The Feuds of the Clans

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The Conflict of Clan Chattan and Clan Kay.

Robert III. in the year 1396 sent Lindsay, Earl of Crawford, and Dunbar, Earl of Murray, to suppress a violent contest between the Clans Chattan and Kay, who being numerous, bold, and barbarous, mutually plundered and murdered each other. They, fearing lest they should not effect the matter without much bloodshed, had recourse to policy, viz.:—That thirty on each side should enter themselves as champions for their respective clans, and decide their differences by the sword, without being allowed any other weapon. This proposal was agreed to on both sides. The King and his nobility were to be spectators of the combat. The conquered clan were to be pardoned for all their former offences, and the conquerors honoured with the royal favour. The North Inch of Perth, a level spot, so called from being partly surrounded by water, was to be the scene of action; but upon the mustering the combatants, it was found that one of them, belonging to the Clan Chattan, had absented himself through fear, and could not be found. It was proposed to balance

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the difference by withdrawing one of the Clan Kay; but none of them could be prevailed upon to resign the honour and danger of the combat. After various other expedients failing, one Henry Wynd, a smith, though no way connected with either clan, offered to supply the place of the absentee, upon his receiving a French crown of gold (about the value of seven shillings and sixpence) which was accordingly paid him. The encounter was maintained on both sides with inconceivable fury; but, at length, by the superior valour, strength, and skill of Henry Wynd, victory declared herself for the Clan Chattan. Of them no more than ten, besides Wynd, were left alive, and all dangerously wounded. The combatants of the Clan Kay were all cut off, excepting one, who remained unhurt, threw himself into the Tay, and escaped to the opposite bank.



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The Conflict of Tuiteam-Tarbhach.

The year of God 1406, this conflict was fought at Tuiteam-Tarbhach, in the south-west part of Sutherland, as it marches with Ross. Upon this occasion, Angus Mackay of Strathnaver

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married Macleod of the Lews’ sister, by whom he had two sons, Angus Dow and Rory Gald. Angus Mackay dying, he leaves the government of his estate and children to his brother Uistean Dow Mackay. Macleod of the Lews, understanding that his sister, the widow of Angus Mackay, was hardly dealt withal in Strathnaver by Uistean Dow, the takes journey thither to visit her, with the choicest men of his country. At his coming there, he finds that she is not well dealt withal, so he returned home malcontent, and in his way he spoiled Strathnaver and a great part of Brae-Chat in the height of Sutherland. Robert, Earl of Sutherland, being advertised thereof, he sent Alexander Murray of Cubin, with a company of men, to assist Uistean Dow in pursuing Macleod, and to recover the prey. They overtake Macleod at Tuiteam-tarbhach, as he and his company were going to the west sea, where Alexander Murray and Uistean Dow invaded them with great courage. The fight was long and furious, rather desperate than resolute. In the end they recovered the booty, and killed Macleod with all his company. This conflict gave name

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to the place where it was fought, being then. called Tuiteam-tarbhach, which signifieth a plentiful fall or slaughter, and is so called unto this day.



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The Conflict of Lon-Harpasdal.

The year of God 1426, Angus Dow Mackay, with his son Neil, enters Caithness with all hostility, and spoiled the same. The inhabitants of Caithness assembled with all diligence, and fought with Angus Dow Mackay at Harpasdal, where there was great slaughter on either side. Whereupon King James I. came to Inverness, of intention to pursue Angus Dow Mackay for that and other such like enormities. Angus Dow, hearing that the King was at Inverness, came and submitted himself to the King's mercy, and gave his son Neil in pledge of his good obedience in time coming, which submission the King accepted, and sent Neil Mackay to remain in captivity in the Bass; who, from thence, was afterwards called Neil Wasse Mackay.



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The Conflict of Druimnacoub.

