Ruthven Barracks

The ruins of Ruthann Barracks in Badenoch bear witness to a turbulent time in Scotland’s history.

After the Jacobite uprising of 1715, these barracks were built to quell future rebellions and ensure government control over the Highlands.

Ruthven Barracks served as a formidable military presence in the region, strategically located on an old castle mound. With loopholes for musket fire, these stone walls stood in stark contrast to the Highland landscape around them. The barracks housed a garrison of soldiers who enforced the 1716 Disarming Act and maintained law and order.

Ruthven Barracks played a pivotal role during the Jacobite rebellions in the 18th century. An attack by Jacobites on the barracks in 1745 was successfully defended by a small garrison. A year later, Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s forces besieged and captured the barracks.

It stands today as a historic monument, giving visitors a glimpse into Scotland’s past. There is a tangible connection between these barracks and the Jacobite era and the ongoing struggle for control of the Highlands during that period.