This is the grave of Roderick Mackenzie, an unsung Jacobite hero with a story that should be far better known!
Not long after the Battle of Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland triumphantly sent the head of Bonnie Prince Charlie down to London and called off the hunt for the Young Pretender. Unfortunately for him, it was the wrong head.
It was actually poor Roderick, the son of an Edinburgh goldsmith who looked identical to Charles. Thanks to the similarity, he became the prince's body double, personal guard and close friend.
Like most Jacobites, he was on the run after that final battle, hiding in remote locations while the government army hunted him down.
Roderick had found a great hiding spot in a cave in Glen Moriston, but one day, he was caught down by the river. It was clear that there was no escape for him, so to make the most of a bad situation, he declared to the soldiers that their search was over.
In an act of bravery and loyalty, Roderick confessed to being Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Unfortunately, Charles was wanted dead or alive, so the soldiers immediately shot him. Roderick’s final words were, "You have murdered your prince!" The delighted soldiers left the cumbersome body where it lay, taking only the head to Fort Augustus to claim the reward.
None of the Jacobite prisoners would confirm the identity, but Cumberland was so convinced that he followed it down to London and called off the manhunt. By the time the ruse had been discovered, the real prince had slipped through the net and escaped to the Hebrides.
Roderick's sacrifice was crucial to the final chapter of the 1745 rising but is still largely unknown. His body is buried where he was killed, down by the River Moriston, and you can find it across the road from where you see this large cairn beside the A887!