The Battle of Inverurie, 1745

The Battle of Inverurie was fought on December 23, 1745, and was one of the crucial events in the Jacobite rising of 1745. The battle was fought between the forces of the Scottish government and the Jacobite rebels, and it had a significant impact on the outcome of the rising.

After the Jacobite capture of Edinburgh in autumn 1745, Lord Lewis Gordon was designated as the Jacobite Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire and was given responsibility for raising men in the north-eastern part of Scotland. With a mix of volunteers and men “pressed” into service, he mustered a relatively large regiment including three battalions: the “Aberdeen” battalion, the “Strathbogie” battalion, and the “Mar” battalion.

The government commander-in-chief in the north, John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, sent Norman MacLeod of MacLeod from Inverness with 500 men to confront Gordon. MacLeod was to pick up reinforcements en route from George Munro and the Laird of Grant.

Gordon eventually left Aberdeen on December 23 with 1,100 men and 5 pieces of cannon. He led one column of Jacobite troops and Avochie led another, but in reality, active command was delegated to Major Lancelot Cuthbert. The Jacobites crossed the Bridge of Don and took the route by Fintray, while Gordon sent a detachment of 300 men to deceive MacLeod.

At about four o’clock in the afternoon, the Irish picquets waded across the River Don and attacked MacLeod’s troops. Gordon then crossed the River Ury and attacked the town in the area of the church, taking the defenders by surprise. The MacLeods retreated down the main street of Inverurie, and they were pushed back to Elgin during the course of the evening. The government troops lost seven dead, with 59 taken prisoner, while the Jacobites admitted to losing 14 dead.

About fifty of MacLeod’s men were taken prisoner, including John Chalmers and Donald Ban MacCrimmon. The remainder, including MacLeod himself, retreated to their own country.

The Battle of Inverurie was a significant turning point in the Jacobite rising of 1745. It demonstrated the strength of the Scottish government forces and weakened the Jacobite cause. The battle also marked the beginning of the government’s resurgence in the north and the eventual defeat of the Jacobite rebellion.