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Houses of Interest: Grampian

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W hat's this, another Scottish entry for the inappropriately named ECWtravelogue? This time our spotlight falls on the Grampian region. This post is also a bit of a milestone, as this is my 500th post. Aberdeen was the site of two battles. In 1644 Montrose routed a Covenanter Army, led by   Robert Balfour, 2nd Lord Balfour of Burleigh. On the morning of September 13th, 1644, the Covenanter forces left the town to confront the attackers. They took up a defensive position on a steep ridge southwest of the town, overlooking the valley of the How Burn. Montrose sent a messenger and drummer under a flag of truce to demand the surrender of the city, or the defenders could expect no quarter. He also requested that they send women, children and the elderly out of the town before his attack.  Aberdeen's leading citizens and guild leaders were presented with an ultimatum near the current location of Justice Mill Lane. Despite rejecting it, they hosted the Royalist party graciously, of...
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Houses of Interest: Dumfries and Galloway

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  The briefest entry for the current rash of Scottish entries. Brodick Castle was seized by Argyll in 1639; it would be reclaimed by James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton, only to lose it to the Campbells in 1646. Hamilton would be captured at Preston, and be beheaded the 9th March 1649.  Brodick Castle The Castle would again be garrisoned for the King in 1650. The garrison resisted repeated half hearted attempts to take the Castle, before it eventually fell to soldiers from the Ayr garrison in April 1652. The Roman fort atop Burnswick Hill was reutilised as a defensive earthwork with two demi-bastions added. Access to the site is along the Axeltree/Relief road. Park where the decent road runs out, a footpath takes you to the hill summit. OS grid NY185786 Dunaverty Castle Dunaverty Castle was garrisoned for the King by the MacDonalds, but fell to Leslie in 1647 who slaughtered the 300 strong garrison, and camp followers. This incident became known as the "Dunaverty Massacre...
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Houses of Interest: Lothian

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The inappropriately named ECWtravelogue turns its attention to Lothian, scene of Oliver Cromwell's arguably greatest military victory. See also Edinburgh Before we turn our attention to the Second Battle of Dunbar, there are a couple of other Wars of the Three Kingdoms locations worthy of our attention. Borthwick Castle's cannon scars Borthwick Castle , was besieged by Oliver Cromwell's forces in November 1650; the garrison, short on supplies, surrendered after receiving only a handful of cannon shots. The damage to the walls from this attack is still visible. Borthwick is now a wedding venue. Dirleton Castle:  post-Dunbar the castle held out and moss troopers from the castle made a considerable nuisance of themselves. So much so, that Cromwell ordered Monck and Lambert to take the castle, with 1600 men. The castle would fall due to a combination of starvation and mortar fire (destroying the drawbridge and inner gate) on the 10th November 1650. A number of the moss troopers...
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