The Pluscarden rising is one of those little-known events in history that helps illustrate a bigger picture. The rising saw a group of highland landowners, most of whom had signed the National Covenant in 1639 and had fought for the covenanting side, rise in support of the new young king, Charles II. It is only the most recent generation of historians that has begun to see the highlands as fully engaged in Scotland’s civil war of the 1640s. Previous writers generally took the view that highlanders were more concerned with settling old clan scores during a period of political disruption, and more interested in keeping southern garrisons and politics out, than in the political and religious issues of the day.

This article looks at some of the individuals and families involved in the rising, on both sides. Through utilising historical biography, it seeks to explain why those involved made the choices they did. Civil wars start with shades of grey and become a binary choice – which side to fight on. In this case it began with a myriad of views on the right of the king to rule on political and religious issues without balancing controls. But as with most such decisions for individuals, they are not based simply on belief in right and wrong but are influenced by issues such as family loyalties and money. Many also changed their minds as the situation around them altered. James Graham, earl and marquis of Montrose, is perhaps the best-known royalist who started off as a keen supporter of the National Covenant.

During the ‘Pluscarden rising’ of spring 1649, when the Mackenzies rose for the new king, the Frasers found themselves split and lesser families like the Cuthberts took sides as they saw as advantageous, the highlands mirrored decisions being taken across Scotland and that many people had faced in the previous ten years of conflict.

THE WARS IN THREE KINGDOMS

There were many factors that led to fighting across Scotland, England and Ireland in what has been called ‘the Wars of the Three Kingdoms’. Each part of the conflict had a different