'Body' of notorious clan chief Old Fox to be studied

The body of Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, is said to lie inside Wardlaw Mausoleum

Forensic scientists hope to confirm that the remains of a notorious 18th Century clan chief lie in his family's mausoleum near Inverness.

Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, was a Jacobite sympathiser who did deals with the cause's enemies in the British government.

He was executed in London after supporting Bonnie Prince Charlie.

After he was beheaded, it was said his body remained in the city but there are strong claims it was taken to Scotland.

A body, minus the head, is in a lead casket inside Wardlaw Mausoleum at Kirkhill, near Inverness.

The trust that looks after the historic site hopes that forensic science can prove that the remains are those of the clan chief, who is known by his nickname the Old Fox and for posing for a portrait by artist William Hogarth before his execution in 1747.

'Another mystery'

Scientists, led by Dame Sue Black, director of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, are planning a careful examination of the skeleton.

Prof Black, who visited the mausoleum and viewed the contents of the coffin last year, said: "There are a number of possible scenarios.

Dame Sue Black plans to examine the remains held inside the Highlands' Wardlaw Mausoleum

"One, the body inside is the decapitated remains of Lord Lovat.

"We cannot prove it by DNA as there are no living descendants. Of course we could not do a facial reconstruction.

"So it will be about ensuring that the individual is male, that he is of the right age, that he is of the same height and that there is evidence from the remains of physical conditions he may have had whilst in life.

"We will check for dismemberment cuts and they should be consistent with a heavy bladed implement if it is indeed him. These will be on his remaining neck bones."

Prof Black said the other scenario was that the remains were not those of Lord Lovat.

She said: "We may be able to exclude it being Lord Lovat if the remains do not fit with the expected description e.g. the remains are female, a young adult, have no decapitation marks, shorter stature etc.

"Then we open up another mystery."

'Laugh your head off'

The Old Fox is known today by readers and TV audiences as the grandfather of Jamie Fraser, a lead character in the Outlander books and television drama.

The clan chief is recorded in history as a charmer who was prepared to switch sides during and around the times of the Jacobite uprisings.

But the last of those risings, in which he supported Bonnie Prince Charlie, ended in defeat for the Jacobites at Culloden in April 1746. The following year Old Fox was executed at Tower Hill.

It is said that several people who had gathered to watch the beheading died after the scaffold they were on collapsed.

Lord Lovat found this incident funny and is said to have been so visibly amused when he was executed that his death led to the phrase "laughing your head off".

Outlander's Jamie Fraser is the grandson of the Old Fox