The Independent Highland Companies were irregular militia raised from the Scottish clans of the Scottish Highlands by order of the Scottish (later British) government between 1603 and 1760 in order to help keep the peace and enforce the law in the Highlands and were recognized as such by the government. The officers of the Independent Highland Companies were commissioned as officers of the British Army but the independent companies were not recognized as official regiments of the line of the army. The Independent Highland Companies were the progenitors of the Highland Regiments of the British Army that began when ten Independent Highland Companies were embodied to form the Earl of Crawford's Highland Regiment that was numbered the 43rd Regiment of Foot in 1739.
Early independent companies
The first independent companies are generally regarded to have been formed after the Union of the Crowns in 1603 when James VI of Scotland became James I of England. It was thought that firm rule from the centre was the only answer to the state of lawlessness that existed in the Highlands. The first policing company was known as the "King's Guard" and consisted only of mounted troops and performed a variety of tasks connected with keeping the law. The first of two notable actions carried out by the King's Guard was in 1605 when they were used in Lord Scone’s expedition to the Western Isles in order to bring in some order and to bring the local chiefs to heel in terms of tax payment. After further futile attempts by James to pacify the Highlands the King's Guard was used once more this time in 1608 led by Andrew Stewart, Lord Ochiltree and Andrew Knox, Bishop of the Isles in an attempt to obtain effective guarantees backed by royal authority.
In 1624, a meeting of the Privy Council of Scotland was called which included 36 landlord clan chiefs along with 21 members of the Privy Council in order to discuss troubles caused by the Clan Gregor such as cattle lifting, kidnapping and general mayhem that was taking place. The outcome of the meeting was to elect two Highland Captaincies from a number of contenders. The two elected were both Stewarts as were the commanders of the earlier King's Guard. The appointment of paid and professional soldiers was a major change in trying to control the law and was continued after the death of King James in 1625. During this early period up to the restoration of Charles II of England in 1660 was when most of the great Highland robbers were active. The activities of the Independent Companies was then considered of little significance when compared with the battles and extraordinary feats of the forces under James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose during the Scottish Civil War in 1644–1645. Even before the restoration of 1660 the Cromwellians under General George Monk had to resort to local clan watches to try and resolve situations. For example, even the Clan Cameron who had been the most staunch supporters of the Stewarts formed an Independent Company to help General Monk subdue the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry.
The restoration period
After the restoration King Charles II raised several Independent Highland Companies. In 1666 he allowed the Earl of Argyll to raise a company or "watch" of 60 men for one year for the purpose of guarding his territory. In the following year Charles gave a warrant to the Earl of Atholl to raise a force of Highlanders to keep the peace in the Highlands and to "keep watch upon the braes". Over the next 70 years a number of Independent Highland Companies were raised and then disbanded as was the demand by the political and military situation. Some of the commanders such as the Earl of Argyll and the Earl of Caithness used the companies almost exclusively for their own needs. Charles later decided that he could not afford to maintain these two Independent Companies and that they should be disbanded. They were in fact added to the Earl of Mar’s regular regiment, the 21st foot (which later became the Royal Scots Fusiliers). These two companies now under the Earl of Mar’s regiment were captained by Kenneth Mackenzie of Suddie and Alexander Cairnes. Kenneth Mackenzie of Suddie was later killed whilst leading his Independent Company of government troops by order of the Privy Council at the Battle of Mulroy in 1688 in support of the chief of Clan Mackintosh against the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch and the Clan Cameron. Following on from Mulroy, King James II of England (VII of Scotland) made a decision to secure peace throughout both the Scottish Highlands and Scottish Lowlands. The main chiefs were asked to supply a certain number of men each and their composition is given in the following table.
CommanderSoldiersLieutenantsEnsignsSergeantsPipers John Murray 2nd Earl of Atholl 2004484James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth501121Laird of Weem(Clan Menzies)501121Laird of Gairntullie (Stuart)501111John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland1002242Clan Robertson and Clan MacFarlane481121James Graham, 4th Marquess of Montrose201 -1 -William Graham, 8th Earl of Menteith50 -111Alexander Stuart, 5th Earl of Moray25 -1 - -Earl of Mar1001121George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon (unknown) - - - -Colonel Patricke Grahame (unknown) - - - - The period between the restoration of Charles II in 1660 and the Glorious Revolution of 1688 was amongst the most unruly and unlawful in the history of the Scottish Highlands. Many men lost land that they had previously farmed and if they were not accepted into another clan they were forced into a life of crime, including robbery and violence. There is no doubt that the Independent Companies helped to maintain order but they were never fully backed by the Privy Council. The Council tended to switch between using the Independent Companies and the clans themselves. The companies were not numerous enough and did not have enough men in each company to deal with the fierce inter-clan rivalries. A start had been made in having paid troops, in local dress, speaking the same language as the native clansmen and who were keeping the peace to some extent.
