by Caberfeidh » Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:20 am
I suppose it doesn't count as a high altitude battle, but Montrose, famed as a military tactician, marched his army across the roof of Scotland to come down on Inverlochy Castle near Fort William from a totally unexpected direction, thus catching his enemies looking the wrong way, and routed them in spectacular fashion.
" 2nd February 1645: Montrose learned that Archibald, Eighth Earl and First Marquis of Argyll, had assembled a force of 3,000 men at Inverlochy (near Fort William). In an epic countermarch,
Montrose's army passed through the mountains to a spot above Inverlochy Castle, from where they came and set upon the Covenanters. Alasdair MacDonald and Manus O'Cahan, commanding the Irish division, were stationed on the flanks of the army while the center was divided into three lines. The Irish charged first, defeating the Lowland infantry, followed by the center, which broke the Covenanters' ranks and captured the castle. An injured Argyll watched from the decks of a galley as about 1,300 of his men were slaughtered as they attempted to flee the field. Among the slain was Campbell of Auchinbreck who was beheaded by Alasdair MacDonald."