The Lost Jacobite Gold

A matter of weeks after the Jacobites lost the Battle of Culloden in 1746, two French ships called the Mars and Bellona arrived on the west coast. They were carrying long awaited funds and supplies from both France and Spain, ready to support Bonnie Prince Charlie’s campaign. As far as they were aware, the Jacobites were still an unbeaten force, achieving what many had believed impossible.

Once the French discovered that the cause had already been lost and Royal Navy ships were closing in, it was time to make a quick getaway. They decided that the Jacobites no longer needed French money, delivering it as ordered would have just been a waste. However, the Spanish gold was none of their concern and so seven caskets were unloaded before they fled back to sea.

One was almost immediately stolen, but there was still a small fortune left lying on a Scottish beach. Since the war was over, the intention was to use the funds to help those being punished by the government forces. However, nobody actually knows what happened to that money.

With British soldiers combing the Highlands, it’s assumed that the bulk of the gold was hidden somewhere safe. Rumours began to spread about its location and who had possession of it last. Accusations soon followed that the Jacobite chiefs who had handled the treasure were misappropriating the funds for themselves.

Fingers were pointed and people were killed over the relentless hunt for this Jacobite Gold. The last person said to hold it was Ewen MacPherson of Cluny and he may have buried it near Loch Arkaig. It wasn’t far from where the ships had unloaded their cargo, remote enough to avoid much suspicion and on land belonging to the staunch Jacobite Cameron of Lochiel.

After Prince Charles fled Scotland, he lost much of his international support and that included funds for his lavish lifestyle. He pestered Cluny for years to send him whatever gold was left but was told that it had all been used.

Charles and many other Jacobites refused to accept it. The story lives on and many still believe there’s a cache of lost Jacobite gold hidden somewhere around the banks of Loch Arkaig.