page_title: Battle of Carbisdale
section_title: Death of Montrose
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Carbisdale / Death of Montrose
caption_attribution_description: English: The ruins of Ardvreck Castle, seen from the south west at Loch Assynt in Scotland
context_page_description: The Battle of Carbisdale took place close to the village of Culrain, Sutherland, Scotland on 27 April 1650 and was part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It was fought by the Royalist leader James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, against the Scottish Government of the time, dominated by Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll and a grouping of radical Covenanters, known as the Kirk Party. The Covenanters decisively defeated the Royalists. The battlefield has been inventoried and protected by Historic Scotland under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy of 2009. Although Carbisdale is the name of the nearest farm to the site of the battle, Culrain is the nearest village.
context_section_description: Montrose was without food or shelter for two or three days. He managed to avoid capture, disguised as a shepherd, until he finally made it to Ardvreck Castle, seat of MacLeod of Assynt. There is a strong tradition that MacLeod had served with Montrose at the siege of Inverness in 1645 and Montrose would have gone to Ardvreck expecting a place of refuge. However, when Montrose arrived MacLeod was away and he was met instead by MacLeod's wife, Christian Munro, daughter of Munro of Lemlair who had fought on the opposite side at Carbisdale. Montrose was confined in the vaulted cellars of the castle along with Major Sinclair, who had been found wandering in the hills. MacLeod was given a £25,000 reward for turning Montrose over to his enemies. He was taken to Edinburgh where he was hanged on 21 May. After execution his body was dismembered, the quarters were publicly displayed in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling and the head on the Tolbooth in Edinburgh, where it remained for eleven years. After the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, Montrose's remains were given one of the grandest state funerals ever held in Scotland. In 1707, Montrose's great-grandson, also called James Graham, the 4th Marquess, was created the 1st Duke of Montrose.
caption: Ardvreck Castle where Montrose surrendered to Neil Macleod of Assynt after the Battle of Carbisdale
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