BattlefieldsRannoch Sweep — MacGregor Fugitives 1606
English Civil War

Rannoch Sweep — MacGregor Fugitives 1606

1606
Scotland
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
MacGregor fugitive bands in Rannoch Moor
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Government and Campbell sweep forces
Outcome
MacGregor fugitives partially dispersed from Rannoch; many escaped into deeper terrain
The Battle

History & Significance

Rannoch Moor — the vast desolate upland between Perthshire and Argyll — became the refuge of MacGregor fugitives hiding from the proscription. Government and Campbell forces conducted sweeps through Rannoch in 1606 attempting to flush out MacGregor bands who were surviving by cattle theft and living in the open. The terrain favoured the hunted — Rannoch's bogs, lochs, and dense forest were virtually impassable to organised cavalry. Many MacGregors survived in Rannoch for years despite the sweeps. The operations were costly and only partially effective.

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