The Highbridge Skirmish was the first engagement of the

Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...

between government troops and Jacobites loyal to Prince

Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (31 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, making him the grandson of James VII and II, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, ...

. It took place at Highbridge,

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...

, on the River Spean on 16 August 1745, and marked the commencement of hostilities between the two sides.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart Commencement of Hostilities
' electricscotland.com. Retrieved 7 June 2014.

Background

Shortly after Prince Charles had landed he met up firstly with the

Donald Cameron of Lochiel Donald Cameron of Lochiel ( – 26 October 1748), popularly known as the Gentle Lochiel, was a Scottish Jacobitism, Jacobite, soldier and Scottish clan chief, hereditary chief of Clan Cameron, traditionally loyal to the exiled House of Stuart. ...

and the Chief of the Clan MacDonald of Clan Ranald. As the Jacobites were amassing their forces the Governor of

Fort Augustus Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south-west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646 (2001). Its economy is heavily reliant on tourism. History Early histo ...

despatched two companies of the Second Battalion of the

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment line infantry, of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of England ...

regiment under the command of a Captain (later General) Scott. They were to reinforce the government garrison at Fort William. The government troops, some 85 men strong, marched along the road which had been built by the government to link the two forts directly. They met no resistance until they reached High Bridge over the River Spean. The bridge itself had been completed by

General Wade Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal George Wade (1673 – 14 March 1748) was a British Army officer and politician who served in the Nine Years' War, War of the Spanish Succession, Jacobite rising of 1715 and War of the Quadruple Al ...

less than ten years previously, as part of a network of military roads designed to facilitate troop movements across the Highlands.

Commencement of hostilities

On the Bridge, Major Donald MacDonald of Tir nan dris with a mere 11 men and 1 piper, all of the

Clan MacDonald of Keppoch Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, also known as Clan MacDonell of Keppoch or Clan Ranald of Lochaber ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. The progenitor of the clan is Alistair Carrach MacDonald, 4th great-grandson of the war ...

, stood armed with swords and muskets, ready to meet the approaching enemy. It is said that by using the now demolished High Bridge Inn as cover, leaping and skipping about, moving from place to place, and extending their plaids between one another to give themselves a formidable appearance, the Jacobites deceived Captain Scott into thinking they were of a larger number. Captain Scott halted his men and sent forward a sergeant and servant to negotiate but both were taken prisoner. Scott then ordered his men to retreat and they began marching back the way they came. As they did so, they were fired on from both sides of the road. Captain Scott's men returned fire but he and his men were forced to change direction and move off the road. Before this fire had been opened, bands of Jacobites were proceeding in the direction of the bridge to assist in the attack. Captain Scott continued his march rapidly along the side of

Loch Lochy Loch Lochy () is a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. With a mean depth of , it is the third-deepest loch of Scotland. Geography Located southwest of Loch Ness along the Glen Albyn, Great Glen, the lo ...

, and when he reached the east end, he observed some Jacobites on a hill at the west end of Loch Oich, where they had assembled apparently for the purpose of intercepting him on his retreat. Disliking the appearance of this body, which stood in the direct way of his retreat, Scott resolved to throw himself for protection into Invergarry Castle, the seat of the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, and accordingly crossed the isthmus between the two lochs. This movement, however, only rendered his situation more embarrassing, as he had not marched far when he perceived another body of Jacobites, the Macdonells of Glengarry, coming down the opposite hill to attack him. In this dilemma he formed his men into a hollow square, and proceeded on his march. Meanwhile, MacDonald of Keppoch's men, headed by the chief, hastened the pursuit. The Royal Scots eventually found themselves completely surrounded on all sides by the

and the

Clan MacDonnell of Glengarry Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, also known as Clan Ranald of Knoydart & Glengarry () is a Highland Scottish clan and is a branch of the larger Clan Donald. The clan takes its name from River Garry, Inverness-shire, River Garry where the river Garry ...

. MacDonald of Keppoch advanced alone to Scott's party, required them to surrender, and offered them quarters; but assured them, that, in case of resistance, they would be cut to pieces. Fatigued with a long march, and surrounded on all sides by increasing bodies of Jacobites, Captain Scott, who had been wounded, and with two of his men killed, accepted the terms offered, and surrendered. Soon after Donald Cameron of Lochiel arrived and took charge of the prisoners, whom he carried to his own house at

Achnacarry Achnacarry () is a hamlet, private estate (land), estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the w ...

. It is said that the Jacobites did not lose a man.

Aftermath

Later that day, Tir nan dris presented Captain Scott's captured grey gelding to

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

at the raising of his standard at

Glenfinnan Glenfinnan ( ) is a hamlet in Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. In 1745 the Jacobite rising of 1745, Jacobite rising began here when Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") raised his House of Stuart ...

. This incident marked the commencement of the 1745 Jacobite uprising against the Hanoverian crown. The High Bridge itself was superseded by a later bridge in 1819, and collapsed in 1913.

References

{{coord, 56, 53, 41, N, 4, 57, 25, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title 1745 in Great Britain Conflicts in 1745 Battles of the Jacobite rising of 1745 1745 in Scotland

Background

Commencement of hostilities

Aftermath

See also

References