Clan Maclean History: The Battle of Inverkeithing, 20th July, 1651
The regiment was probably conventionally armed with pikes and muskets. In addition each man will have had a sword and targe, the leather circular shield of the Gael. The regiment is also likely to have been organised on a normal military basis: each company led by a local landowner, a lieutenant who had professional experience and an ensign who carried the company's colours.
A clan regiment was different to normal units in that it was a family affair. Fathers and sons marched together, and whole extended fam.ilies, such as the Macleans of Ross, ‘the Race of the Iron Sword' probably formed at least one company. Brolas was Lieutenant Colonel, whilst chieftains such as Kinlochaline presumably commanded a company of his own friends and neighbours. One man, Lachlan mac Ailean Maclean of Hynish in Tiree, is described by his descendant Allan of Crossapol in Coil as a ‘captain'. This is a term then used either to describe a professional soldier, who had served overseas, or had been the garrison commander of a castle; in this case the castle was probably Drimnin Castle in Morvern.
As the Macleans reached Inverkeithing they probably met the first fugitives fleeing from the royalist right wing. The Cromwellian cavalry, their infantry and artillery were close behind them. The Macleans stood their ground. It was now that they achieved immortality. Shot down by cannon fire, trampled under horses' hooves and finally overcome by Cromwellian pike-men they sold their lives dearly. Eight of them are said to have thrown themselves between their chief and the enemy pike-men crying out as they did so: ‘Another for Hector', Fear eu airson Echuin. 750 Macleans were slaughtered. Few received quarter, the Cromwellians regarding Gaels as little more than vermin. 40 eventually found their way back to Mull.
Inverkeithing was as great a disaster for the Macleans as Inverlochy had been six years earlier for the Campbells. Both battles demonstrate the enormous influence of a chief on his clansmen. At Inverlochy Argyll had watched the slaughter of his men from his galley, and then slipped away to sea. The Campbells ran. At Inverkeithing Sir Hector stood his ground. His clansmen surrounded him and they were all slaughtered together. A cynic might say that the result was the same on both occasions.