BattlefieldsSiege of Stirling Castle 1746 — Mirabelle de Gordon engineering
Jacobite Risings

Siege of Stirling Castle 1746 — Mirabelle de Gordon engineering

1746
Stirlingshire, Scotland
Also known as: French engineer siege Stirling 1746 · Mirabelle de Gordon at Stirling 1746
Era
Jacobite Risings
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Stirlingshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Jacobites
Forces
Stirling Castle garrison under General Blakeney
VS
Victor
Government garrison
Forces
Jacobite siege force with French artillery under Mirabelle de Gordon
Outcome
Jacobite siege of Stirling Castle fails completely; French engineer Mirabelle widely mocked
The Battle

History & Significance

The Jacobite siege of Stirling Castle in January-February 1746 was a fiasco. The French engineer Mirabelle de Gordon (nicknamed 'Mirabelle de Blunder' by the Jacobites) selected hopelessly exposed artillery positions that were immediately silenced by the castle's superior guns. The Jacobite guns were outranged and outgunned. The castle governor General Blakeney resisted firmly. After Falkirk Muir, the army had a victory but the siege was no closer to success. The failure of the siege — combined with the approaching government relief army — forced the Jacobite retreat north.

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