Look to your left for the dark stone fortress walls rising above a bright green grassy slope, with a chunky square tower and a taller round turret peeking up against the sky.
Now, here’s the twist: in 1649, Inverness wasn’t just a pretty place to take photos of brooding stonework. It was a prize in a messy family argument that spilled across Scotland, England, and Ireland, the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Just days after Charles II was declared king on 5 February, the north stirred like a pot coming to the boil. A band of Highland leaders and allies, including Colonel Hugh Fraser, joined by men like John Munro of Lemlair, Thomas Mackenzie of Pluscarden, and Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty, marched into Inverness on 22 February.
Picture it: boots on frozen ground, breath hanging in the air, and the shock of a town suddenly turning. They pushed out the castle garrison, then did something dramatic: they tore down the town’s walls and defences, like ripping the latch off a door so no one could lock them out again. Days later, they even held a war council and started taking control of customs and excise across six northern counties, a bold “we’re in charge now” move.
But General David Leslie arrived with a cooler head and sharp diplomacy, peeling clans away from the Mackenzies. Most backed down; the Mackenzies didn’t, and as soon as Leslie headed south, they struck back and retook Chanonry Castle. And for some followers, like several Banes hauled before the church courts later, it ended in a nervous promise: swear not to fight Parliament again, and you’re spared.
Ready for Inverness Castle
