The Scots respond to the landing

The landing activity had not gone unnoticed. Leslie dispatched a force of about 4,500 men under Lieutenant General Holbourne from Stirling to Dunfermline. This comprised about 3,700 mixed Highland and Lowland infantry Lt. Gen. Holburn and about 800 assorted cavalry under Sir John Browne.

On Saturday night, Holbourne’s unit camped at Dunfermline – to recover from their march from Stirling. They marched towards Inverkeithing on the morning of Sunday 20th of July, arriving as the last of Lambert’s men scrambled ashore.

The Scots forces were an awkward mix. Holburn commanded two Lowland infantry regiments, his own of about 650 men, and the Master of Gray’s about 600. These were complemented by two Highland regiments drawn from the Clans Maclean (800 men) and Buchanan (890). These regiments had only just arrived at Stirling with no time to integrate before being dispatched to Fife. In addition they were not friendly towards Holburn and Brown who were the protégés of rival clans, so the Highlanders operated more or less independently under their clan chiefs.

The Scots gathered some local recruits in Inverkeithing and marched along the main road towards North Queensferry.