The Battle of Sheriffmuir, 1715: The Draw That Doomed the Fifteen

Background

The Earl of Mar proclaimed James “the Old Pretender” king and quickly raised a large Highland army, taking Perth. In November he moved south for the vital Forth crossing at Stirling; the outnumbered Duke of Argyll marched out to block him, and the armies collided on the open moor before either had properly formed.

The battle

It was confused from the start — neither commander could see the whole field. Each army’s right wing beat the other’s left: Argyll drove the Jacobite left towards the Allan; Mar’s massed clans broke the government left. By afternoon both had “won” on their own flank. Crucially, Mar — with far greater numbers — would not commit his reserve, and Argyll reformed and held the field. Both sides claimed victory; neither had won.

Outcome & significance

Though drawn, Sheriffmuir was fatal to the Fifteen: Mar never crossed the Forth or linked with the English rising, momentum drained away, and by early 1716 the cause had collapsed. Argyll won the campaign by not losing the battle.

The battlefield today

The Gathering Stone (a broken prehistoric stone, iron-strapped) and the Clan MacRae memorial cairn mark the moor near the Sheriffmuir road above Dunblane; it is a registered battlefield.

The clans & people involved

• Jacobite (Mar): Gordon, MacDonald, Cameron, Stewart, MacGregor (Rob Roy’s men) and many more.
• Government (Argyll): Campbell, with the northern clans — Sutherland, Mackay, Ross, Munro and Fraser — who held the north.

Sources

• Battle of Sheriffmuir — Wikipedia; Historic Environment Scotland (BTL17); Undiscovered Scotland.