The Battle of Brechin, 1452: A Blow to the Douglas Cause
At a glance
| Date | 18 May 1452 |
| War | The Douglas rebellion under James II |
| Where | ~2.5 miles NNE of Brechin, Angus |
| Winner | the Earl of Huntly (Gordon), for the King |
| Loser | the Earl of Crawford (Lindsay) |
| Marker | the Hare Cairn / Huntly Hill |
Background
In February 1452 James II stabbed the 8th Earl of Douglas to death at Stirling, and the Douglas cause rose in revolt. In the north-east, the Earl of Crawford — “the Tiger,” a leading Douglas ally — took up arms.
The battle
A royalist army raised by Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly, with the Ogilvys, defeated Crawford near Brechin. Crawford soon submitted to the king.
Honesty note: no reliable casualty figures survive — do not repeat a toll. The date is sometimes given as 1451 through old-style dating; the Huntly Hill / Hare Cairn siting is traditional, not archaeologically fixed, so the map pin is approximate. Historians differ on whether Brechin was a nationally significant royal victory or essentially a local Gordon–Lindsay power struggle under the royal banner.
Why it mattered
Crawford’s submission left the Black Douglases isolated — a step on the road to their final destruction at Arkinholm in 1455 and the strengthening of the Stewart Crown.
The clans & people involved
- Clan Gordon (Huntly) and the Ogilvys — for the King, victorious.
- Clan Lindsay — the Earl of Crawford, defeated.
Sources
- Battle of Brechin — Wikipedia; Douglas History.
📝 Kevin’s note: a photo of Huntly Hill / the Hare Cairn near Brechin — add from our own visit.
Explore Scottish Outposts
Clans · Whisky · Castles · Lochs · Kirks & Cathedrals · Standing Stones · Metal Detecting · Trips So Far