On 1 January 1651, Charles II was crowned at Scone, the last king to be crowned in Scotland and nearly ten years before the monarchy was restored in England. This was done despite Cromwell and his English army occupying Edinburgh and all of the country south of the Forth. Charles II believed that the Scots would now be inclined to turn away from the Covenanters and look to the Royalists to drive Cromwell out of Scotland. Recruitment of a Royalist army in the Highlands began while remnants of the Covenanter army regrouped at Stirling. Charles took overall command of the Scottish army, although Leslie retained operational control. Cromwell's illness in the spring of 1651 delayed the resumption of his campaign to secure Scotland. After a battle at Inverkeithing on 22 July resulted in another Scottish defeat, Cromwell's main force advanced northward to force a battle with Leslie, Cromwell continued northwards towards Perth, which surrendered to him on 2 August.
As Cromwell moved north, Charles ordered an advance into England against Leslie's advice. The 14,000-strong Scottish army (which included Macphersons) crossed the border on 5 August with the intention of marching through the traditionally Royalist regions of Lancashire and the Welsh border, raising troops on the way, before striking towards London. The Scottish army reached the town of Worcester on 22 August which they occupied and began to fortify but Cromwell's army soon arrived and defeated the Scots decisively on 3 September 1651, a year to the day after the defeat at Dunbar. This was the final defeat of the Royalist cause. The King eluded capture for 45 days until he was able to slip away to France. Leslie was captured and spent the next nine years as a prisoner. It was Cromwell's last battle as an active commander in the field.
General George Monck was appointed Commander of the English army based in Scotland when Cromwell marched south to Worcester. A full and incorporating parliamentary union with England was forced on Scotland in 1652. Garrisons were established at Leith, Perth, Inverness, Inverlochy and Ayr to suppress any latent Royalist sentiment. As might be expected, the Commonwealth was unpopular in Scotland, especially as it charged high taxes. Monck was called away in late 1652 to play a decisive role in the naval campaign against the Dutch that imposed a total blockade on Dutch ports. When the Dutch tried to breakout in July 1653, Monck was victorious.
Monck returned to Scotland in 1654, where he suppressed a Royalist uprising lead by the Earl of Glencairn that brought him to Badenoch and involved the visit to þRuthven Castle. Cromwell died on 3 September 1658, the anniversaries of his victories at Dunbar and Worcester. Despite rumours of Monck's involvement in various Royalist conspiracies, he remained on friendly personal terms with Cromwell and continued unswervingly loyal to the Protectorate after Cromwell's son succeeded as Lord Protector. Monck was instrumental in the restoration of the monarchy and parliamentary government in England when he led his army back into England. After Charles II was called to the throne he was created 1st Duke of Albemarle and served as Lieutenant-General of the armed forces until his death in 1670.