Battle of Stirling (1648)

Who Fought

History & Significance

The second Battle of Stirling was fought on 12 September 1648 during the Scottish Civil War of the 17th century. The battle was fought between the Engagers who were a faction of the Scottish Covenanters under the command of George Munro, 1st of Newmore and who had made "The Engagement" with Charles I of England in December 1647, against the Kirk Party who were a radical Presbyterian faction of the Scottish Covenanters who were under the command of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll.

The Battle of Stirling in 1648 was part of the War of the Three Kingdoms. By this time, the Presbyterian Covenanter movement had defeated the Scottish Royalists, who favoured unconditional loyalty to King Charles I.

The Independent party in the English Parliament and the English New Model Army posed a threat to the Solemn League and Covenant and the aspirations of the Scots and the English Presbyterians to secure a Presbyterian church north and south of the border.

One faction of the Covenanters entered into an engagement with Charles I who agreed to sign the National Covenant in exchange for Scottish help to him and the English Presbyterians against the English Independents in the Second English Civil War. Those that supported this engagement between the King became known as Engagers.

The Engagers army under the command of the Duke of Hamilton was defeated by the New Model Army under the command of Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Preston (1648).

Those Covenanters who had opposed the Engagement, seized the opportunity presented by the loss of credibility suffered by the Engagers and launched the Whiggamore Raid which led to their successful capture of Edinburgh. This initiated the short civil war between the Engagers and their opponents known as the Kirk party.

The Earl of Lanark, younger brother of the Duke of Hamilton, had been left to defend Scotland against Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, a covenanter and a leading member of the Kirk party who was now in open rebellion against the Scottish parliament, over their Engagement with King Charles.

The nucleus of the Marquis of Argyll's force amounted to about 300 men, who were joined by another 400 on the way to Stirling. He was also joined by a further 300 militiamen when he arrived in Stirling on the morning of September 12, 1648. His men were assigned to guard various areas of the town and his main force joined him to dine at the Earl of Mar's residence.

Argyll had barely begun his meal when the Earl of Lanark's advance forces, commanded by Sir George Munro, 1st of Newmore, a Highlander, came into the Deer Park (now the King's Park). Argyll then mounted his horse and galloped over Stirling Bridge to seek safety. While making his escape he came under fire from Stirling Castle which had not yet surrendered to Argyll and was still flying the King's colours.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Stirling (1648) lies on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Carboniferous To Permian, bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is dolerite and tholeiitic basalt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Stirling (1648)

Stirling, remains of former bridge to N of Stirling Old Bridge

Scheduled monument · ~0.6 mi

Stirling, remains of former bridge to N of Stirling Old Bridge is a masonry bridge structure of unknown date situated on the River Forth immediately north of the medieval Stirling Old Bridge. The monument consists of fragmentary stonework visible in the riverbed and banks, testimony to an earlier…

Stirling, town wall & bastion & Port Street Bastion at 44 Bastion Wynd

Scheduled monument · ~0.6 mi

Stirling town wall and bastion is a defensive structure built to protect the royal burgh of Stirling on its elevated site above the River Forth. The fortification occupies the rising ground at 44 Bastion Wynd, where the bedrock of Permian dolerite and tholeiitic basalt provides a naturally strong…

King's Park,cup & ring mark

Scheduled monument · ~0.7 mi

King's Park cup and ring mark is a prehistoric rock carving located in Stirlingshire, Scotland. The motif consists of a cup—a small circular depression—surrounded by concentric rings pecked into the living rock surface. Such carvings are characteristic of later Neolithic and Bronze Age societies…

Abbey Craig,fort

Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~1.5 mi

Abbey Craig fort is an Iron Age hillfort situated on a prominent rocky outcrop near Stirling in Perthshire, Scotland. The fort exploits the natural defensive qualities of its location, built upon bedrock composed of Permian-age igneous intrusion dominated by dolerite and tholeiitic basalt, which…

Gillies Hill,fort

Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~1.9 mi

Gillies Hill is an Iron Age fort situated in Stirlingshire, Scotland. The fortification commands views across the surrounding landscape from its position on bedrock formed by Permian-age igneous intrusion, comprising dolerite and tholeiitic basalt. This volcanic geology provides the natural found…

Airthrey Castle,standing stone 280m SE of

Scheduled monument · Bronze Age · ~2.1 mi

Airthrey Castle is a Bronze Age standing stone located in Perthshire, Scotland, approximately 280 metres south-east of Airthrey Castle itself. The monument stands upon bedrock of the Arbuttnott-Garvock Group, a geological formation of Pragian age comprising sandstone interspersed with conglomerat…

Other English Civil War Battles

Battles near Battle of Stirling (1648)

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• Battle of Stirling · Wikidata
• Battle of Stirling (1648) · Wikipedia
• Stirling · Canmore
• Stirling · Canmore
• Stirling · Canmore