The Atholl Raids, 1746

The Atholl raids of 14-17 March 1746 were a series of surprise attacks carried out by Jacobite rebels against the British-Hanoverian government during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Led by the Jacobite commander, Lord George Murray, the raids were intended to support his argument that guerrilla warfare was a better strategic choice for the Jacobite forces.

The background of the Atholl raids began with the commander of British forces in Scotland, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, feeling confident that there was no chance of friendly forces being surprised. This confidence was despite a man who had recently escaped from Jacobite captivity reporting that the Jacobites were planning on attacking the outposts held by the Campbells that were covering Blair Atholl and Castle Menzies.

Murray collected his Atholl Brigade along with two 4-pounder cannon and marched from Inverness to Strathspey, taking the surrender of Castle Grant on 14 March. He then left the castle garrisoned by 100 men and in Ruthven, Badenoch he was joined by Archibald Menzies of Struan and Ewen MacPherson of Cluny with 300 Macphersons, bringing his total force to the number of 700 men.

The Jacobite troops were divided into thirty companies or detachments, consisting of both Atholl men and MacPhersons and were each assigned a particular target. The Jacobite force marched across 30 miles of hills to come within reach of their objectives, taking the Pass of Killiecrankie. The post at Bun Rannoch was then taken which was being held by the Loudon’s 64th Highlanders and much to the embarrassment of that unit’s commander, Colin Campbell of Glenure, as he was not present when the Jacobite attack went in. He claimed that at the time he was at Castle Menzies trying to obtain food for his men. His militia men at Bun Rannoch had been drinking when they were surrounded at 11pm on 16 March by the Jacobites.

The first sentry fired his musket but to no effect and was surrounded. The next post to the east was Kynachan House which guarded an important bridge over the River Tummel, but again the sentry was surrounded and this time killed. The Campbell men inside the house did for some time stand firing out of slits of the building, but an opening was made in the roof above them and so they were obliged to surrender. In all a dozen militia outposts had been taken by the Jacobites, and 300 government troops were taken prisoner.

All of the objectives had been taken including those of the regular soldiers who were closest to Blair Castle. All of the government schemes to reinforce the outposts came to nothing and the Jacobite general, Lord George Murray, was then able to lay siege to Blair Castle for two weeks. The Atholl raids proved Murray’s contention that guerrilla warfare tactics were the best option, but left the Jacobite army spread out over the Scottish Highlands with few troops to prevent the Duke of Cumberland marching on Inverness. Colin Campbell of Glenure whose men were defeated at the raid on Bun Rannoch was later murdered in what is now known as the Appin Murder on 14 May 1752.

According to historian John Buchan, the Jacobites had as many as twenty bagpipers with them when they carried out the Atholl raids. The sound of the bagpipes would have been a terrifying and intimidating sound to the government troops, who would not have been accustomed to hearing them in battle.

The Atholl raids were a significant event in the Jacobite rising of 1745 and demonstrated Lord George Murray’s tactical skills as a military leader. The raids also highlighted the effectiveness of guerrilla warfare tactics and the importance of surprise in battle. The Atholl raids were a major embarrassment for the British-Hanoverian government and showed that the Jacobite forces were still a formidable threat, despite their defeat at the Battle of Culloden just a year earlier.