Scottish Battles. Auldearn. 1645

The Battle of Auldearn

The Battle of Auldearn, a significant engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, took place on May 9, 1645, in Nairnshire, Scotland. It resulted in a decisive Royalist victory led by the Marquess of Montrose and Alasdair MacColla over the Covenanter army commanded by Sir John Urry. Montrose had been commissioned by King Charles I to command forces in Scotland after the Covenanter-dominated government intervened in the English Civil War on the Parliamentarian side. Following his triumph over the Clan Campbell at Inverlochy earlier that year, Montrose needed to consolidate his forces, particularly gaining the support of Clan Gordon for cavalry, as many Highlanders tended to leave with plunder. The Covenanters divided their forces, sending the experienced, though notoriously turncoat, General Urry north to contain Montrose, while Lieutenant General Baillie remained near Perth. Montrose, having combined his Irish professionals and Highlanders with newly recruited Gordon contingents, learned Urry was near Elgin. Urry withdrew to Auldearn, hoping to launch a surprise dawn attack against the encamped Royalists, but his plan was foiled when some of his own men prematurely discharged their muskets, alerting Montrose.

Montrose immediately deployed his forces in a clever feint: he placed Alasdair MacColla and a small force on his right flank with the Royal Standard prominently displayed, tricking Urry into thinking this was the main Royalist body. Montrose’s actual main force, including the critical Gordon cavalry led by Lord Aboyne, was concealed in a hollow on the left. Urry’s infantry advanced against the visible decoy, allowing the Gordon cavalry to charge out of the hollow, surprise a small Covenanter flanking body, and then hit Urry’s main infantry regiments on their right flank. The Covenanter line broke, leading to a rout and a ruthless, 14-mile pursuit in which most casualties occurred. The Clan MacLennan, acting as standard-bearers to the Mackenzies, were the only group to stand their ground, refusing to retreat, and were cut down. The victory effectively destroyed half the Covenanter forces opposing Montrose, and the humiliated Sir John Urry later switched sides yet again to join Montrose.