Go to the Main Scottish Cave and Mine Database Search Page

Prince Charlie's Cave [Ben Alder]

Loch Ericht, Perthshire.

Cave near Benalder Lodge [Ben Alder Cottage], at its [Ben Alder's] southern base is a remarkable cave in which Prince Charles Edward lay concealed in September 1746. [Oldham]

This reference appears to be a conflation of the following description merging Cluny's Cave at Creag Dhu with Cluny's Cage in Perthshire:

Cluny's Cage was a man-made howff in Holly trees on the rocky slopes of Ben Alder. There is no cave at this site. Recent research suggests the site of the howff was close to the marked cave site (which was too small to be used as a shelter but might have been used as a hiding place if required).

Reputed to be one of the sites used by Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, chief of the clan MacPherson in his 9 years as a fugitive, following the Jacobite Rising of 1745.

In early September 1746, the fugitive met with Bonnie Prince Charlie at a shieling called Uiskchibra, in Ben Alder - a "very bad and extremely smoky, miserable" shelter, where the prince stayed for two nights as he planned his exit from Scotland. Then, Macpherson took him to "very extraordinary and romantic habitation" - now known as Cluny's Cage.

The Cage sat in a small thick bush of wood. Trees were laid on the floor, arranged to compensate for the incline in the ground, and covered in earth and gravel. The trees overhead created a natural thatch with a space made for a chimney to flow. According to accounts, the Cage could contain six or seven people, with four regular stationed there - one usually playing cards, one keeping watch, one baking and another firing bread and cooking. [The Scotsman, 6 June 2017]

Prince Charlie's Cave: This name applies to a small hollow or Cavern, on the South Side of the hill Called Ben Alder, which tradition assigns as one the hiding places of Prince Charles Edward, the unfortunate representation of the House of Stuart, after his terrible defeat at Culloden. Although called a cave it can scarcely be termed such, it is only a space between two rocks and strongly resembles a huge bi-valve gasping for air, and it is altogether impossible for even a child to walk in upright and when in you can occupy no other but a sitting or lying position. Whether this is the place referred to by Sir Walter Scott, or not, is hard to determine, but it does seem to be an unlikely place for the Pretender to consult his followers Lochiel and Cluny Macpherson. for tho the place might be convenient but would hardly answer the purposes of an audience Chamber.

"Sir Walter Scott" in his "Tales of a Grandfather" Says. After the many difficulties he effected a junction with his faithful adherents, Cluny and Lochiel though not without great risk and danger on both sides. They took up for a time their residence is a hut called the Cage curiously constructed in a deep thicket on the side of a mountain called Ben-Alder, under which name is included a great Forest or Chase, the property of Cluny. Here they lived in tolerably security and enjoyed a rude plenty, which the Prince had not Known hitherto during his wanderings"

Chap [Chapter] I XXX IV P. [Page] 462 If such a hut did exist at one time all traces of it have now disappeared.

Alternative Names: Prince Charlie's Cave [6], Cluny's Cage

Notes: Ben Alder Cottage may have been confused with Ben Alder Lodge which is further north.

This site has in the past been confused with four other sites called Cluny's Cave or Uamh Chluanaidh.

The alternative name Prince Charlie's Cave relates to the suggestion that Prince Charles Edward Stuart met with Ewen MacPherson at this site or at one of the other Cluny's Caves after the battle of Culloden.

At the beginning of the 1745 Jacobite Rising, the Clan Macpherson chief commanded a company of his clan in the services of the British government. However a party of Camerons was sent to the house of Macpherson of Cluny, the chief of the Macphersons to apprehend him, and succeeded. The Macphersons then joined the Jacobites. The chief of the clan, Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, raised a force of 400 men to aid Charles Edward Stuart. The Macphersons played an active role at the beginning of the rebellion and even fought at the Clifton Moor Skirmish in 1745. However Charles was urged to wait for Cluny, who was engaged in operation in Atholl, before the Battle of Culloden. He did not and the men of Macpherson took no part in the famous defeat at Culloden. The regiment was disbanded and Ewan went into hiding. A reward of 1000 [guineas] was placed on his head, but he was never captured in the nine years he spent in hiding. In 1755 he fled to France.' During his time hiding in and around the clan seat at Laggan, Macpherson had many hiding places made for him. One of these was Cluny's Cage, which featured in "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson, a heather hut on the slopes of Ben Alder.

The 1745 Association believe they have may have found the true site of the hideaway, slightly to the west of the marked spot and around a kilometre [?] above. Members claim they have discovered a spot on Ben Alder that closely matches the description of where the Prince was concealed by one of his closest allies. "It is said the spot for Cluny's Cage was chosen given that smoke from cooking and fire could dissipate up the cliff face without being viewed. We also know from accounts of people who were there in 1746 that two very large rocks formed a perfect fireplace from which there was a natural chimney. What we found entirely matched that." [Glen MacDonald, vice chairman of the 1745 Association] said that smaller stones at the site "appeared" to be blackened on the underside, suggesting a fire may have lit there sometime in the past. The "thicket of trees" said to conceal Cluny's Cage were no longer at the site but it was "seemingly well known" that there were more trees in the area during the mid 18th Century. [The Scotsman, 6 June 2017]

Some believe that the site of Cluny's Cage can be found to east side of Loch Ericht at a spot known as Crag of Eagles.