at Auldearn. Many early historians regard Auldearn as Montrose's supreme achievement and a carefully planned battle. In fact, it was a fiasco, where only luck and the bravery of the Scots–Irish forces saved the day. Montrose had led his men after Covenanters who were seeking reinforcements in Inverness. Failing to catch up with them in time, Montrose camped at Auldearn, as he didn't expect the enemy to have time to launch an immediate counter-attack. In fact, the Covenanters marched all night to be able to attack the Royalists at first light at Auldearn. Covenant musketeers cleaning their guns by firing them created enough noise to warn MacColla's men. Montrose had spread his men over a wide area rather than grouping them. While McColla and O'Cahan held off the attack, Montrose desperately raced around trying to raise the rest of the camp. The traditional story of Auldearn is that Montrose hid his main army in a hollow and set up McColla and O'Cahan as a false front and a decoy target before executing a brilliant pincer movement to trap the enemy. In fact, Montrose was caught completely off guard. MacColla's defence was much more desperate and heroic than has been claimed. Modern accounts have re-evaluated the battle, to Montrose's detriment. The Scots-Irish brigades fought ruthlessly. When a few of Clan Gordon' who had helped them started to panic, McColla personally killed them to prevent their panic causing the desertion of the rest of their clan. One of MacColla's men fought on despite taking a pike through his mouth from one cheek to the other. Montrose arrived with reinforcements only when he had awakened and rounded up his scattered forces, saving the day. Montrose had not hidden his army in a hollow ready to affect a spectacular ambush. Only two major Royalist victories came in the Year of Glory. The Royalists won a resounding victory on 2 July 1645 at Alford. They followed this up with a greater victory on 15 August 1645 at Kilsyth, in effect rendering the Covenant forces of the Earl of Argyll useless. Philiphaugh and O'Cahan's death Montrose was now ready to head south through Lowland Scotland and into England, but many of his allies deserted him, as they had little interest in campaigning beyond Scotland. McColla is often accused of joining the deserters, but it is more likely that he left Montrose's side to go recruiting as