Historic Battlefield (Inventory): Inverlochy II, 2 February 1645 (BTL24)

The Battle of Inverlochy II was one of the battles in Scotland during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, fought as part of a concerted attempt to divert Scottish forces aiding the Parliamentarians in England back into Scotland to relieve pressure on the Royalists south of the border. It was fought between the supporters of the Royalist cause under James Graham, the Marquis of Montrose, and the Covenanters under the command of Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll, although he did not take direct command of his forces on the day. The battle was a resounding victory for the Royalists, destroying the Covenanter army and crippling their cause and Campbell’s own strength in the region, and succeeding in forcing the Covenanters to begin withdrawing their forces from England to deal with the threat. It is made all the more significant for the hugely impressive manner in which Montrose brought his men to bear, undertaking a gruelling flanking march over many miles of some of Scotland’s most difficult terrain in order to surprise the Covenanter army, who believed him, along with the vast majority of his army, to still be more than 30 miles away when he came upon them that day.