Capturing The Capital: Edinburgh In The Last Jacobite Rising

In September 1745, the Jacobite army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart arrived in Edinburgh on its campaign to restore the royal house of Stuart to the throne. They found a city of towering tenements over cramped, narrow streets, but a community on the cusp of enlightenment. As if to symbolise these contrasts, the Jacobite prince appeared as both a symbol of a lost past and a vision for a different future. This is the story of Edinburgh's experience of the last Jacobite Rising, from its unexpected capture by the Jacobites to its recovery by the government. Rooted in the words of those who experienced it, supporters of both sides, it is an exploration of the tensions and traumas of life within Scotland's capital city during one of the country's most famous historical episodes. It brings to life the streets and citizens of Edinburgh in 1745 as they struggled to balance political ideology with self-preservation amid an increasingly bitter conflict. AUTHOR: Dr Arran Johnston grew up in Derby, where he became fascinated with the story of the last Jacobite rising. Arran moved to Scotland and graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2007, completing his doctorate at the University of the West of Scotland in 2018. Arran has been heavily involved in the public history of The '45 throughout his career and is the consultant curator of the Battle of Prestonpans Museum. As the founding director of the Scottish Battlefields Trust, Arran is an active advocate for increased interpretation and protection of the nation's battlefield heritage. He lives in East Lothian with his wife and children. 30 b/w illustrations