One of his first acts after gaining the throne in 1625 was his attempt to revoke church lands gained by the nobility in the Reformation which greatly annoyed them, as you might expect. However, a much more serious mistake was his attempt to force Episcopalian forms of worship upon a strongly Presbyterian Scotland. Among the King's decrees was to prescribe the use of an Episcopalian prayer book in Scottish churches and to appoint bishops to preside over Scottish church affairs. The Scots saw this as a return to the Popery which they had overthrown in the Reformation of the previous century. The first reading of the new Book of Common Prayer in Edinburgh in 1637 led to riots all over Scotland. Ill feelings ran high among noble and commoner alike.

      The Old Testament concept of a covenant or special contract between God and the people had particular appeal for the members of the Church of Scotland who subscribed to John Calvin's theory of the elect having a predestined personal relationship with Jesus Christ of the New Testament. After petitions for redress of the King's actions were rejected, a document of historic proportions was drawn up and submitted to the people. It was called the National Covenant and was read out and signed by the assembled at Greyfriar's Churchyard in Edinburgh on 28 February 1638. This document declared that the Scottish people had a direct relationship with God without the interference of a king and without 'all kinds of Papistry.'

      One of the four authors of this document was James Graham, 5th Earl of Montrose born in October 1612. He had returned from studies in Europe two years earlier but was disappointed with the King's cold reception when he called on him to pledge his support. He was also one of the first to sign the National Covenant and escorted the men who carried copies of it to other places in Scotland so that everyone could be signatories. Those signing were the first of the Covenanters. It is not known if the Macphersons of Badenoch were afforded the opportunity but House of Gordon chose not to be among the Covenanters. In fact, Montrose used military means in trying to convince the now Marquis of Huntly to sign but such actions proved to be inconclusive.

      When the Covenanters started purchasing weapons in Holland and angrily insisting that the bishops be abolished, King Charles offered to negotiate. But it was too late and the 1638-1641 period became known as the Bishop's Wars. Montrose commanded part of the Covenanter army that recruited support for the Covenant at home; the rest of the army went South to face the King's force that suffered from both the lack of troops and money while the Covenanters lacked neither. Before actual combat began the King met with Covenanters at Berwick in June 1639 and both sides agreed to disarm and seek a peaceful resolution of their differences. However, the Covenanters did fulfil their part of the agreement. The King became frustrated with the situation and persuaded the English Parliament to renew hostilities. This time the Covenanter army swept south to Newcastle and defeated the English forces. The peace treaty that resulted left the Scottish army in occupation of the northern English counties with the King paying for their maintenance.

      As the actions of the Covenanters became more extreme, Montrose became sympathetic with the King's position. As a result of this he and five others were arrested and held in Edinburgh Castle for six months at the behest of Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquis of Argyll who had come to be leader of the Covenanters and Montrose's deadliest enemy. His efforts to convince the others of Montrose's treason failed but the course of future events was becoming clear. Scotland was at war with its sovereign although it wasn't identified as such.

     Civil war with the monarch was declared by the English parliament in 1642. Common cause was established between that body and the Covenanters in 1643 by creation of the Solemn League and Covenant. Adoption of this document by the English was Scotland's price for the use of its army against the King. In addition the English were expected to adopt the Presbyterian way of worship. Montrose objected strongly to this course of events and travelled to Oxford in 1644 to confer with the King who was staying there. The result of this meeting was a plan to regain Scotland for the King. Montrose was created 1st Marquis of Montrose and Lieutenant General of all the King's forces in Scotland.

      In the twelve months that followed, Montrose won six crucial battles against several Covenanting armies that always outnumbered his undisciplined force made up of a contingent from Ireland and Highland clansmen. Among these were the Macphersons of Badenoch. The map at the right shows the sites and dates of those battles. Four of these took place in the north-east; the Battle of Inverlochy occurred in the West Highlands on 2 February 1645 and that of Kilsyth (near Glasgow) on 15 August 1645. Although the 32-year-old Montrose was not a professional soldier he consistently demonstrated consummate tactical skill and remarkable leadership. However, in attempting to translate these victories into effective control in the Lowlands, he allowed his forces to become dispersed and a portion of his depleted army was surprised and defeated by a Covenanting force commanded by the professional soldier, Lieutenant-General David Leslie. The site of the battle was at Philiphaugh (near Selkirk) just a month after Montrose's crowning victory at Kilsyth. Montrose was able to escape to the Highlands (and later to Europe) but his men were all slaughtered at the behest of the militant clerics who always accompanied Covenanting armies. This act took place after Leslie had granted them quarter.