The year of God 1427, Thomas Mackay (otherwise Macneil), possessor of the lands of

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Creich, Spanzedell, and Polrossie, in Sutherland, had conceived some displeasure against the laird of Freswick, called Mowat, whom Thomas Macneil did eagerly pursue, and killed him near the town of Tain, in Ross, within the Chapel of St. Duffus, and burnt also that chapel unto which this Mowat had retired himself as to a sanctuary. The King hearing of this cruel fact, he causes to proclaim and denounce Thomas Macneil rebel, and promised his land to any that would apprehend hint. Angus Murray (the son of Alexander Murray of Cubin, above-mentioned), understanding the King's proclamation, had secret conference with Morgan and Neil Mackay, brethren to this Thomas. Angus offered unto them, if they would assist him to apprehend their brother, that he would give them his own two daughters in marriage, and also assist them to get the peaceable possession of Strathnaver, which they did claim as due to them, and (as he thought) they might then easily obtain the same, with little or no resistance at all, seeing that Neil Wasse Mackay (the son of Angus Dow) lay prisoner in the Bass, and Angus Dow himself was unable (by reason of the

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weakness of his body at that time) to withstand them. Morgan Mackay and Neil Mackay do condescend and yield to the bargain; and presently, thereupon, they did apprehend their brother, Thomas, at Spanzedell, in Sutherland, and delivered him to Angus Murray, who presented him to the King, at whose command Thomas Macneil was executed at Inverness; and the lands of Polrossie and Spanzedell, which he did possess, were given to Angus Murray for this service; which lands his successors do possess unto this day. Angus Murray, for performance of his promise made to Neil and Morgan Mackay, gave them his two daughters in marriage. Then Angus deals with Robert, Earl of Sutherland, that he might have his attollerance to convene some men in Sutherland, therewith to accompany his two sons-in-law to obtain the possession of Strathnaver. Earl Robert grants him his demand; so Angus having gathered a company of resolute men, he went with these two brethren to invade Strathnaver. Angus Dow Mackay, hearing of their approach, convened his countrymen, and, because he was unable himself in person to resist them, he

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made his bastard son (John Aberigh) leader of his men. They encountered at Druimnacoub, two miles from Tongue—Mackay's chief dwelling-place. There ensued a cruel and sharp conflict, valiantly fought a long time, with great slaughter, so that, in the end, there remained but few alive of either side. Neil Mackay, Morgan Mackay, and their father-in-law (Angus Murray), were there slain. John Aberigh, having lost all his men, was left for dead on the field, and was afterwards recovered; yet he was mutilated all the rest of his days. Angus Dow Mackay, being brought thither to view the place of the conflict, and searching for the dead corpses of his cousins, Morgan and Neil, was there killed with a shot of an arrow, by a Sutherland man, that was lurking in a bush hard by, after his fellows had been slain. This John Aberigh was afterwards so hardly pursued by the Earl of Sutherland, that he was constrained, for safety of his life, to flee into the Isles.

The Scottish historians, in describing this conflict, do mistake the place, the persons, and the fact and do quite change the whole state of the history. For the person—Angus

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 Dow Mackay of Strathnaver is by some of them called Angus Duff, and by others, Angus Duff of Strathern. For the place—they make Angus Duff of Strathern to come from Strathern (some say from Strathnaver), to Moray and Caithness, as if these shires did join together. For the fact—they would have Angus Duff to come for a prey of goods out of Caithness and Moray, which two shires do not march together, having a great arm of the sea interjected betwixt them, called the Moray Firth, and having Ross and Sutherland betwixt them by land. But the truth of this conflict and the occasion thereof I have here set down.



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The Conflict of Ruaig-Shansaid.

The year of God 1437, Neil Wasse Mackay, after his release out of tine Bass, entered Caithness with all hostility, and spoiled all that country. He skirmished with some of the inhabitants of that province at a place called Sanset, where he overthrew them, with slaughter on either side. This conflict was called Ruaighanset, that is, the Chase at Sanset. Shortly thereafter Neil Wasse died.



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The Conflict of Blar-Tannie.

About the year of God 1438, there fell some variance betwixt the Keiths and some others of the inhabitants of Caithness. The Keiths, mistrusting their own forces, sent to Angus Mackay of Strathnaver (the son of Neil Wasse), entreating him to come to their aid, whereunto he easily yielded; so Angus Mackay, accompanied with John Mor MacIan-Riabhaich, went into Caithness with a band of men, and invaded that country. Then did the inhabitants of Caithness assemble in all haste, and met the Strathnaver men and the Keiths at a place in Caithness called Blair-tannie. There ensued a cruel fight, with slaughter on either side. In the end the Keiths had the victory, by the means chiefly of John Mor MacIan-Riabhaich (an Assynt man), who was very famous in these countries for his manhood shown at this conflict. Two chieftains and leaders of the inhabitants of Caithness were slain, with divers others. This Angus Mackay, here mentioned, was afterwards burnt and killed in the Church of

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 Tarbat, by a man of the surname of Ross, whom he had often molested with incursions and invasions.



