About Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites

This exhibition explored the real story of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the rise and fall of the Jacobites.

The history of the exiled Stuart dynasty and their supporters, known as Jacobites, has held an enduring and romantic fascination for generations, from the writings of Sir Walter Scott to the current Outlander books and television series. Featuring the very best of Scotland’s national collections, alongside treasures from across the UK and Europe, this exhibition presented the wider story of the Jacobites, one which is more layered, complex and dramatic than any fictional imaginings.

Visitors could step into the world of the Royal House of Stuart, a dynasty divided into two courts by religion, politics and war, each fighting for the throne of the three kingdoms of Scotland, England and Ireland. The exhibition revealed how four Jacobite kings became pawns in a much wider European political game. It also followed the Jacobites’ fight to regain their lost kingdoms through five challenges to the throne, the last ending in crushing defeat at the Battle of Culloden and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape to the Isle of Skye and onwards to Europe.

More than 300 spectacular objects including paintings, costumes, jewellery, documents, weapons and glassware brought to life the events of this turbulent period in European history.