Rout and Pillage

Worse was yet to come. The Highlanders refused to surrender (possibly because they were Gaelic-speaking and could not or would not ask for quarter) and Lambert’s infantry pushed the Highlanders north flanking them with his cavalry and for mile after mile all the way to the walls of Pitreavie Castle. There the remaining Highlanders sought refuge but were refused.

Instead they rallied for one last stance and a terrible struggle ensued. Despite being surrounded by superior numbers the MacLeans and Buchanans refused to give way, and were cut down almost to a man.

Of the 890 men in Maclean’s Foot only thirty-five lived to see their homes again. The battle-cry of the MacLeans was “Fear eil’ airson Eachainn! ” – Another for Hector! as they fought and died to defend their clan chief Sir Hector MacLean of Duart.

At the end of a battle which lasted at most a few hours, the Scots had lost between 1,400 and 2,000 men, with 1,500 to 1,800 taken prisoner. English losses were light, as most casualties took place in the rout after the main battle.

Locally, Cromwell’s army destroyed much of St James’s Chapel in North Queensferry.

Chapel of St James in the 1890s