Battle of Alford

The Battle of Alford took place on July 2, 1645, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was a significant Royalist victory under the command of James Graham, Marquis of Montrose, against Covenanter forces led by General William Baillie. Montrose’s smaller army, consisting largely of Highlanders and Irish troops, skillfully outmaneuvered the larger Covenanter force near the River Don. The Covenanters suffered heavy casualties, including the death of Lord Gordon, Montrose’s trusted ally. Though a tactical success, the victory at Alford was short-lived in strategic terms, as Royalist momentum would soon stall later that year.