In Memorial

"Upon Sunday, the second of February, being Candlemass day, anno 1645, about the sun rising, both armies draws up in battle."

Patrick Gordon, A Short Abridgement of Britane's Distemper

The site of the Battle of Inverlochy, from an early 19th Century engraving by George Fennel Robson.

The anniversary 

Today, the 2nd of February 2014, is the 369th anniversary of the Battle of Inverlochy and so what better day to post an update to this very blog!

I hope you will all join me in raising a glass, perhaps of dram of 'uisge beatha' itself, to the memory of the brave men of both sides, whether Campbell, MacDonald, MacDougall or MacLean, who fought for their lairds, their friends and their relatives on another Sunday so many years ago.

Wargames progress

My own preparations are gathering a pace.  My redoubtable figure painters have been busy and I have  the regular foot and regular highlanders for the Campbell force completed, and also one of the Irish Brigade regiments done.  I have also been busy converting figures myself for the various generals; to give them the right look and feel for my interpretation of the battle.

The order for the birlinn has been sent to the (miniature) ship-wrights, and a suitable model for the castle sourced.

I have not yet finally decided on a basing regime for the irregular highlanders.  I will be using a standard (for me anyway) 4 x 28mm figures, two-by two, on a 4cm by 4cm base for the regular foot troops.  This gives a pleasing look to a regiment of foot: 36 figures in three blocks of 12 figures, one block of bike and two blocks of shot.  Each block is therefore made up of three of my 4cm by 4cm bases.    A block of three bases is therefore typically representing between 150 and 200 actual men in 6 ranks.   I favour a view that the irregular highlanders would have been drawn up in roughly 4 deep blocks of actual men (using evidence from '45), with the 'Gentlemen' and followers in the front rank, and the 'arrant scum' in the rear.  Once on the move though there would not have been any ability to keep much order in terms of ranks and files, and so a less regular basing regime for figures may be required to give a more irregular look to a highlander battle line.

As always, I would be very interested to hear the views of those of you out there on the web.