What is it about?
The Scots-Dutch Brigade was among the longest standing of Scotland's military units serving in Europe. Established in 1572 the Brigade quickly became a popular martial destination for Scots seeking military employment in the Netherlands. During the 'Glorious' Revolution of 1688, these Scottish regiments formed part of the invading Dutch army and were dispatched to their home country to secure it for William of Orange. The piece focuses upon the importance of the Scots-Dutch Brigade in suppressing the Jacobite movement during the Scottish Highland War (1689-1691). It represents an introduction to the Brigade and this little known chapter of Scotland's military history.
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Why is it important?
This chapter, based upon cutting-edge doctoral research, acts as an introduction to the Scots-Dutch Brigade’s involvement in the Highland War, and the importance of their military intervention in Scotland. It highlights one prominent episode of the Brigade's military operations in Scotland via an examination of the Siege of Edinburgh Castle (March-June 1689). The Scots-Dutch Brigade's return to Scotland was a pivotal moment in which Scottish military migrants were able to directly impact the political and constitutional future of their country. The Scots-Dutch regiments formed a nucleus of the new Scottish army which sought to defeat the counter-revolutionary challenge of the Jacobites and secure military control of the country for the new Revolution government. Finally, this article provides new insights into the little known 1689 Siege of Edinburgh and the involvement of Dutch-trained officers in besieging one of Europe's most impregnable fortresses.
Perspectives
This publication is the culmination of years of doctoral research and the author's first foray as part of an academic volume. The Scots-Dutch Brigade's return to Scotland represents an interesting, and rare, episode of state sanctioned return migration. The Scots-Dutch officers and soldiers proved central to the war against the Jacobites and provided a corps of loyal veterans in whom King William III vested his trust. The military aspect of the Revolution in Scotland and its impact upon the country, resulting in a civil war, has been little explored. The author interlinks military aspects with the social and political as well as offering insights into martial identity during the period.
Dr Graeme Stephen Millen
University of Dundee
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Scots-Dutch Moment? The Scots-Dutch Brigade and the Highland War, 1689–1691, February 2024, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004694149_006.
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Resources
The End of the Highland War? The Fort William Expedition, 1690 @ UHI Institute for Northern Studies
This paper examines the Scots-Dutch Brigade’s central role in the penultimate campaign of the Highland War wherein the Williamite government sought to reinforce their stunning victory at the Battle of Cromdale, 1st May 1690, and establish a foothold in the heart of the ‘disaffected’ areas of the Highlands.
The Scots-Dutch Brigade and the Highland War, 1689-1691
Open Access PhD Thesis on the Scots-Dutch Brigade and the Highland War, 1689-1691, University of Kent (2022)
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