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initially held firm and refused to give quarter. However, when some of the
Royalist cavalry under Gordon returned and attacked them on the flank and rear, they broke and began to flee from the battlefield. It is likely that by being deployed only three lines deep they were unable to turn and effectively face the cavalry assault. The difficulties presented by escaping across a ford meant that the rout was particularly vicious: government losses were about 1,500 of their 2,000 infantry, although much of their cavalry escaped, along with Baillie, Balcarres and other commanders. Cassilis' and Glencairn's regiments in particular were reduced to little more than 100 men each. Primary sources suggest that the pursuit of the defeated Covenanter infantry went on until the early evening, over a distance of 9 miles.
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Royalist rearguard, as the majority of their troops were concealed on the hill's reverse slope. Montrose had drawn up his army with the majority of the infantry in the centre and the cavalry on the flanks: Aboyne on the left and Gordon on the right, each strengthened by a unit of Irish foot. As
Baillie was still in the process of moving forward, he attempted to use a stretch of marshy ground, intersected by ditches and pools, to strengthen his position.
650:. Baillie was now compelled to follow, otherwise Montrose would have had a clear route of march into central Scotland. By 1 July, Montrose occupied high ground near the village of Alford, probably at Gallows Hill. Early on the morning of 2 July, he received word that the Covenanters were rapidly approaching the ford of the Don and made a decision to attack, mainly as he knew that Lindsay was finally en route to reinforce Baillie.
69:
666:, who showed a high degree of military discipline in the coming battle by unleashing his men at the critical point. This was the first battle where Montrose's Irish contingent did not outnumber his Scottish troops. Thanks to the presence of the Strathbogie and other Gordon regiments, Montrose also now had many more Lowlanders than Highlanders.
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clergy, had ordered the detachment of around 1,200 of
Baillie's most experienced foot to create a second army, intended to be commanded by the Earl of Lindsay. Some of the resulting gaps were filled by inexperienced militia. Conscious of the weakened state of his army, Baillie spent the early summer
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Montrose waited until
Balcarres' cavalry was across the river, and the infantry was in the process of crossing, before ordering Lord Gordon's horse to attack Balcarres. A fierce fight ensued around the ford between the two groups of cavalry. Balcarres threw back the attack, but Gordon regrouped and
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commander, insisted on giving battle, and
Baillie later wrote that he was unhappy about engaging as he felt they were outnumbered. Other accounts, however, suggest that despite Montrose moving his whole army down to within musket shot of Baillie, Baillie was misled into believing he faced only a
798:
Baillie and his infantry had now crossed the Don only to witness their cavalry routed. Baillie responded to the threat of being outflanked by extending his line: however to do so he had to deploy his troops only three ranks deep. Montrose finally ordered his infantry to attack: Baillie's men
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Following
Montrose's occupation of high ground overlooking the Don, Baillie did not want to risk crossing the river, seeing that his troops would be vulnerable to attack before they could form up. It was afterwards rumoured that Balcarres, a member of the Committee of Estates and Baillie's
658:
The two armies appear to have been roughly equal in size, though
Baillie later claimed the Royalists outnumbered them. Up to 1,000 of Baillie's troops may have been local militia hastily pressed into service just before the battle. Baillie's position was further weakened by the presence of
598:, departed for the western Highlands in an attempt to raise more men. Montrose himself made an effort to engage the remaining Covenanter army under Major-General Baillie. Baillie, a veteran soldier, had seen his forces reduced in size by the controlling body of the Scottish Parliament, the
555:
had appointed
Montrose as his Captain-General in Scotland and charged him with conducting the Royalist resistance. It was hoped that by carrying out a disruptive campaign in Scotland, Montrose would tie down government troops that would otherwise be used in the war in England.
802:
The
Royalists lost several hundred men, including Lord Gordon - a serious loss to their cause, and in the long run possibly the most significant outcome of the battle. Nevertheless, the battle was one of the few bright moments for the Royalists in the aftermath of the
795:
attacked again, supported by Thomas
Laghtnan's regiment of Irish infantry. Balcarres' cavalry broke and retreated: Baillie, now having no choice but to commit to the battle, ordered Halkett forward but the latter was driven off by the Royalist left wing under Aboyne.
819:, could be recalled from the war in Ireland. The Committee appointed a deputation to advise him on tactics, although many of those involved had already been defeated by Montrose at some point, and their interference in the next engagement was to prove disastrous.
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The Historic Scotland report commented that despite its importance the battle "has drawn little popular attention" outside the immediate area, but notes that a fragment of a
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Montrose was now at last in a position to march towards the south of the country, where he would face a freshly raised government force at Kilsyth the following month.
815:
After the defeat an unhappy Baillie tendered his resignation to the Committee of Estates, but was compelled to stay in command until his intended replacement, Maj-Gen.
646:, but the latter formed up for battle in a strong defensive position. Montrose refused to attack and, after several days of waiting, moved his force on and across the
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in September 1644. His troops plundered large parts of the west Highlands that winter, before routing and destroying the forces of key government supporter the
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Montrose was now at last in a position to march towards the south of the country, where in mid-August he would face a freshly raised government force at the
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has survived, though the surviving verses do not relate to the fighting itself. It also noted that the great-grandfather of
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crofter named Thomas Watt, was among the militia conscripted to fight on the government side, and was killed there.
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representatives of the Committee of Estates on his chain of command in the person of the Earl of Balcarres.
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The view up from the battlefield towards Gallow Hill, where Montrose drew up his army
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In Mac Colla's absence, the Irish troops supporting Montrose were commanded by Col.
