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led an advance against the
Covenanters but was forced back. Montrose rode up to the Gordon cavalry, who could hear the noise of battle but could not see what was going on, and claimed that the Macdonalds were driving all before them and were likely to claim all the glory. The Gordon horsemen charged out of the hollow. The small body of Covenanter cavalry trying to outflank MacColla was taken by surprise while trying to negotiate a bog and fled. Montrose's infantry followed his cavalry and advanced against the right flank of Urry's four infantry regiments, which broke under attack from all sides. Urry's three bodies of levies and his remaining cavalry fled the field.
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823:, remained isolated during the Covenanters' flight. They refused to retreat and stood their ground in the face of the Royalist onslaught, refusing to give up the standard of the Mackenzies, the "Cabar Feidh." Offered no quarter by the Gordon cavalry, Ruairidh Mac Gille Fhinnein, chief of his name, and his clansmen, together with some MacRaes and Mathesons, were all cut down.
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Urry's four regular regiments of infantry advanced against the obvious position defended by
Alasdair MacColla, while a small body of 50 cavalry attempted to outflank what they believed to be the Royalist left. The various levies and Urry's remaining cavalry remained in reserve. The impatient MacColla
795:
Hearing late on 8 May that
Montrose had encamped at Auldearn, which was then a small hamlet, Urry advanced, hoping to catch the Royalists unawares at dawn. In his attempt to achieve surprise, he left his artillery some distance behind. Unfortunately for Urry, some of his men discharged their muskets
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On
Montrose's right flank, Alastair MacColla commanded one Irish regiment and some Gordon infantry totalling about 500 men. They were deployed in some enclosures in front of Auldearn, and the Royal Standard was prominently displayed among them to convince Urry that the entire Royalist force was in
779:
As the area about Elgin was
Covenanter in sympathy, Urry had plenty of information about Montrose's approach. He withdrew westwards, hoping to lure Montrose into a position where he could launch a surprise counter-attack. His army consisted of four regiments of foot commanded by Colonels Loudoun,
731:. He then attempted to attack the Covenanter forces in the Lowlands, but found that many of his Highlanders were drifting home with plunder and the Covenanters were too strong. He fell back to the northeast, hoping to recruit more forces. In particular, he needed the support of
800:
this position. Montrose's main force was concealed in a hollow on MacColla's left flank. There were two Irish regiments and some
Gordons fighting on foot (totalling about 800 musketeers and clansmen), and 200 Gordon horsemen led by Lord
758:
Montrose, meanwhile, had made a couple of feints towards the
Lowlands, but was unable to challenge Baillie's large army. On 18 April, he heard that Urry's army was threatening the Gordon lands. Montrose marched north to
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Montrose had destroyed half the
Covenanter forces arrayed against him. Urry later turned his coat once again and joined Montrose. Over the next three months, Baillie and Montrose faced off twice, first at the
750:
to the north. Urry was an experienced soldier who had deserted the
English Parliamentarians to join the Royalists in 1643, but had changed sides once again to join the Covenanters after their success at the
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As with most of
Montrose's victories, many of the casualties were inflicted after the Covenanter army broke and fled, in a merciless pursuit which was continued for 14 miles (23 km).
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A pub/restaurant, previously named "The Covenanter" and now the "1645" in commemoration of the battle, stands on part of the old battlefield at the end of Auldearn.
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to clear damp powder charges, thereby alerting the Royalists. Thus warned, Montrose hastily deployed his forces to counter-attack Urry.
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to command his forces in Scotland. After initial setbacks, he was able to raise an army consisting partly of Highlanders and partly of
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The battle and the Royalist campaign of 1644–1645 in general feature in the 1937 novel
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On 2 February 1645, Montrose won a complete victory over the pro-Covenanter
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938:"The Battlefields Hub → The Civil Wars → The Battle of Battle of Alford"
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Alasdair MacColla and the Highland Problem in the Seventeenth Century,
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The Covenanters divided their forces. While Lieutenant General
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A Battle that took place during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
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641:. It took place on 9 May 1645, in and around the village of
1118:, trans. A. D. Murdoch and H. F. Moorland-Simpson, 1893.
1062:
Orian Iain Lom. Songs of John MacDonald, Bard of Keppoch
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Lothian, Buchanan and Sir Mungo Campbell of Lawers, the
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under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011.
649:. It resulted in a victory for the royalists, led by
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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843:, the largest battle of the conflict in Scotland.
815:The only part of Urry's army to make a stand was
1142:
870:
1176:Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland
857:, told from the perspective of two members of
700:side, Montrose had been given a commission by
674:Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland
385:
735:, who could provide at least some cavalry.
1102:A Short Abridgement of Britane's Distemper
792:, 800 other local levies and 400 cavalry.
403:Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
392:
378:
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
1116:The Memoirs of James Marquis of Montrose
1073:The Seventeenth Century in the Highlands
1064:, ed. and trans. A. M. Mackenzie, 1964.
763:, where he was rejoined on 30 April by
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1032:Battles and Generals of the Civil Wars
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49:adding citations to reliable sources
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1069:The Battle of Auldearn, 9 May 1645
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1181:History of the Scottish Highlands
1156:Battles of the Scottish Civil War
1122:
688:In mid-1644, after the Scottish
665:-dominated Scottish government.
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1055:Montrose. For Covenant and King
998:. Historic Environment Scotland
967:portal.historicenvironment.scot
36:needs additional citations for
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804:and his younger brother, Lord
692:decided to intervene in the
556:Anglo-Scottish war (1650–1652)
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1130:Historic Environment Scotland
1075:, Inverness Field Club, 1986
1016:Historic Environment Scotland
983:
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1100:Ruthven, Patrick Gordon of,
864:
829:
7:
1134:"Battle of Auldearn (BTL3)"
963:"Battle of Kilsyth (BTL13)"
10:
1197:
1151:Battles involving Scotland
1095:The Campaigns of Montrose,
1090:, in Irish Sword, 1959–60.
1088:Montrose's Irish Regiments
1034:. Seeley Service & Co.
712:at the instigation of the
661:and an army raised by the
639:Wars of the Three Kingdoms
942:www.battlefieldstrust.com
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637:was an engagement of the
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651:the Marquess of Montrose
527:Second English Civil War
360:Location within Scotland
1030:Rogers, H.C.B. (1968).
694:First English Civil War
433:First English Civil War
889:Inventory Battlefields
753:Battle of Marston Moor
301:Registered battlefield
236:Commanders and leaders
206:Royalist/Irish Victory
282:Casualties and losses
1086:O'Danachair, C. O.,
1012:"Battle of Auldearn"
788:, the levies of the
729:Battle of Inverlochy
723:and its leader, the
690:Committee of Estates
676:and is protected by
357:class=notpageimage|
187:57.57639°N 3.81194°W
60:"Battle of Auldearn"
45:improve this article
710:Confederate Ireland
706:professional troops
246:Alexander MacDonald
183: /
1041:General references
859:O'Cahan's Regiment
790:Earl of Sutherland
742:remained based in
714:Marquess of Antrim
635:Battle of Auldearn
610:Glencairn's rising
316:Reference no.
192:57.57639; -3.81194
155:Auldearn, east of
133:Scottish Civil War
126:Battle of Auldearn
1171:Conflicts in 1645
1114:Wishart, George,
1081:978-0-9502612-5-6
1060:MacDonald, John,
841:Battle of Kilsyth
765:Alasdair MacColla
678:Historic Scotland
655:Alasdair MacColla
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510:2nd Aberdeen
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465:1st Aberdeen
455:Marston Moor
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415:Bishops Wars
413:
215:Belligerents
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88:
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1166:Clan Fraser
733:Clan Gordon
657:, over Sir
622:Dalnaspidal
500:Philiphaugh
445:Boldon Hill
421:Brig of Dee
277:300 cavalry
272:250 cavalry
230:Covenanters
190: /
1145:Categories
1093:Reid, S.,
1046:Buchan, J.
992:"Auldearn"
984:References
784:under the
782:Mackenzies
684:Background
663:Covenanter
647:Nairnshire
583:Carbisdale
515:Lagganmore
505:Annan Moor
475:Inverlochy
460:Tippermuir
308:Designated
275:3,600 foot
270:1,300 foot
175:57°34′35″N
165:NH 916 554
146:9 May 1645
101:April 2020
71:newspapers
1002:23 August
865:Citations
830:Aftermath
755:in 1644.
727:, at the
659:John Urry
603:Worcester
534:Dunaverty
440:Newcastle
221:Royalists
178:3°48′43″W
1048:Montrose
1021:12 April
877:Auldearn
708:sent by
643:Auldearn
568:Stirling
480:Auldearn
470:Carlisle
349:Auldearn
265:Strength
151:Location
131:Part of
1104:, 1844.
1057:, 1995.
1050:, 1938.
996:Canmore
972:12 June
947:12 June
696:on the
670:pibroch
617:Tullich
549:Winwick
544:Preston
495:Kilsyth
426:Newburn
85:scholar
1079:
802:Aboyne
775:Battle
598:Dundee
588:Dunbar
485:Alford
203:Result
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1111:1980.
1097:1990.
1071:, in
769:Elgin
761:Skene
744:Perth
490:Fyvie
290:1,500
287:Light
157:Nairn
92:JSTOR
78:books
1077:ISBN
1023:2012
1004:2020
974:2024
949:2024
668:The
653:and
633:The
450:York
320:BTL3
143:Date
64:news
645:in
47:by
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