William Gordon of Minimore’s Strathavan Highlanders

-

The best thing about painting highlanders is that when you have finished, you know that you don't have to paint them again. Technically that is true for any figures that you paint, but to be honest I don't actually mind painting harquebusiers. I positively enjoy painting London Trained Band regiments. But not highlanders. I really dislike painting highlanders. I mean I REALLY dislike painting highlanders. It's not like it is just an aversion to painting 'tartan'. They are just all round bloomimg horrible to paint. With their little knees on show; the tricksy billowing folds of their plaid; their 'apostles' hidden amongst it all; not to mention their strange fixation with offal based 'food' products. But I digress.

Colonel William Gordon’s Regiment was raised in Strathavan, a small glen some thirty miles south of Elgin. This branch of the Gordons came from the town of Minimore, near what is now  Glenlivet. The Regiment was commanded by Colonel William Gordon and ‘three of his sonnes': presumably the three eldest, Alexander, Patrick and Harry.

Colonel William would be described in Britane's Distemper as "a waliant gentleman, who shew himself a loyal subject of his King, and a faithful and constaint follouer of the house of Huntly in all their expeditions".

I've chosen to go the full on highlander presentation; although records show that they appear to have been quite well equipped and were possibly conventionally equipped with pike and musket.

They were a staple of Montrose's Army, being one of the highland regiments to regularly figure in orders of battle. They would fight at Fyvie, Auldearn, Alford, Kilsyth, and the taking of Aberdeen.

Colonel William would be captured by Middleton's Covenanting troops when Huntly's rising collapsed in 1647: he was sent to Edinburgh where he was imprisoned in the Tolbooth. He was referred to as "an active and bloody Instrument in rebellion". He would be eventually be released in 1649. He would die in 1674.


The final unit of Highlanders! All PP figures with just a couple of headswaps. They have a 'normal' officer with a blew bonnet headswap, and one of the highland swordsmen has been given a poorly head.

If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider supporting the blog. 

Thanks.

Comments

  1. Dex McHenry27 April 2022 at 09:00

    "The best thing about painting highlanders is that when you have finished, you know that you don't have to paint them again." That made me laugh. And it is true! My Montrose army was one of the first I raised and since then I've moved to a slightly different basing size, so they need rebasing AND I need to repaint the highland units! It's a much postponed chore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Radar27 April 2022 at 10:11

      I think it is more psychological rather than technical inability tbh. I've hit upon block paint, wash, then add the plaid/tartan lines after washing. Realised I was spending ages painting lines that would be hidden by the wash. Looks fine in real life, just about passes muster magnified on a 'puter screen.

      Delete
    2. Dex McHenry27 April 2022 at 16:57

      A top tip that one. Thank you!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Which Figures? Part 2a: Size Matters: Foot

-
Image
Finally, here is the first of the long promised size comparison shots. This post looking at foot figures.  For the full picture see:- Which Figures?   - the original post, where I ruminate about what I want from figures, and what led me to choose Peter Pig. Which Figures? What is Available   - the state of play with current 'ECW' 15mm figure ranges; a continually updating look at what figures are available, and what is included/missing from ranges. No commentary on figure size or ruler action (that's down to parts 2a and 3a).    Which Figures? Part 2a: Size Matters: Foot  - I show side by side comparisons of what is available in 15/18mm, with the obligatory ruler shots. This post. Which Figures? Part 2b: True 15mm/Epic Compatibility: Foot   - a more in depth look at smaller 15mm compatibility Which Figures? Part 3a: Size Matters: Horses  - I show side by side comparisons of what is available in 15/18mm (obligatory ruler content too)  Which Figures? Part 3b: True 15mm/Epic C
Read more

