Schools are now able to travel virtually free of charge to two of Scotland’s most famous battlefields - Culloden and Bannockburn.

The National Trust for Scotland, thanks to a Scottish Government grant, is offering schools the chance to claim back 75 per cent of travel expenses, up to a maximum of Pounds 200.

Culloden recently underwent a makeover and now boasts a new multi-million pound visitor and exhibition centre. By June, with a grant of Pounds 150,000, Bannockburn will also have something new to offer visitors with an educational film about the battle; “upgraded living history”, which allows pupils to hear about the period from actors in costume; and more handling objects and clothes for pupils to try on.

The trust is also in the process of developing a resource which it hopes will make the battles more relevant to the present day by exploring the theme of conflict more generally.

www.nts.org.uklearn.