The Battle of Tillieangus, 1571

The Battle of Tillieangus was a significant event in Scottish history that took place on October 10, 1571 during the Marian civil war. The conflict arose as a result of tensions between the supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots and her son, King James VI. The Gordons, who were Catholic and supported Mary, were opposed by the Protestant Forbeses, who supported James.

The battle took place near the White Hill of Tillyangus, which was also known as “Gordons’ Camp Muir” according to a Knockespock estate plan from 1841. The Gordons, led by Sir Adam Gordon, were on their way to the Suie Road to Edinburgh to join the Earl of Huntly when they were confronted by the Forbeses, led by “Black Arthur” Forbes.

The Forbeses had entrenched themselves within their camp, which they had strongly fortified, but the Gordons were able to overcome them and emerge victorious. Black Arthur Forbes was killed in the battle, as was John Gordon of Buckie on the Gordon side. The Forbeses also suffered heavy losses, with 36 gentlemen of the name Forbes and Lord Forbes’s brother killed, and 100 prisoners taken, including a younger son of Lord Forbes.

The battle was mentioned in a letter from the Bishop of Galloway, and it is believed that the burial cairns of those who died in the battle were discovered in the 1800s. A large quantity of human bones were found at the site, which were traditionally believed to be the remains of those who died in the battle.

Despite the importance of the Battle of Tillieangus, no physical features in the landscape were extant to testify to the battle’s occurrence by the time it was visited by the Ordnance Survey in 1967 and by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland in 1998. The tradition of the battle was still known in the local area, but no further information was reported to be available at that time.