Which Figures? Part 3a: Size Matters: Horse

-
Image
Here's the final (for the moment) instalment in the What Figures? series. This post looking at mounted figures.  For the full picture see:- Which Figures?   - the original post, where I ruminate about what I want from figures, and what led me to choose Peter Pig. Which Figures? What is Available   - the state of play with current 'ECW' 15mm figure ranges; a continually updating look at what figures are available, and what is included/missing from ranges. No commentary on figure size or ruler action (that's down to parts 2a and 3a).    Which Figures? Part 2a: Size Matters: Foot   - I show side by side comparisons of what is available in 15/18mm, with the obligatory ruler shots.  Which Figures? Part 2b: True 15mm/Epic Compatibility: Foot   - a more in depth look at smaller 15mm compatibility Which Figures? Part 3a: Size Matters: Horses  - I show side by side comparisons of what is available in 15/18mm (obligatory ruler content too)  This post. Which Figures? Part 3b: True
Read more

Coat Colours Part 1: Parliamentarian Regiments of Foot

-
Image
When I first started my Civil War gaming project I relied upon the many ECW coat colour tables on wargaming websites. As my project has progressed, my library has got bigger, my research has gone back to primary sources rather than relying upon second and third hand sources; and I have noticed quite a few errors in these lists for wargamers. I have also noticed the same errors appearing in multiple lists.     As a result of continually seeing 'the London Trained Bands and their Auxiliaries wore red coats' (there is no evidence supporting this at all, the evidence, whilst not explicit suggests that the London Trained Bands wore civilian clothes - some of the Auxiliaries might have been issued with blue winter coats) I decided to write my own list.  So here it is. If your allegiance lies elsewhere you might want to look at  Introduction   Part 2  Royalist coat colours Part 3  Scots coat colours Part 3B  Montrose and the Irish Brigade Pa
Read more

Which Figures? What is Available

-
Image
My original Which Figures posts have grown exponentially, so much so that I decided to completely revise and expand my posts further. For the full picture see:- Which Figures? - the original post, where I ruminate about what I want from figures, and what led me to choose Peter Pig. Which Figures? What is Available - the state of play with current 'ECW' 15mm figure ranges; a continually updating look at what figures are available, and what is included/missing from ranges. No commentary on figure size or ruler action (that's down to parts 2a and 3a).   This post Which Figures? Part 2a: Size Matters: Foot - I show side by side comparisons of what is available in 15/18mm, with the obligatory ruler shots  Coming Soon Which Figures? Part 2b: True 15mm/Epic Compatibility: Foot - a more in depth look at smaller 15mm compatibility Which Figures? Part 3a: Size Matters: Horses   - I show side by side comparisons of what is available in 15/18mm (obligatory ruler content too)  Coming
Read more

Which Figures? Part 2b: True 15mm/Epic Compatibility - Foot

-
Image
My original Which Figures posts have grown exponentially, so much so that I decided to revise the information. For the full picture see:- Which Figures?   - the original post, where I ruminate about what I want from figures, and what led me to choose Peter Pig Which Figures? What is Available   - the state of play with current 'ECW' 15mm figure ranges; a continually updating look at what figures are available, and what is included/missing from ranges. Which Figures? Part 2a: Size Matters: Foot   - I take a look at what is available in 15/18mm and show side by side comparisons  Coming Soon Which Figures? Part 2b: True 15mm/Epic Compatibility: Foot   - a more in depth look at smaller 15mm compatibility Which Figures? Part 3a: Size Matters: Horses   - I take a look at what is available in 15/18mm and show side by side comparisons Which Figures? Part 3b: True 15mm/Epic Compatibility: Horses   - a more in depth look at smaller 15mm compatibility I had a little rummage in my spares b
Read more

Coat Colours Part 2: Royalist Regiments of Foot

-
Image
Continuing my therapeutic blogging (write rather than rant) antidote to incorrect English Civil War coat colour tables for wargamers, I give you the Royalist Regiments of Foot. For all of my coat colour articles see: Introduction   Part 1  Parliamentarian coat colours Part 3  Scots coat colours Part 3B  Montrose and the Irish Brigade Part 4  Dragoons, Horse and the New Model Army coat colours The Trained Bands London Trained Bands Auxiliary regiments Scarves   Same rules apply here, as they did with the Parliamentarian coat colours: Regiments often got renamed when command passed to a new colonel - these regiments are listed under their first name e.g. Jacob Astley's Regiment was originally Richard Fielding's Regiment. Coat colour notes refer to contemporaneous references and some of the deductions made by Reid, Spring,  Peachey and Prince. You will also notice that some regiments have several coat colours listed. Where there is some question around a coat colour I have t
Read more

