Jacobite rising of 1715

During the Jacobite rising of 1715 the Clan MacLaren fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in support of the Jacobite cause.^[2]

Jacobite rising of 1745

Clan MacLaren Memorial Stone at Culloden, Photo by Tim Graves

During the Jacobite rising of 1745 the Clan MacLaren fought in support of the Jacobite cause at the Battle of Prestonpans and the Battle of Falkirk Muir where they were victorious on both occasions.^[2] The Clan was also present at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 where the Jacobite army met defeat.^[2] Maclarens served in both the Appin and Atholl Regiments. With the exception of Donald MacLaren, the majority of MacLarens in the Appin Regiment were from Appin, twenty-seven total, thirteen killed, fourteen survivors with four wounded. ^[14]

In addition to the Appin Regiment, MacLarens also served with the Atholl Brigade under the Command of Lord George Murray. At the Battle of Culloden, the Atholl brigade had the right of the first line: on their left stood Locheil's regiment, the Appin regiment, the Fraser regiment, the Macintosh regiment, the united regiment of Maclauchlans and Macleans, John Roy Stewart's regiment, the Farquharson regiment; and on the left of all, the three Macdonald regiments, Clanranald , Keppoch, and Glengary. Lord George Murray commanded on the right, and Lord John Drummond on the left. The Atholl brigade, in advancing, lost thirty-two officers, and was so shattered that it stopped short, and never closed on the British troops. The Atholl brigade alone lost more than the half of its officers and men. Some of the centre battalions came off with scarcely a third of their men. The Mackintoshes, who were the first to attack, suffered most. With the exception of three only, all the officers of this brave regiment, including Macgillivray of Drumnaglass, its colonel, the lieutenant-colonel, and major, were killed in the attack.

One of the Officers injured in the battle was Donald MacLaren, drover from Invernenty. Donald was a Captain in the Atholl Regiment. He was injured at Culloden but was carried off the field. He and other Atholl men made it back to Balquhidder and then on to Leny where he was injured during a skirmish with the Perthshire Militia on the 19th of July, 1746. MacLaren was taken into custody along with Major David Stewart of Ballahallan, Captain Malcolm MacGregor of Concour, Sergeant King alias Macree (from Lord Murray's regiment) and three privates.[14] By the newspaper accounts of the day, all the men captured were from the Atholl brigade. These men were transported to Stirling Castle and imprisoned.[15] He was treated by the prison physician for his wounds on the 20th of July and subsequently, on September 3, 1746, bound to a dragoon for transfer to Carlisle to stand trial for treason.[15]

During the course of that transport MacLaren was freed or freed himself (the escape has been related both ways) and escaped by throwing himself off a cliff called the Devil's Beef Tub near Moffet. Although the King's dragoons fired after him, the mist hid his movements and his escape was successful.^[15] He remained in hiding as a fugitive in Balquhidder until the amnesty of 1757.^[2]

There were other McLarens from Balquhidder in the Atholl regiments as well during the Jacobite rising of 1745:
Lieutenants
Alexander McLaren, younger of East Haugh, Pitlochry, Strath Tay;^[16][17] Duncan McLaren, Brewer, Wester Invernentie, Balquhidder;^{[16][18] [19]} Orrott McLaren, Uncle to Younger of East Haugh, Pitlochry, Strath Tay^[17]
Other Ranks
Donald McLaren, Tenant, Dowally, Strath Tay;^[16] Duncan McLaren, Perthshire 3rd Battalion;^[18] James McLaren, Servant to Haugh of Killmorich, Strath Tay;^[16] John McLaren, Cottar, Rotmell, Strath Tay;^[16] Robert McLaren, (Whitefield's)^[16]