One of the first (and only) actions of the First Bishops' War was a Royalist attempt at storming Towie Barclay Castle. The attempt failed, but the Royalists regrouped and returned four days later to attempt to storm Turriff itself. During the attack, a Royalist named David Prat was killed, gaining the dubious distinction of being the first man to fall in the conflicts of the English Civil War.
Brooks, Richard "Cassell's Battlefields of Britain and Ireland", 2005, p. 362, Weidenfield and Nicolson
Following the arrest of the Marquess of Huntly, his followers regrouped at Strathbogie (now Huntly). Though their leader was arrested, they resolved to attack their enemies' camp at Turriff nonetheless. As it was well defended, they made a night approach all the way from Huntly, arriving at Turriff at the break of day.
The Trot of Turriff was a skirmish that took place during the First Bishops' War in 1639. It was the first major clash in the series of conflicts that led to and formed the English Civil War.
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Turriff
Having arrived at Turriff, the outnumbered Royalist forces were not satisfied to simply force battle; the leader, Colonel Johnstone, marched them along Idoch Water until they gained the flat and favourable ground on the east side of the village.
Roused from their beds by word of the Royalist forces assembling on the eastern flats, the Covenanters hastily drew up a confused line of their own on the eastern edge of the village. Their forces were about 1,200 strong.
Brooks, Richard "Cassell's Battlefields of Britain and Ireland", 2005, p. 363, Weidenfield and Nicolson
Confronted with the Covenanter troops, the Royalist quickly drew up their force of about 800 men and prepared to attack.
Once they had formed up, the Royalists fired a few cannon shots and then charged the Covenanter line.
The Covenanter forces broke at the first shock. After initially falling back on the church, they were scattered by the Royalist force and fled into the surrounding countryside. They were not pursued by the Royalists, who feared an ambush. Due to the speed of their retreat, the skirmish became known as the 'Trot of Turriff'.
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