Celtic Soul Brothers

-
Image
Any excuse to drop a Dexy's song title into a blog entry... hopefully the earworm doesn't last too long. This post takes a long hard look at the new brace of supplements for For King And Parliament. Neither of these supplements were penned by Mr Miller, instead their authors are Bill Linhart, Peter Page, and Paul Reynolds. And they are to be commended for pushing the conflicts from the other two kingdoms (that make up the Wars of the Three Kingdoms).  Scotland and Ireland, in particular, are very much the poor relations in comparison to the English components of the Wars. The first volume is "The Celtic Fringe", a 26 page book of supplementary rules. Whilst written for For King And Parliament, they could well be an excellent starting point for those who play other rulesets. There are rules for the different troop types associated with the various Scots and Irish armies, so archers, highlanders, lancers, 'rabble'; and rules covering associated terrain for these
Read more

Warlord Pike and Shotte Epic Battles: the infantry sprue

-
Image
Firstly a big thank you to Warlord Games who sent me a sprue of their new Pike and Shotte Epic Battles infantry. (You can see how I got on with the cavalry sprue here. ) I will try and look at these figures from three different angles: the first impression of someone completely new to the period, the button counter’s standpoint, and then from a seasoned wargamer’s point of view. In all cases I'm looking at these through Wars of the Three Kingdoms spectacles. (Wars of the Three Kingdoms is a more accurate name for the conflicts that were fought in the British Isles in the mid seventeenth century. The English Civil War was just one of these conflicts.) The obligatory next to a ruler picture (the ruler is lined up with the soles of their footwear) The 'new to the period' view This one sprue provides enough figures for one unit (a Regiment of Foot or RoF). Figures look very detailed, moulding is clean and crisp with no flash and only minimal mould lines. The pikes look a bit d
Read more

Livestock

-
Image
 Every agrarian economy needs livestock, even in 15mm land. So I thought I'd better provide some. My inner model railway modeller/ reader of glossy rule books with idyllic 'scenes' voice told me I needed more, yes more, battlefield clutter. First up are some piggies. These are from Hovels, and were extras from my    'Pig Sty' 18D5 (from their ancients range). Next up are some chickens. There should probably be lots more of these, but can I face painting beaks and combs on such tiny things? Yes, I can. So no doubt there will be more of these at some point, when I next place an order with Pendraken. Considering England's wealth was based upon the wool trade I thought I should have lots of sheep. Is forty sheep a lot? Enough to make a landowner fat and wealthy from the profits. Probably not. More will arrive from Pendraken at some point I'm sure. Pendraken have a very useful range of animals in a plethora of figure sizes, one of their cats is located on a Parl
Read more

Painting Guide - Artillery

-
Image
 So I have pontificated about clothing colours (in general)... What Colours To Use? What Colours To Use Part 2: Paint ...regimental coat colours (or not)... Coat Colours Part 1: Parliamentarian Regiments of Foot Coat Colours Part 2: Royalist Regiments of Foot Coat Colours Part 3: The Scots Coat Colours Part 4: Others - NMA, Dragoons & Horse The Trained Bands ...and equipment... Painting Guide - Equipment Only time before I looked at artillery. So here it is. A re-enactors' cannon ready to be fired Artillery pieces were expensive to produce, heavy and difficult to move around. The idea of using artillery in battle (rather than in a siege) was still in it's infancy. Guns were placed before the battle and pretty much stayed there win, lose or draw. Gunners were highly skilled individuals, many having learned their art on the continent during the Thirty Years War, and were often described as mercenaries employed by whomsoever paid the most rather than whose cause their hearts s
Read more