Culloden Wood

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Wander the woods of Culloden

Right on the edge of Inverness, this popular forest is a great place to walk, run or ride. It's also full of history: the trees cover part of the site of the battle of Culloden, and the Prisoners' Stone is a grim reminder of that fateful day.

St Mary's Well has a Christian name, but it's a reminder of pagan traditions. It's still used as a place to make a wish and leave a scrap of cloth as a healing charm.

Our guide to the Forests of Inverness (PDF 4MB) will help you explore Culloden and other woods around the city.

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Life's essentials

You'll find places to eat in Smithton village, just next to the forest, or Inverness. The nearest public toilets are in Inverness.

Walking trails

Culloden Wood Trail

Discover the forest's battlefield landmarks and pagan traditions at the infamous Prisoner’s Stone and St Mary’s Well, a local ‘clootie well’.

Mostly wide, uneven gravel and earth surface. Some steep slopes. Parts may be muddy after rain.

2 ¼ miles /
3.6 km
Allow
1½ hours

More information...

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Look out for the scraps of cloth (cloots) in the trees around St Mary's Well. There are wells like this all over Britain, where people leave a token and hope to have a wish come true. You can find another at Munlochy Clootie Well.

Cycling trails

Mountain biking trails

The Battle of Culloden, between government troops and the Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie, was the last battle fought on British soil. You can find out more about its causes, what happened on the day and its lasting effects on Scottish history at the National Trust for Scotland’s Culloden Battlefield.

A new trail will take you round the much larger area covered by the fighting.

Contact: Inverness, Ross and Skye Forest District

Address: Tower Road, Smithton, Inverness

Postcode: IV2 7NL

Telephone: 0300 067 6100

Email: invernessrossskye@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

How to get here

From Inverness, take the A96 towards Aberdeen and after about 1 mile (1.6 km) take the 2nd roundabout exit towards Balloch, Culloden and Smithton. At the second set of traffic lights turn right towards Culloden Moor and Croy. The car park is on your left after ¼ mile (400 metres), at grid reference NH 718 456.

Using SatNav?

IV2 7PW is the nearest postcode.

Public transport

Buses run from Inverness to Smithton, next to the forest. Check Traveline Scotland for details.

Nearby places

Daviot is another forest to the south of the city, with wide, flat trails and open views. Further afield, Littlemill is full of wildflowers in spring and has intriguing glacial features.