The Battle of Corrichie, 1562

The Battle of Corrichie was a significant event in Scottish history that took place on October 28, 1562, near Aberdeen, Scotland. The battle was fought between the forces of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, and the forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, under the command of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray. The conflict was a result of a power struggle between Huntly and Moray, and Mary’s efforts to assert her authority in the north of Scotland.

Huntly was the chief of Clan Gordon and a Catholic lord who had been loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots. However, after Mary returned to Scotland in 1561 and fell under the influence of her half-brother James Stuart, the illegitimate son of her late father, tensions arose between Huntly and the crown. Mary gave her brother the title of Earl of Moray, which Huntly also claimed. This led to a collision course between the two men, which resulted in the Battle of Corrichie.

The Royalist forces, which included the clans of Forbes, Leslie, Irvine, Hays, Fraser, Munro, Mackenzie, Mackintosh, Mackay, Murray, and Cameron, were victorious in the battle. Huntly made a tactical error by throwing away his spears and relying on his swords, which proved ineffective against Moray’s pikemen. About 120 Gordons were killed and another 100 captured, while the Royalist forces suffered minimal losses. Both the Earl of Huntly and his eldest son Sir John Gordon of Findlater were captured and executed, while the Earl’s younger son Adam Gordon of Auchindoun was spared.

The victory was a reward for the loyalty of the Lords Forbes, who received a charter promising them Huntly’s lands, which were held directly by the Crown. This led to further conflict between the Gordons and the Forbeses, as the Forbeses sought to assert their control over the lands that had been granted to them. The defeat of the Gordons at the Battle of Corrichie was a significant moment in Scottish history, as it marked the end of the Gordons’ power and influence in the north of Scotland, and the triumph of Mary, Queen of Scots’ authority in the region.