Marquis of Montrose Society
Photo: Proposed cairn at Banton Loch
Kilsyth
Community council is working with two
local enthusiasts, Alex Calderhead of Craigmarloch and Donald MacInnes
of Abronhill to create a fitting memorial to the battle of Kilsyth. They are great fans of Scottish military history and
rate James Graham,
the 1st Marquis of Montrose, as one of Scotland’s finest military
leaders. Alex and Donald are also both
active members of the 1st Marquis of Montrose Society.
Alex is the Membership Secretary and Treasurer of the Society and has
walked all of the battlefields in the campaigns of Montrose.
The
1st Marquis of Montrose is an organisation formed to promote the
awareness, research, education and history of Scotland’s greatest soldier.
In
the month of May Alex and Donald will visit the Battlefield of Knocknamuss -1647
in County Cork, Ireland. This was
the final and fatal battle for Colkitto – Alasdair MacColla Ciotach McDonnell
- Montrose’s right hand man, the leader of the Highland and Irish regiments.
Later
this year the Society will bequeath two Memorial Cairns to commemorate this
Scottish military genius and poet, a cairn on the Braes of Atholl where Montrose
raised the Standard and on the Battlefield of Kilsyth – the scene of the
‘Great’ Marquis’ finest victory. The
monument at Kilsyth will pay tribute to all of the fallen in this bloody
encounter of the Civil War in the 17th century.
The
war in Scotland arose from an agreement signed in Cumbernauld by Lord Fleming of
Cumbernauld, Lord Livingstone of Kilsyth, the Marquis of Montrose and others.
This concordat became famous as ‘The Cumbernauld Bond.’
The Civil war was to sweep throughout Scotland and reached its zenith at
the Battle of Kilsyth.
In
the millennium year Alex and Donald produced a CD ROM on the Battle of Kilsyth
for schools and educational establishments as part of the North Lanarkshire
Landmark Project.
Battle of Kilsyth information
For further information on the 1st Marquis of Montrose Society
website: http://www.montrose-society.org.uk
phone
or email:
Patrons:
The Duke of Montrose
Sir
William Macpherson of Cluny