the Highlands and clans.''
Professor Tom Devine, author and historian at Aberdeen University, said yesterday: ''One of the reasons the Jacobite story has become such an important part of Scottish tradition is that it's a cracking good story.
''Three great armies of state, coupled with the muscle of the Royal Navy, were sucked into the heart of the Highlands in pursuit of the Jacobites. Because they were physically present, they were able to put them to the sword. That was done systematically for the first two years after the battle.
''It is a fascinating, controversial, and untold story.''
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article