The revolution period
Scotland followed England in dethroning King James II (VII of Scotland) and replacing him with William III of Orange, whose wife was a Stuart princess, in what was known as the Glorious Revolution of 1688. A Jacobite rising in favour of James broke out in 1689 led by John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee who had scraped together an army of 1000 men, mainly from the Highland clans such as Clan Cameron, Clan MacGregor, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, Clan MacDonald of Sleat, Clan MacDonald of Clanranald, MacDonald of Glencoe, Clan MacLean and the Clan MacNeacail. He was opposed by General Hugh Mackay who was himself a Highlander and a Gaelic speaker. Mackay had gained considerable military experience on the continent in the Scots Brigade in Dutch Service. Mackay's force consisted of one battalion from each of the three regiments of the Dutch Brigade as well as Hasting's Leven's regiment which later became the 25th Regiment of Foot and then renamed the King's Own Scottish Borderers. Aside from these regular troops Mackay also had the support of an Independent Highland Company from the Clan Menzies which was led by their clan chief, Captain Robert Menzies. In the ensuing Battle of Killiecrankie, Mackay's forces were defeated and there are various reasons and accounts given to this by different historians. The Menzies Independent Company was later present at the Battle of Cromdale in 1690 where the Jacobites were defeated.
Troops from England and the Scottish Lowlands did not like serving in the Scottish Highlands and in view of this five Independent Highland Companies were raised over a twenty-month period from February 1691. The first of which began mustering in February of that year was commanded by Major George Munro, 1st of Newmore and included two lieutenants, one ensign, six non-commissioned officers and 100 sentinals. The second company was commanded by Major George Wishart and also included 100 sentinals. His lieutenant was Alexander Ross. The third company was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Lumsdaine. The fourth was commanded by Hugh Mackaye and the fifth by Archibald Murray. These companies were used until 1694 and were attached to regular units.
18th century
At the beginning of the 18th century, there was a split within the clan system. Some clans had Jacobite tendencies while others favoured "Whig" principles and supported the Government. Lawlessness was still a problem, with many clans believing that it was quite righteous to steal or to "drive a spreaigh". Many chiefs had the spirit of adventure and saw it as excellent training for more war-like activities. Due to poor harvests, crime sometimes went beyond the normal cattle rustling, and people were killed or kidnapped for money and attacks were made on large houses. As a result, in 1701, two Independent Highland Companies were formed; one from Clan Campbell, commanded by Captain Alexander Campbell of Fonab and the other from Clan Grant, commanded by Captain William Grant. Both companies were ordered to assist the courts of justice in preventing thefts and to apprehend guilty persons. The Independent Companies were not numerous enough in terms of men and patrols to be effective in monitoring and controlling widespread trouble. Seeing this problem, the Earl of Tullibardine offered to raise a company of 800 men but said that he would not let anyone by the name of Campbell serve in it and as a result his offer was turned down. A third company of just over 50 men was eventually raised in 1704, commanded by Duncan Mackenzie. The three companies are recorded on the army strength from 1705 up until 1707, when the Acts of Union 1707 was passed. However, the acts had little effect on how the companies were paid, and they continued to form some defence against lawlessness and in preventing others from joining the Jacobite cause. King William died in 1702 which evoked much political turmoil with France and James Francis Edward Stuart’s claim for the British throne. In the meantime, the Independent Highland Companies were kept busy trying to stop cattle lifting on a mass scale. In 1708, Fraser, Lord Lovat, claimed that the companies had managed to control most of the robbery. In 1707, the Grant Independent Company was ordered to watch the north-east coast for James's expected landing but that did not take place so they returned to their normal duties of law-keeping in the Highland areas.
Jacobite rising of 1715
By 1715, the names of the commanders of the three Independent Highland Companies were recorded as Colonels Campbell, Grant, and Munro (Colonel Munro having replaced Duncan Mackenzie). It is not known exactly how the Independent Companies featured in the rising of 1715; however, there are unsubstantiated reports that a portion of the Grant and Munro companies actually fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. It is clear, however, that the Independent Companies played an active part before and after the battle. Colonel Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet was for a time governor of Inverness, and forced the rebel Mackenzies to give up their arms at Brahan Castle. Munro along with parties of Grants, Rosses, and Mackays also forced the surrender of the Earl of Seaforth. Colonel Grant played a lesser role; he established a garrison at Brahan and captured Gordon Castle, holding it until he was relieved by regular troops. Colonel Sir Robert Munro along with his younger brother Captain George Munro of Culcairn also accepted arms given up at Blair Atholl, while the Grant company disarmed clansmen at Ruthven in Badenoch.
Jacobite rising of 1719