Battle of Aberdeen (1646)

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Aberdeen was fought on 14 May 1646 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. George, Marquis of Huntly the commander of a Royalist army, defeated a force of Covenanters under the command of Hugh, Lord Montgomerie.

In 1646 Montgomerie was engaged in the northern campaign under John Middleton and on 27 April entered Aberdeen with about 240 horse (cavalry) in four troops. In addition to his horse he had under his command 700 foot in two regiments, and he was entrusted with the duty of holding the city. Huntly, who having suffered some setbacks had retreated to Strathnaver in 1645 had since then returned to his lands around Strathbogie and raised a force of 1,600 foot and 600 horse.

On 14 May Huntly, with about 1,500 foot and 500 horse, stormed Aberdeen and set it on fire. Montgomerie's defenders repulsed the first two assaults but were then overcome. The Covenanters suffered many casualties and over 300 were taken prisoner, but there were no civilian casualties.

Huntly did not remain in Aberdeen, but with his usual indecision he soon returned to Strathbogie. A council of war declared on 8 June that Montgomerie had conducted himself in the affair "with as much prudence and gallantry as could have been expected".

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1890). "Gordon, George (d.1649)". In Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (eds.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 22. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 190–194.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1894). "Montgomerie, Hugh (1613-1669)". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 306–307.

Stuart, John, ed. (1871). Extracts from the Council register of the burgh of Aberdeen 1643–1747. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: Scottish Burgh Records Society. pp. 63, 64, 68.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Aberdeen (1646) lies on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is felsic-rock.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Aberdeen (1646)

Lang Stane,standing stone,Hilton Drive

Scheduled monument · Bronze Age · ~1.3 mi

Lang Stane is a Bronze Age standing stone located on Hilton Drive in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The monument stands on bedrock comprising an unnamed igneous intrusion of felsic rock, formed during the Silurian period. This geological foundation of ancient crystalline stone connects the monument's s…

St Machar's Cathedral and graveyard

Scheduled monument · ~1.4 mi

St Machar's Cathedral is a medieval cathedral church located in Old Aberdeen, founded in the early twelfth century on a site of earlier Christian significance associated with Saint Machar, a legendary companion of Saint Columba. The surviving structure, predominantly dating from the fourteenth an…

Mote Hill, palisaded settlement and cairn

Scheduled monument · ~1.4 mi

Mote Hill is a palisaded settlement and cairn located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. The site occupies ground underlain by Neoproterozoic bedrock of the Argyll Group, comprising psammite, semipelite and pelite—ancient metamorphic ro…

Balnagask motte, Baxter Place, Aberdeen

Scheduled monument · ~1.7 mi

Balnagask motte is a Norman earthwork located at Baxter Place in Aberdeen, Kincardineshire, founded upon bedrock of the Argyll Group formed during the Neoproterozoic era. The motte comprises an artificial mound typical of the type built across Scotland and northern England following the Norman Co…

Aberdeenshire Canal, remains of, Station Road, Woodside, Aberdeen

Scheduled monument · ~1.7 mi

Aberdeenshire Canal, remains of is a section of the early nineteenth-century canal system that once connected Aberdeen with the hinterland. Located at Station Road in Woodside, Aberdeen, the surviving earthworks and structures represent a significant phase in Scotland's transport infrastructure d…

Torry Battery, battery 130m ESE of Old South Breakwater

Scheduled monument · ~2 mi

Torry Battery is a coastal defensive fortification situated 130 metres east-south-east of the Old South Breakwater in Kincardineshire, Scotland. The battery occupies bedrock of the Argyll Group, Neoproterozoic deposits composed of psammite, semipelite and pelite that underlie much of this stretch…

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• Battle of Aberdeen · Wikidata
• Battle of Aberdeen (1646) · Wikipedia