Having returned from their abortive night march, the Prince arranged his forces in three lines on the west side of the moor. As the Prince had sent out several detachments in the days before the battle, his army was reduced to around 5,000 men. Consisting of primarily Highland clansmen, the front line was commanded by Murray (right), Lord John Drummond (center), and the Duke of Perth (left). Approximately 100 yards behind them stood the shorter second line. This consisted of regiments belonging to Lord Ogilvy, Lord Lewis Gordon, the Duke of Perth, and the French Scots Royal. This last unit was a regular French Army regiment under the command of Lord Lewis Drummond. At the rear was the Prince as well as his small force of cavalry, most of which was dismounted. The Jacobite artillery, consisting of thirteen assorted guns, was divided into three batteries and placed in front of the first line.
The Duke of Cumberland arrived on the field with between 7,000-8,000 men as well as ten 3-pdr guns and six coehorn mortars. Deploying in less than ten minutes, with near parade-ground precision, the Duke's army formed into two lines of infantry, with cavalry on the flanks. The artillery was allocated across the front line in batteries of two.
Both armies anchored their southern flank on a stone and turf dyke that ran across the field. Shortly after deploying, Cumberland moved his Argyll Militia behind the dyke, seeking a way around the Prince's right flank. On the moor, the armies stood approximately 500-600 yards apart, though the lines were closer on the southern side of the field and farther at the northern.