Battle of Dunkeld

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Battle of Dunkeld
Part of the Jacobite Rising
Date August 21, 1689 Location Dunkeld, Scotland Result British Government (Orange Royalists) Victory
Belligerents
Jacobite Royalists (Highlanders & Irish)	Orange Covenantor Royalists (Highlanders & Lowlanders)
Commanders
Alexander Cannon	William Cleland† George Munro of Auchinbowie
Strength
5000	1200 foot
Casualties and losses
300	unknown

v • d • e 17th Century Scottish Jacobite Rising Killiecrankie – Dunkeld – Cromdale

The Battle of Dunkeld (Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Dhùn Chaillinn) was fought between Jacobite clans supporting King James VII of Scotland and a government regiment of covenanters supporting William of Orange, in the streets around Dunkeld Cathedral, Dunkeld, Scotland, on August 21, 1689, and formed part of the Jacobite rising commonly called Dundee's rising in Scotland.

Following the death of Viscount Dundee in the Jacobite victory at the Battle of Killiecrankie the Highlanders were led on the field of battle by the uncharismatic Colonel Alexander Cannon. With the Scottish Privy council preparing to leave Scotland, the newly formed Cameronian regiment, 1200 men, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Cleland, moved north from Perth to meet the advancing Jacobites. ^[1]

Dunkeld was not protected by a town wall, so Cleland ordered his troops to take up defensive positions in the cathedral, which was surrounded by an enclosing wall, and the nearby mansion of the Marquess of Atholl. The Jacobites took up positions in neighbouring houses, and a four hour of exchange of musket fire ensued. Having exhausted their own munitions, the Cameronians are reported to have stripped lead from the roof of Atholl House to keep up their fire. Holes dating from this battle, caused by the strikes of musket balls, are still visible in the east gable of Dunkeld Cathedral. ^[1]

The Colonel, William Cleland of the Cameronian regiment was killed during the first hour of the battle and the Major of the regiment was wounded. The command fell to Captain George Munro of Auchinbowie who led them to victory. The battle was brought to an end by a group of Cameronians, led by Munro charging the Jacobite defenses and setting them alight. Fierce fighting raged until eleven o'clock that night, when the Highland army fled to the hills, leaving 300 dead and saying that it ‘could fight against men but was not fit to fight any more against devils. ^{[1] [2]}

The Jacobites routed, having lost around 300 men. Losses on the government side are unclear, but included Colonel Cleland, who is buried in the cathedral. ^[1]

This significant battle, a thorough defeat of the Jacobites' by the purely and distinctively Scottish Cameronians, is often completely ignored by pro-Jacobite accounts that attempt to associate Jacobitism with Scottish nationalism.^[3]

[edit] Cameronian Regiment

The Cameronian regiment takes its name from Richard Cameron, (1648-1680), a Scottish religious reformer and covenanting leader from the Scottish Lowlands, and was raised largely from the tenantry of the Marquess of Douglas, chief of Clan Douglas. They had nothing to do with the Highland Clan Cameron which fought on the Jacobite side at the Battle of Dunkeld.^[4] The Cameronian regiment subsequently became the 26th (The Cameronian) Regiment of Foot, and then the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Brief description of the battle.