Battle of Auldearn - Background

Background

In mid-1644 after the Covenanters sided with the Parliamentarians and intervened in the First English Civil War, the Earl of Montrose had been given a commission by King Charles I to command his forces in Scotland. After initial setbacks, he was able to raise an army consisting of Irish regiments and Highlanders. Most of the Covenanter army had been sent into England, and Montrose began to threaten Covenanter control over the Highlands.

On 2 February 1645, Montrose had won a complete victory over the pro-Covenanter Clan Campbell and their leader, the Earl of Argyll, at the Battle of Inverlochy. 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 Clan Gordon, who could provide at least some cavalry.

The Covenanters divided their forces. While Lieutenant General William Baillie remained based on Perth, he sent a detachment commanded by Sir John Hurry to the north. Hurry 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 the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.

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 Hurry's army was threatening the Gordon lands. Montrose marched north to Skene, where he was rejoined on 30 April by Alasdair MacColla, who had been recruiting fresh forces in the West Highlands, and several contingents of Gordons. From Skene, Montrose advanced against Hurry, who was near Elgin.