A government barracks attacked during the rising and the place where survivors gathered after Culloden.
A government foothold
George I's government built Ruthven Barracks between 1719 and 1721 after the failed rising of 1715. The garrison was intended to police Badenoch and enforce the Disarming Act, making the barracks a direct physical expression of government control in the Highlands.
Two Jacobite attacks
A Jacobite force failed to capture Ruthven in 1745, despite heavily outnumbering its small garrison. A better-armed attack succeeded in 1746 and the barracks were burned. Their ruined state records the rising rather than ordinary abandonment.
The final gathering
After Culloden, surviving Jacobites assembled at Ruthven hoping to continue. They received orders associated with Charles Edward Stuart telling them to disperse, making this one of the clearest physical endpoints of the campaign.
What to look for while you're here
- The barracks' commanding position above the Spey valley.
- The two accommodation blocks and defensive enclosure.
- The later stable block built for dragoons using the military road.
Before you go
- Open year-round as an unstaffed ruin.
- The approach is uphill and exposed to Highland weather; facilities are limited.