The Glencairn Uprising, 1653-54 Helen Baker Department of ...

1654’. 197 This began with his departure from St. Johnstons on 9 June with two
regiments of horse and three and a half of foot. He seized a small castle on an island
at Loch Tay held by the Royalist captain Donald Robertson. After leaving a small
number of men in occupation on the island, he reduced Weem Castle and Balloch, on
the site of the present-day Taymouth Castle. Garth Castle then submitted without
much resistance. 198
On 14 June Monck received a report that the rebel leaders had organised a meeting to
take place near Loch Ness so he headed in that direction, stopping off at Ruthven
Castle on the Spey. At this stage Monck planned to convene with Col. Morgan but by
20 June – when the latter received word about the projected meeting - Monck had
already left Ruthven in pursuit of Middleton. Morgan had also been following
Middleton, travelling south from his camp at Dornoch. In early June Middleton had
withdrawn to Sutherland with a body of men but had managed to elude Morgan’s
troops and leave the area. On 14 June Morgan passed through Inverness and, a day
later, had confronted a party of 400 Royalist forces under the command of
Drummond, Irvine, Mercer, and the Earl of Selkirk. The Royalists were defeated and
on 17 June Morgan went on to take a small garrison on an island in Loch Tarff. 199
Monck had received intelligence that Middleton was positioned in lands belonging to
the clan of Macdonald of Glengarry. According to Baynes, at this time Middleton had
divided his forces, sending the foot to Kintail where they were expected to sail for
Skye, and the horse to Lochaber. Middleton himself travelled towards Kintail,
probably intending to retreat to Sutherland or Caithness. Monck certainly believed
that Middleton was heading far north as on 1 July he ordered Morgan to march into
196 Daniel had left St. Johnstons on an expedition to pursue a body of Royalist forces, during which he
took thirteen prisoners and twenty horses. Akerman, J.Y (ed.) Letters from Roundhead Officers, pp.71,
73.
197 Reproduced in Firth, C.H. Scotland and the Protectorate, pp.149-53.
198 The terms of capitulation imposed on Robertson and his men on the island of Loch Tay were,
according to John Baynes, generous. On 11 May Baynes wrote of his intention to accompany Monck
on his summer march and had joined his regiments by early June. Akerman, J.Y (ed.) Letters from
Roundhead Officers, pp.69, 73, 74; Dow, F.D. Cromwellian Scotland, pp.125-6 and Gardiner, S.R.
History of the Commonwealth and Protectorate 1649-1656, p.107.
199 See Dow, F.D. Cromwellian Scotland, p.126 and Akerman, J.Y (ed.) Letters from Roundhead
Officers, p.75.