Earl of Seaforth's Regiment

One of the biggest of the northern clans, George Mackenzies power extended from the Moray Firth to the island of Lewis.  He played both sides during the war, raising and disbanding his men reflecting the fluctuations of local success or presence of large armies.  After Inverlochy, Mackenzie was captured by Montrose and signed the Kilcumin Bond, promising to raise his troops for the king and capture Inverness.  However, with Hurry active around the town, the Mackenzies, Maclennan’s and Macauley’s of Lewis took the field on the government side.

 

At Auldearn the regiment suffered heavily.  Clan MacLennan (and MacRea's and Matheson's),  the "Banner men of Kintail", who acted as the standard party of the regiment suffered heavily.  The Clan stood its ground, fighting around the Clan standard of the Mackenzies, the "Caber Feidh", until the fell with their chieftain Ruairidh Mac Gille Fhinnein. However, even with so much slaughter, Mackenzie scrambled to reach an accommodation with Montrose, and settled the remains of his regiment on the lands of his erstwhile ally, Lord Lovat’s Frasers.

 

Again, Mackenzie prevaricated, and held back from accompanying Montrose south. However, after Philliphaugh when Montrose returned north he renewed the Kilcumin Bond (for which he was excommunicated from the Kirk).  Eventually, as Middleton brought the covenanter army into the north, he eventually surrendered and travelled to Edinburgh where he repented at St Giles.  By late 1646, Mackenzie and his Lairds had received full pardons.

 These troops where Clan MacLennan (and MacRea's and Matheson's),  the "Banner men of Kintail", who acted as the standard party of the regiment.  The Clan stood its ground, fighting around the Clan standard of the Mackenzies, the "Caber Feidh", until the fell with their chieftain Ruairidh Mac Gille Fhinnein.

Not a lot of evidence to go on with regards colour scheme and certainly no romanticised tartan set to unite the regiment. However, the Caber Feidh or Stag Horn standard gave me the opportunity to paint the Mackenzie clan crest.  The yellow/gold on black colour scheme made the choice of a contrasting black on yellow saltire, but again with no historical credance.

The tartans were, in the local parlance, "murder" to paint, resulting in this regiment seemingly taking forever.  Mixing up the colour schemes certainly had a lot to do with it, as did the change in patterns.

The figures are all Eureka, with the command coming from modified MacColla & Montrose figures.  Targe's were added from Old Glory, for some close in work and to add a little more variety.  Some of the troops are bow armed which was recorded as being used in the battle - so they presumably shoot over the heads of Lawer's and the Lord Chanceller's who were in the thick of it at the front.

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out but glad that I'm not doing it again!

Project Auldearn is now almost at an end for me with regards painting.  Buchannan's regiment should be out soon, with some command bases for good measure.  Will also likely do Lothian's regulars to help Walter shift his side of the mountain.

The end is in sight!!!