The Battle of Cromdale took place at the Haughs of Cromdale on 30 April and 1 May 1690. The site is on a hillside near the village of
Cromdale
Cromdale ( gd, Cromdhail, from ''crom'' 'crooked' and ''dal'' 'valley, dale') is a village in Strathspey, in the Highland council area of Scotland, and one of the ancient parishes which formed the combined ecclesiastical (later civil) parish o ...
, then in
Inverness-shire
Inverness-shire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in populatio ...
and now in the
Highland council area
Highland ( gd, A' Ghàidhealtachd, ; sco, Hieland) is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in the United Kingdom. It was the 7th most populous council area in Scotland at the 2011 census. It share ...
. The battlefield has been included in the
Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland
The Inventory of Historic Battlefields is a heritage register listing nationally significant battlefields in Scotland. The inventory was published for consultation in December 2010 by Historic Scotland, an agency of the Scottish Government, and l ...
and protected by
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment. ...
under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy of 2009.
Background
After their defeat at the
Battle of Dunkeld
The Battle of Dunkeld ( gd, Blàr Dhùn Chaillinn) was fought between Jacobite clans supporting the deposed king James VII of Scotland and a regiment of covenanters supporting William of Orange, King of Scotland, in the streets around Dunke ...
in 1689, the Highland clans had returned to their homes in low spirits.
Sir Ewen Cameron assumed control over the army's remnant. Sir Ewen and the other
Jacobite chiefs complained to
King James over the precarious state of his support in Scotland and the necessity of sending them aid. James was occupied with preparations for resisting a threatened
invasion of Ireland. To aid his supporters in Scotland, James sent clothing, arms, ammunition and provisions. He also directed a few officers from Ireland to Lochaber, among whom was Major-General
Thomas Buchan
Thomas Buchan (c.1641–1724) was a Scottish professional soldier from a Catholic family in Aberdeenshire who served in the armies of France, the Netherlands and Scotland. He remained loyal to James II after the 1688 Glorious Revolution and par ...
, whom James made commander-in-chief of the Jacobite forces in Scotland.
On Buchan's arrival, a meeting of the chiefs and principal officers was held at
Keppoch to formulate a plan of action. While some of the clans proposed to submit to the government, this proposition was resisted by Sir Ewen. The meeting unanimously resolved to continue the war, but not until the labours of the spring season were complete in the Highlands. The general muster of the clans was postponed. In the meantime, a detachment of 1,200 infantrymen was to be placed at Buchan's disposal to weaken the enemy's quarters along the borders of the Lowlands.
General Buchan advanced his men through
Badenoch
Badenoch (from gd, Bàideanach, meaning "drowned land") is a traditional district which today forms part of Badenoch and Strathspey, an area of Highland Council, in Scotland, bounded on the north by the Monadhliath Mountains, on the east by th ...
, intending to march down Speyside into the
Duke of Gordon
The title Duke of Gordon has been created once in the Peerage of Scotland and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
The Dukedom, named after the Clan Gordon, was first created for the 4th Marquess of Huntly, who on 3 November 1684 was c ...
's country, where he expected to muster additional forces. Due to desertion, Buchan's force had dwindled to 800 men. Ignoring counsel from his Scottish officers not to advance past Culnakill, (the modern Coulnakyle near
Nethybridge)
“In the Shadow of Cairngorm XVII. Coulnakyle and its Memories”
Electric Scotland. Retrieved 5 October 2019. Buchan marched down the Spey as far as Cromdale where he encamped on the last day of April.
Battle
He was met near Grantown-on-Spey
Grantown-on-Spey ( gd, Baile nan Granndach) is a town in the Highland Council Area, Counties of Scotland, historically within the county of Moray. It is located on a low plateau at Freuchie beside the river Spey at the northern edge of the Cairng ...
at Cromdale by a larger government force under Sir Thomas Livingstone, commander of the garrison of Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
. As Livingston approached with his men, on the opposite bank of the Spey, the Jacobite forces started to retreat. Livingston's cavalry crossed the river and intercepted the Jacobites who made a brief stand at the foot of the hill of Cromdale. However, a thick fog came down the side of the mountain and enveloped the outnumbered Jacobites, compelling Livingston to discontinue the pursuit. According to reports, the Highlanders had 400 men killed and taken prisoner. Livingston's losses were reported as between none and 100 killed.
A group of around 100 men, who had separated from the main Jacobite force, crossed the Spey the following day. After being pursued by some of Livingston's men, they were overtaken and dispersed on the moor of Granish near Aviemore
Aviemore (; gd, An Aghaidh Mhòr ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popul ...
, where some of them were killed. They attempted to seize the castle of Lochinclan, but their attack was repelled by the proprietor and his tenants.
Aftermath
The defeat at Cromdale effectively ended the rebellion in Scotland. Nevertheless, Jacobite propagandists declared the action a victory for the Jacobite forces, and composed a popular song, ''The Haughs of Cromdale'', to promote that viewpoint. It is listed in James Hogg
James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a friend of many ...
's ''Jacobite Reliques
''Jacobite Relics'' is a two volume collection of songs related to the Jacobite risings, compiled by the Scottish poet and novelist James Hogg on commission from the Highland Society of London in 1817. Most of the songs in the collection are Jacob ...
'' as song number 2. The last verse reads:
''The loyal Stuarts, with Montrose,''
''So boldly set upon their foes,''
''And brought them down with Highland blows''
''Upon the Haughs of Cromdale.''
''Of twenty-thousand Cromwell's men,''
''a thousand fled to Aberdeen,''
''The rest of them lie on the plain,''
''They're on the Haughs of Cromdale.''
''Of twenty-thousand of Cromwell's men,''
''a-thousand fled to Aberdeen,''
''The rest of them lie on the plain,''
''They're on the Haughs of Cromdale.''
Strangely, the hero of the song, James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612 – 21 May 1650) was a Scottish nobleman, poet and soldier, Lord Lieutenant, lord lieutenant and later viceroy and captain general of Scotland. Montrose initially joined the Covenanters in the Wa ...
, died forty years before the battle occurred and the antagonist Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
more than thirty years before. The tune has remained popular and is still played by pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of Bagpipes, pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common.
The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland b ...
s.
Notes and references
External links
The lyrics to ''The Haughs o' Cromdale''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cromdale, Battle of
1690 in Scotland
Battles involving Scotland
Conflicts in 1690
Jacobite rising of 1689
History of the Scottish Highlands
Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland