Abstracts of Talks 2000-01 Cromarty and the Civil War: Calum
Davidson When we think of the Civil Wars in Scotland that
followed the signing of the National Covenant in 1637 and
continued up to Cromwell’s victory at the Battle of Dunbar in
1650, we tend to remember the ‘stars’ of the conflict. On one
side we had the romantic figure of Montrose, the ex-Covenanter
who had changed sides to fight for the king; on the other,
Campbell of Argyll, leader of the Covenanting and parliamentary
forces. But it was not these stars who were in the limelight at
last week’s meeting of the Cromarty History Society. Guest
speaker Calum Davidson chose instead to focus on two other
groups involved in the struggle; namely the lairds and clan
chiefs in the Ross and Cromarty area who became involved, and
the rank and file who followed at their command. With the
exception of the Urquharts of Cromarty, most of the local lairds
had gained church lands and wealth at the Reformation, and were,
unsurprisingly, strong supporters of the pres