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Dunbar was the first engagement fought by the Regiment, coming just one month after its formation.

King Charles II landed in Scotland on 23rd June, 1650, after pledging to establish Presbyterianism throughout the British Isles in return for the Scots raising an army for him. The English immediately declared war on Scotland and ordered Cromwell to raise an army.

He assembled an army of 16,000 in Newcastle, and in July he advanced northwards over the border. He kept to the east coast road so that his Naval squadrons and supply ships could support him. As the Scots had no Navy, this was considered the most effective method of supply and support to the army. The port of Dunbar, some thirty miles to the east of Edinburgh, was captured at the end of July.

Over the next few weeks, Cromwell probed the defences around Edinburgh, however the Scottish tactics and the unseasonable cold and wet weather forced him to withdraw back to Dunbar. In mid August he again attempted to find weaknesses in the Scots defences, but was again thwarted by the Scots. Withdrawing once again to Dunbar, his forces were harassed all the way by the Scots. To compound his problems, the Scots captured the pass at Cocksburnpath to the south of Dunbar and severed the road back into England.

The situation looked grim. Over 5,000 men were sick with dysentery and supplies were dwindling. The English had the choice of attempting a fighting

withdrawl back to England, or they could stand their ground and bring the Scots to battle at Dunbar. They chose to stand.

The Scottish army were camped on the hill to the south-east which overlooked Dunbar, and all they had to do was bide their time and watch the English succumb to hunger and disease. However, the Scottish Council of War was impatient and wanted a swift victory and they compelled their military commander to attack, much against his better judgement.

As a result, the Scots began to advance down the hill on 2nd September, in preparation to engage the English army the next day. Seeing that the Scots were moving into a position from where they would be unable to manoeuvre if the English struck first, Cromwell moved his army during the night and attacked the following dawn. Tying the enemy’s flanks down with artillery and cavalry, he launched an infantry assault at the centre of the Scots line. Eventually, after much fighting , the Scots fled and Cromwell had won a overwhelming victory.