BattlefieldsBattle of Auldearn
English Civil War

Battle of Auldearn

1645
Nairnshire, Scotland
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Nairnshire, Scotland
Status
Registered · HES BTL3
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Covenanters (Sir John Urry)
Forces
Covenanters: 3,600 foot, 300 cavalry
VS
Victor
Royalists/Irish Brigade (Montrose and Alasdair MacColla)
Forces
Royalists: 1,300 foot, 250 cavalry
Outcome
Decisive Royalist/Irish victory; Covenanter resistance broken after Gordon cavalry charge, with pursuit continuing for around 14 miles
The Battle

History & Significance

The Battle of Auldearn was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It took place on 9 May 1645, in and around the village of Auldearn in Nairnshire. It resulted in a victory for the royalists, led by the Marquess of Montrose and Alasdair MacColla, over Sir John Urry and an army raised by the Covenanter-dominated Scottish government. The pibroch Blár Allt Earrann commemorates the battle. The battlefield has been included in the Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland and is protected by Historic Scotland under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011.

Confirmed battlefield location
Casualties & Losses

Royalists: light; Covenanters: approximately 1,500

Registered Historic Battlefield

This battlefield is listed on the Register of Historic Battlefields — a national designation identifying Britain's most significant battle sites for protection and further research. Reference: HES BTL3.

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