Battle of Auldearn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Auldearn |
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| Part of Wars of the Three Kingdoms | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Scottish Royalists Irish Brigade |
 Parliament of Scotland |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Lord Montrose Alasdair MacColla Manus O'Cahan |
Sir John Urry | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,300 foot 250 cavalry |
3,600 foot 300 cavalry |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Light | 1,500 | ||||||
| Designated | 21 March 2011 | ||||||
| Reference no. | BTL3 | ||||||
The Battle of Auldearn was a major fight during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. These wars were a series of conflicts across Scotland, England, and Ireland in the mid-1600s. The battle happened on 9 May 1645, near the village of Auldearn in Nairnshire, Scotland.
It was a big win for the Royalists, who supported King Charles I. Their leaders were the Marquess of Montrose and Alasdair MacColla. They fought against an army led by Sir John Urry. Urry's army was put together by the Covenanters, who supported the Scottish Parliament and a specific type of church.
Today, a special tune called Blár Allt Earrann (a type of Scottish bagpipe music called a pibroch) remembers this battle. The battlefield is also a protected historical site in Scotland.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In the middle of 1644, the Scottish government (called the Committee of Estates) decided to join the First English Civil War. They chose to fight on the side of the Parliamentarians (also known as Roundheads) against King Charles I.
King Charles I then asked Montrose to lead his forces in Scotland. Montrose managed to gather an army. This army included Highlanders (people from the Scottish Highlands) and skilled soldiers from Confederate Ireland. Most of the Covenanter army had gone to fight in England. This gave Montrose a chance to challenge the Covenanters' power in the Highlands.
Montrose's Victories and Challenges
On 2 February 1645, Montrose won a big victory at the Battle of Inverlochy. He defeated the pro-Covenanter Clan Campbell and their leader, the Earl of Argyll. After this, Montrose tried to attack the Covenanter forces in the Lowlands (southern Scotland). But many of his Highlander soldiers went home with their spoils of war. Also, the Covenanters were too strong there. So, Montrose moved back to the northeast, hoping to get more soldiers. He especially wanted help from Clan Gordon, who could provide some cavalry (soldiers on horseback).
The Covenanters split their army. Lieutenant General William Baillie stayed in Perth. But he sent a group of soldiers north, led by Sir John Urry. Urry was a very experienced soldier. He had switched sides a few times during the wars. He had been with the English Parliamentarians, then the Royalists, and then joined the Covenanters again in 1644.
Montrose tried to trick the Covenanters by making small attacks towards the Lowlands. But he couldn't face Baillie's large army directly. On 18 April, he heard that Urry's army was threatening the lands of the Gordons. Montrose marched north to Skene. There, on 30 April, he met up with Alasdair MacColla, who had gathered new soldiers. Several groups of Gordons also joined them. From Skene, Montrose moved towards Urry, who was near Elgin.
The Battle of Auldearn
Urry knew a lot about Montrose's movements because the area around Elgin supported the Covenanters. Urry pulled his army back to the west. He hoped to trick Montrose into a position where he could launch a surprise attack. Urry's army had about 3,600 foot soldiers and 300 cavalry.
Late on 8 May, Urry heard that Montrose had set up camp at Auldearn, which was a small village back then. Urry decided to attack at dawn, hoping to surprise the Royalists. He left his cannons behind to move faster. But some of his soldiers fired their muskets to clear damp gunpowder. This noise warned the Royalists. Montrose quickly got his forces ready to fight back.
Montrose's Clever Plan
Montrose had a smart plan. On his right side, Alasdair MacColla led about 500 Irish and Gordon foot soldiers. They were placed in some fenced areas in front of Auldearn. Montrose made sure the Royal Standard (the King's flag) was clearly visible among them. This was to make Urry think that Montrose's entire army was in that spot.
But Montrose's main force was hidden in a dip in the ground to MacColla's left. This hidden force included two Irish regiments and some Gordons fighting on foot (about 800 musketeers and clansmen). There were also 200 Gordon horsemen, led by Lord Aboyne and his younger brother, Lord Lewis Gordon.
Urry's main infantry (foot soldiers) attacked the obvious position where Alasdair MacColla was. A small group of 50 cavalry tried to go around what they thought was the Royalist left side. Urry kept his other soldiers and cavalry in reserve.
MacColla's men pushed forward but were forced back. Montrose rode to the Gordon cavalry, who could hear the fighting but couldn't see it. He told them that MacColla's men were winning and would get all the glory. This made the Gordon horsemen eager to fight. They charged out of the hollow. The small group of Covenanter cavalry trying to go around MacColla was surprised while trying to cross a muddy area and ran away.
Montrose's foot soldiers followed his cavalry. They attacked the right side of Urry's main infantry. Urry's soldiers were attacked from all sides and broke apart. The rest of Urry's soldiers and cavalry ran away from the battlefield.
The Last Stand
Only one part of Urry's army kept fighting: the Clan MacLennan. They were the "Bannermen of Kintail" and carried the flag for the Clan Mackenzie chief, Seaforth. They were left alone when the Covenanters fled. They refused to retreat and stood their ground against the Royalist attack. They would not give up the Mackenzie flag, called the "Cabar Feidh." The Gordon cavalry showed them no mercy. Ruairidh Mac Gille Fhinnein, their chief, and his clansmen, along with some MacRaes and Mathesons, were all killed.
Like many of Montrose's victories, a lot of soldiers were killed after Urry's army broke and ran. The Royalists chased them for about 14 miles (22 km), showing no mercy.
What Happened Next
Montrose had destroyed half of the Covenanter forces that were fighting him. Sir John Urry later switched sides again and joined Montrose.
Today, there is a pub and restaurant called "The Covenanter" in Auldearn. It stands on part of the old battlefield and remembers the battle.
The battle and Montrose's campaign from 1644-1645 are featured in a 1937 novel called And No Quarter. It was written by Irish writer Maurice Walsh and tells the story from the viewpoint of two soldiers from O'Cahan's Regiment.
