Thesis Overview

Abstract
Since the latter half of the twentieth century, Highland scholars have begun to challenge the pervasive notions of defeat, despondency, and victimhood that litter traditional historical representations of Jacobite Gaels following the failure of the Forty-Five. However, analysis has primarily focused on the Rising’s immediate aftermath, along with large-scale Highland military service in the Seven Years’ War a decade later. This thesis presents the first comprehensive examination that focuses on a meticulous study of the social and economic circumstances of Jacobite Gaels from the end of the final Rising to the end of the Seven Years’ War. Through an exploration of the embedded webs of connectivity across the spectrum of Gaelic Highland society on a local, national, and international level – aided by techniques and perspectives derived from historical network research approaches – it offers new insights into the integration of Jacobite Gaels within the Gaelic, British, European, and imperial worlds. This thesis demonstrates the resilience, resourcefulness, and widespread agency of Jacobite Gaels in the post-Culloden decade.

Acknowledgements
I would not have even dreamt of attempting this project were it not for the tremendous support of my supervisors, Dr Jim MacPherson, Dr Domhnall Uilleam Stiùbhart, and Dr Mairi MacPherson. I am also very grateful to so many people across the University of the Highlands (UHI) who have so kindly offered valuable guidance and feedback.