Western Association (Scotland)

The Western Association was a Scottish military association to coordinate the military forces of the south western counties of Scotland during the War of the Three Kingdoms.

Most of the Lords and ministers of the south west of Scotland had not supported The Engagement of 1647 between a faction of the Covenanters and King Charles I, but after the defeat of those Covenanters opposed to the Engagement (known as the Kirk party) at the battle of Mauchline Muir by those in favour (who became known as the Engagers), the Engagers sent an army into England to support the English Royalists in the Second English Civil War. The Engager's army was defeated at the Battle of Preston in August 1648.

The credibility of the Engagers was undermined by their armies defeat at the battle of Preston, and members of the Kirk party in the south west organised the Whiggamore Raid that resulted in the overthrow of the Engagers party after a short civil war.

After the execution of Charles I, the kaleidoscope of Scottish parties rearranged themselves, as some of those who had opposed Charles I came around to the view that they should accept his son, Charles II, as King of Scotland if he agreed to sign the Covenant. After Charles landed in Scotland it became clear that the English would invade Scotland to prevent Charles establishing himself in Scotland, because they feared that he would use Scotland as a base for further operations against the English Commonwealth.

The Kirk party created the Western Association in 1648, modelling it on the English Parliament associations (such as the Eastern Association). It was moribund until 1650 when an invasion from England became likely.

On 5 September 1650, the committee of estates commissioned Archibald Strachan, Gilbert Ker and Robert Hackett to take their regiments of horse (cavalry) to the south-west, to take command of the Western Association and to raise new levies.

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