The Battle of Inverlochy, 1645: Montrose’s Winter March

Background

James Graham, Marquess of Montrose, was waging a lightning royalist campaign for Charles I, aided by seasoned Irish troops under Alasdair MacColla. After raiding Argyll’s own lands, he found himself seemingly trapped in the Great Glen — Seaforth’s levies to the north-east, Argyll’s Campbells gathering at Inverlochy to the south-west.

The battle

Montrose’s answer was the famous winter flanking march: rather than retreat, he took his army up through the mountains — roughly 30–36 miles in about 36 hours, partly through knee-deep snow — to appear at dawn behind Argyll’s unsuspecting army. Argyll, nursing an injured shoulder, retired to his galley on the loch, leaving Campbell of Auchinbreck to fight. The veteran Irish held their fire, loosed one close volley and charged home, routing the Campbell wings; Auchinbreck was killed, and the rout became a merciless pursuit — a settling of the old MacDonald–Campbell feud.

Outcome & significance

Inverlochy shattered Campbell military power in the west and opened Montrose’s run of 1645 victories. In clan memory it was above all a MacDonald triumph over the Campbells, celebrated by the bard Iain Lom.

The battlefield today

The ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle stand beside the field on the edge of Fort William, Ben Nevis behind — the most visible marker, though much of the ground now lies under the modern town. In the pursuit country tradition places Clach nan Caimbeulach, “the Campbells’ Stone.”

The clans & people involved

• Clan Donald (MacColla’s brigade), Cameron and Stewart of Appin — with Montrose.
• Clan Campbell — Argyll’s following, under Auchinbreck, shattered.

Sources

• Battle of Inverlochy (1645) — Wikipedia; the BCW Project; Historic Environment Scotland (BTL24).