Montrose Changes Sides

There was too, dissension in the ranks as James Graham, fifth Earl and first Marquis of Montrose had formed the "Cumbernauld Bond" which was a pledge with other nobles who were concerned by the politics of Argyll, to promote the public aims of the Covenant against the private advantage.

Montrose also had second thoughts about the National League and Covenant, objecting to the pledge under cover of religion, to wrest the regal authority from the king. Whether this was so, or pique at not being made the commander of the armies, or more likely that his arch enemy Argyll had pride of place among the Covenanters. Whatever the reason he took up arms for the king.

So 1644 also saw the direct intervention of the Irish soldiers in Scotland. Led by Alastair MacDonald, son to Coll the left handed of Colonsay (ousted by the Campbells from Colonsay), and a MacDonald of Dunnyveg, he was close kin to the Earl of Antrim. With him came some 1000 clansmen with families and cattle who landed at Ardnamurchan on the west coast of Scotland and joined up with Montrose at Blair Atholl.

There followed a golden year for Montrose and his band with victory at Tippermuir near Perth on September 1, 1644, where 1300 Covenanters lay dead and 800 captured. At the Bridge of Dee his troops saw off the best the Covenanters could offer and sacked Aberdeen with three days of pillage, rape and murder.

They then dashed headlong through the passes of the southern Highlands to attack and loot Castle Campbell at Dollar, in the heartland of Argyll and Clan Campbell. Argyll himself managed to escape only to be thrashed again at Inverlochy, on February 2, 1645, where 1500 Campbell clansmen lay dead on the field of battle.

Further successes followed at Auldearn near Nairn (May 9) with 2000 Covenanter troops killed, Alford (July 2) and at Kilsyth (15 August) on the Borders where he swept the Covenanter army down the hill to have Scotland at his feet.