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Glenshiel & Shiel Bridge View Larger Map Glenshiel - 01599 511 264 info@visitscotland.com Glenshiel:- The valley of the River Shiel. Shiel Bridge:- Bridge over the River Shiel. The glen runs approximately 9 miles from south-east to north-west, from the Cluanie Inn (216 metres) at the western end of Loch Cluanie and the start of Glenmoriston to sea level at the village of Shiel Bridge and Loch Duich. The northern side of the glen lies within the Kintail and Morvich estate owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The North Glen Shiel ridge that forms the northern side of the glen consists of the Five Sisters of Kintail in the lower part of the glen, and Saileag, Sgurr a' Bhealaich Dheirg and Aonach Meadhoin in the upper part. To the south of the glen, the South Glen Shiel (or South Cluanie) ridge occupies the upper part, and in the lower part are The Saddle, according to W. H. Murray "the best mountain of the region both in distant shape and close acquaintance," and Sgurr na Sgine. From Glen Shiel these last two mountains are only accessible by the side glens - Allt Mhalagain is the most popular - that run off Glen Shiel, unlike the North and South Glen Shiel ridges whose slopes can be reached directly as they run along the glen. John Macleod writes of the glen that: The descent of Glen Shiel, on the road to Skye, takes you through one of Scotland's most spectacular mountain passes: it is almost a cliche of Highland scenery - foaming river, burns streaming white, crags frowning from on high, often mist, generally rain. The road winds, turns and falls. Here and there the eye catches a tumbled ruin. Feel free to Email me any additions or corrections LINKS AVAILABLE TO YOUR SITE

The river running down the glen is the river Shiel, which flows into Loch Duich.

The Battle of Glen Shiel took place on 10 June 1719 midway up the glen. It was fought between the British government and an alliance of Jacobites and Spaniards, and resulted in a victory for the British forces. It was the last close engagement of British and foreign troops on mainland British soil. The battle is sometimes considered an extension of the 1715 rising, but is more correctly a separate rebellion and was the only rising to be extinguished by a single military action. It is "Scotland's only battle site with contemporary remains still visible - including the stone dyke enclosure where the Jacobite munitions were stored".

The Spanish troops retreated up the southern slopes of the mountain from Glen Shiel.

The natural strength of the Jacobite position, which was positioned on easily defendable crags in the glen, had been increased by hasty fortifications. A barricade had been constructed across the road, and along the face of the hill on the north side of the river entrenchments had been thrown up. Here the main body was posted, consisting of a Spanish regiment, Clan Cameron of Lochiel with about 150 men, about 150 of Lidcoat's and others, Rob Roy MacGregor with 40 men, 50 men of Clan Mackinnon and 200 from the Clan MacKenzie. British forces included 150 grenadiers under Major Milburn, Montagu's Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence, a detachment of 50 men under Colonel Harrison, Huffel's Dutch Regiment, four companies of Amerongen's regiment from the Clan Fraser, Clan Ross and the Clan Sutherland, 80 men of Clan MacKay, Clayton's Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Reading and about 100 men of the Clan Munro under George Munro of Culcairn.

One of the peaks on the northern side of the glen, Sgurr nan Spainteach (Peak of the Spaniards), derives its name from the 200 Spanish troops who fought a rearguard action on the side of the defeated Jacobite rebels and who retreated over the peak. This peak's parent mountain is Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe, which means peak of the black chest. Irvine Butterfield writes that "although some of the coins they [the Spanish soldiers] dropped were later found there is no mention that they fell from a black chest - the black chest is in reality the deep hollow of the Allt Dearg on the south-west slope.

The painting The Battle of Glenshiel 1719 by the Flemish painter Peter Tillemans (c. 1684-1734) shows the opposing forces in the glen; the figures in the foreground probably include Lord George Murray and Rob Roy MacGregor on the Jacobite side and General Joseph Wightman on the British side. This "highly accurate" painting, which hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, was originally catalogued as The Battle of Killiecrankie, 1689.

Shiel Bridge is a village on the south east mouth of Loch Duich and confluence of the small loch in Loch Shiel and the River Shiel, in Lochalsh, Scottish Highlands and is in the council area of Highland.

The village of Ratagan is 1 mile south east of the village. The A87 road passes through the village, continuing on along the north coast of Loch Duich, passing Dornie, Nostie and Kirkton on to Kyle of Lochalsh.

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