9th May 1645
The Battle of Auldearn was part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (also known as the English Civil War) and fought between the Royalists forces of Charles 1 under the command of the Marquis of Montrose, and the Covenanters who were allied with the English Parliament and under the command of Sir John Hurry.
Over 5000 men fought intensely throughout the day after a surprise attack led by the Covenanters on Montrose’s position close to the village of Auldearn. Attack after counterattack eventually saw the Covenanters flee, with the battle being an important element in the development of Montrose’s reputation as a commander due to the defeat of a significantly stronger force.
One of our knowledgeable guides from Brodie Castle will be hosting a special commemorative talk at Boath Doocot, one of NTS’ ‘Little Gems’. From here you can view the site of the battle, gain an understanding of how the terrain affected the outcome, learn about what happened on the day and find out more about the history and legacy of the campaign itself. We may also take a short walk to discover more of the Covenanter's history.
We will meet by the Doocot for 2pm and the talk will last around an hour to an hour and a half. Please note that this will be outside so dress accordingly for the weather and sturdy footwear is advisable. There is limited parking at the site and you may need to park in Auldearn village itself.
Boath Doocot (Doocot being the Scots word for dovecot) is maintained by the NTS and more information can be found about it on our website Little gems | National Trust for Scotland (nts.org.uk)