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months trying to evade contact with Montrose, and both forces manoeuvred through
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on 2 February. Finally, Montrose defeated a larger government army under
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Following the Scottish Parliament's decision to intervene in the
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1096:"Site of the Battle of Alford 1645 – Wars of the Three Kingdoms"
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A Battle that took place during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
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Following Auldearn, the commander of the Irish contingent,
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Auldearn 1645: The Marquis of Montrose's Scottish campaign
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The Inventory of Historic Battlefields - Battle of Alford
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for several weeks in an attempt to secure an advantage.
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under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011.
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702:Col. James Farquharson of Inverey's Regiment (300)
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1030:. CastlesFortsBattles.co.uk. 2019. Archived from
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1007:Year Book of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1980
699:Col. William Gordon of Monymore's Regiment (200)
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691:James McDonnell's Regiment / O'Cahan's Regiment
1178:Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland
529:Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland
685:Irish Brigade (600 men) (Col. Manus O'Cahan)
520:-dominated Scottish government, commanded by
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1112:Year Book of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
266:Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
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1121:Invasions: Scotland and Ireland 1641–1691
714:Viscount Aboyne's Regiment of Horse (300)
508:, on 2 July 1645. During the battle, the
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642:Montrose caught Baillie on 24 June near
161:Alexander Lindsay, 1st Earl of Balcarres
758:Sir William Forbes of Craigevar's Horse
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1119:Young, John (2000). Lenihan, P (ed.).
680:James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
514:James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
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711:Lord Gordon's Regiment of Horse (200)
567:, Montrose won surprise victories at
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1098:. British Towns and Villages Network
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504:. It took place near the village of
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527:The battlefield is included in the
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1158:Battles of the Scottish Civil War
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1065:Plant, David (27 December 2010).
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147:James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne
73:The site of the Battle of Alford
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987:portal.historicenvironment.scot
670:Order of battle and deployments
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419:Anglo-Scottish war (1650–1652)
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1137:Historic Environment Scotland
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761:John Forbes of Leslie's Horse
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1067:"The Battle of Alford, 1645"
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741:Earl of Glencairn's Regiment
738:Earl of Callendar's Regiment
626:, together with a number of
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983:"Battle of Kilsyth (BTL13)"
729:Infantry regiments (2,400)
706:Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
516:defeated the forces of the
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735:Earl of Cassilis' Regiment
696:Strathbogie Regiment (500)
688:Thomas Laghtnan's Regiment
1141:"Battle of Alford (BTL1)"
1024:"Battle of Alford (1645)"
755:Sir James Halkett's Horse
744:Earl of Lanark's Regiment
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938:Battle of Alford (1645)
764:Master of Forbes' Horse
545:First English Civil War
296:First English Civil War
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203:Registered battlefield
135:Commanders and leaders
109:Royalist/Irish Victory
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732:Lord Elcho's Regiment
506:Alford, Aberdeenshire
184:Casualties and losses
843:The Battle of Alford
600:Committee of Estates
37:57.23806°N 2.72389°W
614:, and the Lords of
565:Confederate Ireland
144:George, Lord Gordon
33: /
1034:on 18 October 2019
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596:Alasdair Mac Colla
577:Marquess of Argyll
502:Scottish Civil War
473:Glencairn's rising
218:Reference no.
61:Scottish Civil War
42:57.23806; -2.72389
1173:Conflicts in 1645
1086:Reid, S. (2012).
827:Battle of Kilsyth
533:Historic Scotland
531:and protected by
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328:1st Aberdeen
318:Marston Moor
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118:Belligerents
59:Part of the
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1071:BCW Project
485:Dalnaspidal
363:Philiphaugh
308:Boldon Hill
284:Brig of Dee
130:Covenanters
85:2 July 1645
40: /
1152:Categories
1016:References
953:Young 2000
847:James Watt
833:In culture
722:(Maj-Gen.
720:Covenanter
591:on 9 May.
581:Inverlochy
569:Tippermuir
539:Background
518:Covenanter
446:Carbisdale
378:Lagganmore
368:Annan Moor
338:Inverlochy
323:Tippermuir
210:Designated
177:2,000 foot
172:2,000 foot
25:57°14′17″N
1090:. Osprey.
1077:23 August
1056:7 October
1038:23 August
970:Reid 2012
857:Citations
851:Kildrummy
811:Aftermath
648:River Don
628:Calvinist
624:Balcarres
561:2,000 men
559:Aided by
466:Worcester
397:Dunaverty
303:Newcastle
123:Royalists
28:2°43′26″W
1123:. Brill.
676:Royalist
620:Burleigh
608:Crawford
589:Auldearn
573:Aberdeen
563:sent by
512:general
510:Royalist
431:Stirling
343:Auldearn
333:Carlisle
167:Strength
155:General
90:Location
1114:. 1980.
992:12 June
841:called
775:cavalry
547:on the
480:Tullich
412:Winwick
407:Preston
358:Kilsyth
289:Newburn
839:ballad
654:Battle
622:, and
551:side,
461:Dundee
451:Dunbar
348:Alford
106:Result
95:Alford
1051:(PDF)
907:Plant
817:Monro
708:(200)
644:Keith
633:Moray
616:Elcho
353:Fyvie
192:1,500
1104:2009
1079:2020
1058:2013
1040:2020
994:2024
849:, a
635:and
610:and
571:and
496:The
313:York
222:BTL1
82:Date
587:at
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