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The Conflict of Blar-na-Pairc.

After the Lord of the Isles had resigned the Earldom of Ross into the King's hands, the year of God 1477, that province was continually vexed and molested with incursions of the Islanders. Gillespick (cousin to Macdonald), gathering a company of men, invaded the height of that country with great hostility; which, the inhabitants perceiving (and especially the Clan Mackenzie), they assembled speedily together, and met the Islanders beside the river of Conon, about two miles from Brayle, where there ensued a sharp and cruel skirmish. The Clan Mackenzie fought so hardly, and pressed the enemy so, that in tile end Gillespick Macdonald was overthrown and chased, the most part of his men being either slain or drowned in the river of Conon; and this was called Blar-na-Pairc.



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The Conflicts of Skibo and Strathfleet.

About the same time, Macdonald of the Isles, accompanied with some of his kinsmen and followers, to the number of five or six hundred, came into Sutherland, and encamped hard by the Castle of Skibo, whereupon Neil Murray (son or grandchild to Angus Murray, slain at Druimnacoub) was sent by John, Earl of Sutherland, to resist them, in case they did offer any harm unto the inhabitants. Neil Murray, perceiving them going about to spoil the country, invaded them hard by Skibo, and killed one of their chieftains, called Donald Dow, with fifty others. Macdonald, with the rest of his company, escaped by flight, and so retired into their own country.

Shortly thereafter another company of Macdonald's kin and friends came to Strathfleet in Sutherland, and spoiled that part of the country, thinking thereby to repair the loss they had before received; but Robert Sutherland (John, Earl of Sutherland's brother), assembled some men in all haste, and encountered

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with them upon the sands of Strathfleet. After a sharp and cruel skirmish, Macdonald's men were overthrown, and divers of them killed.



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The Crowner Slain by the Keiths in the Chapel of St. Tayre.

About the year of God 1478, there was some dissension in Caithness betwixt the Keiths and the Clan Gunn. A meeting was appointed for their reconciliation, at the Chapel of St. Tayre, in Caithness, hard by Girnigo, with twelve horse on either side. The Crowner (chieftain of the Clan Gunn) with the most part of his sons and chief kinsmen came to the chapel, to the number of twelve; and as they were within the chapel at their prayers, the Laird of Inverugie and Ackergill arrived there with twelve horse, and two men upon every horse; thinking it no breach of trust to come with twenty-four men, seeing they had but twelve horses as was appointed. So the twenty-four gentlemen rushed in at

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the door of the chapel, and invaded the Crowner and his company unawares; who, nevertheless, made great resistance. In the end the Clan Gunn were all slain, with the most of the Keiths. Their blood may be seen at this day upon the walls within the Chapel of St. Tayre, where they were slain. Afterwards William Mackames (the Crowner's grandchild) in revenge of his grandfather, killed George Keith of Ackergill and his son, with ten of their men, at Drummuie in Sutherland, as they were travelling from Inverugie into Caithness.



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The Conflict of Aldicharrish.

The year of God 1487, this conflict was fought; upon this occasion Angus Mackay being slain at Tarbat by the surname of Ross, as I have shown already, John Riabhach Mackay (the son of this Angus), came to the Earl of Sutherland, upon whom he then depended, and desired his aid to revenge his father's death, whereunto the Earl of Sutherland yields, and sent his uncle, Robert

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[paragraph continues] Sutherland, with a company of men, to assist him. Thereupon, Robert Sutherland and John Riabhach Mackay did invade Strathoyckel and Strathcarron with fire and sword; burnt, spoiled, and laid waste divers lands appertaining to the Rosses. The laird of Balnagown (then chief of the Rosses in that shire) learning of his invasion, gathered all the forces of Ross and met Robert Sutherland and John Riabhach at a place called Aldicharrish. There ensued a cruel and furious combat, which continued a long time, with incredible obstinacy; much blood was shed on either side. In the end, the inhabitants of Ross, being unable to endure or resist the enemies’ forces, were utterly disbanded and put to flight. Alexander Ross, Laird of Balnagown, was slain with seventeen other landed gentlemen of the province of Ross, besides a great number of common soldiers. The manuscript of Fearn (by and attour Balnagown) names these following among those that were slain. Mr. William Ross, Angus Macculloch of Terrell, John Waus, William Waus, John Mitchell, Thomas Waus, Houcheon Waus.



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