BattlefieldsSkirmish at Kessock Ferry 1746
Jacobite Risings

Skirmish at Kessock Ferry 1746

1746
Ross-shire, Scotland
Also known as: Action at Kessock crossing 1746 · Beauly Firth skirmish 1746
Era
Jacobite Risings
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Ross-shire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Government (Loudon forces)
Forces
Government Loudon rearguard
VS
Victor
Jacobites
Forces
Jacobite advance force
Outcome
Jacobites force the Beauly Firth crossing; Loudon retreats further north
The Battle

History & Significance

After occupying Inverness, Jacobite forces pursued Lord Loudon's retreating government army across the Beauly Firth. Jacobite forces crossed at the Kessock Ferry — the narrow neck of water separating Inverness from the Black Isle — in February 1746. This forced Loudon to retreat further north into Easter Ross and Sutherland. The skirmishing at the ferry crossing demonstrates the Jacobites' operational energy in the weeks before Culloden, simultaneously besieging Fort William, Fort Augustus and Fort George while pursuing Loudon northward.

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