Battle of Drumchatt - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Battle of Drumchatt was a Scottish clan

Scottish clan

Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...

battle that took place in 1497. The Clan Mackenzie

Clan MacKenzie

Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire.-Origins:The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they...

and the Clan Munro

Clan Munro

-Origins:The main traditional origin of the clan is that the Munros came from Ireland and settled in Scotland in the 11th century and that they fought as mercenary soldiers under the Earl of Ross who defeated Viking invaders in Rosshire...

defeated the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh

Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh

-History:The MacDonald of Lochalsh branch was founded by Celestine MacDonald . Celestine MacDonald was the second son of Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, 3rd Lord of the Isles and 8th chief of Clan Donald...

at Drumchatt (Druimchat) or "the Cat's Back", a ridge to the southeast of Strathpeffer

Strathpeffer

Strathpeffer is a village and former spa town in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland, with a population of 1,469.-Geography:It lies in a glen 5 miles west of Dingwall, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level...

Background

In 1493, the powerful chief of the Clan Donald

Clan Donald

Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...

lost his right to the title of Lord of the Isles

Lord of the Isles

The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...

when it was revoked by King James IV of Scotland

James IV of Scotland

James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...

. As a result, many of the western and other northern clans, particularly the Clan MacLeod

Clan MacLeod

Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the Macleods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is Macleod of Macleod, are known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid ; the Macleods of Lewis, whose chief is Macleod of The Lewes, are known in...

of Harris

Harris

Harris is the southern and more mountainous part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Although not an island itself, Harris is often referred to as the Isle of Harris, which is the former postal county and the current post town for Royal Mail postcodes starting...

and Dunvegan

Dunvegan

Dunvegan is a town on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod...

, felt that they no longer had to pledge allegiance to the MacDonalds. Although the Clan MacLeod of Lewis

Clan MacLeod of Lewis

Clan Macleod of The Lewes, commonly known as Clan MacLeod of Lewis, is a Highland Scottish clan, which at its height held extensive lands in the Western Isles and west coast of Scotland. From the 14th century up until the beginning of the 17th century there were two branches of Macleods: the...

supported the rebellion of Domhnall Dubh

Domhnall Dubh

Domhnall Dubh was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Aonghas Óg, chief of Clan Donald , and claimant to the Lordship of the Isles, which had been held by his grandfather John of Islay, Earl of Ross ....

, chief of Clan Donald. In 1495, King James assembled an army at Glasgow. Then, on May 18, many of the highland chiefs made their submissions to him, including those of the Clan Mackenzie

Clan MacKenzie

and Clan Munro

Clan Munro

. This may explain the unusual alliance between the Munros and Mackenzies who were rival clans.

The battle

In 1497, Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh, head of the MacDonalds of Lochalsh branch, rebelled against the King. He invaded the fertile lands of Ross-shire where he was defeated in battle by the Munros and Mackenzies at a place called Drumchatt and was driven out of Ross-shire. He escaped southward, but was caught on the island of Oransay, by MacIian of Ardnamurchan

Clan MacDonald of Ardnamurchan

The MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan also known as MacIain of Ardnamurchan are a branch of Clan Donald.-Origins of the Clan:The founder of the Macdonalds of Ardnamurchan was Iain Sprangach MacDonald , the third son of Angus Mor MacDonald , 4th chief of the Clan Donald.Iain Sprangach MacDonald was also...

and put to death.

This battle is recorded in several recognised historical documents including Macvurich's MS and MacDonalds MS histories. The events of this battle have also appeared in several published books with quoted sources, including Donald Gregory's History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland and also Sir Robert Gordon's History of Sutherland. The battle is also recorded by historian William Anderson in his book The Scottish Nation: Or, The Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, and Geographical History of the People of Scotland.

Donald Gregory's account

From Donald Gregory

Donald Gregory

Donald Gregory was a Scottish historian and antiquarian, who published a valuable history of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland.-Origins:...

's History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland from AD 1493 to AD 1625 (with quoted sources). Published in 1836 and reprinted in 1996:

A.D. 1497: "The active share taken by King James in supporting the pretensions of Perkin Warbeck, withdrew his attention, for a time from the state of the Western Isles, and seems to have given opportunity for a new insurrection—which, however, was suppressed without the necessity for another Royal expedition. Sir Alexander of Lochalsh—whether with the intention of claiming the earldom of Ross, or of revenging himself on the Mackenzies, for his former defeat at Blairnepark, is uncertain—invaded the more fertile districts of Ross in a hostile manner. He was encountered by the Mackenzies and Munroes at a place called Drumchatt, where, after a sharp skirmish, he and his followers were again routed and driven out of Ross."

Aftermath of the battle

Donald Gregory also gives an account of the events in the aftermath of the battle, quoting from the MS histories of the Mackenzies and MacKintoshs:

After this event, the knight of Lochalsh proceeded southward among the Isles, endeavouring to rouse the Islanders to arms in his behalf, but without success owing, probably to the terror produced by the execution of Sir John of Isla and his sons. Meantime, MacIan of Ardnamurchan, judging this a proper opportunity of doing an acceptable service to the King, surprised Lochalsh in the island of Ornasay, whither he had retreated, and put him to death, In this MacIan was assisted by Alexander, the eldest surviving son of John of Isla, with whom he had contrived to effect a reconciliation, and to whom he had given his daughter in marriage.

Sir Alexander of Lochalsh left both sons and daughters, who afterwards fell into the King's hands, and of whom we shall have occasion to speak in the sequal. About the same time as the unsuccessful insurrection of which we have just spoken, the chiefs of Mackenzie and MacKintosh made their escape from Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...

; but, on their way to the Highlands, they were treacherously seized at the Torwood, by the Laird of Buchanan
Clan Buchanan
Clan Buchanan is an Armigerous Scottish clan whose origins are said to lie in the 1225 grant of lands on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond to clergyman Sir Absalon of Buchanan by the Earl of Lennox.-Origins:...

. Mackenzie having offered resistance, was slain, and his head, along with MacIntosh, who was taken alive, was presented to the King by Buchanan. The latter was rewarded, and MacIntosh returned to his dungeon, where he remained till after the battle of Flodden

The actions of the Mackenzies at Drumchatt, against Lochalsh who had rebelled against the King do not seem to have been taken into consideration once the Mackenzie chief had escaped from prison. It is worth noting however that in the next generation of chiefs, in the early 16th century, the daughter of chief Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail married chief Hector Munro of Foulis, whose clansmen had fought together as allies at Drumchatt in 1497.

A mythical battle at Drumchatt

Another account of a battle at Drumchatt published by Alexander Mackenzie in his books The History of the Mackenzies of Kintail (published in 1879 or 1890) and The History of the Munroes of Fowlis (1898) describes the battle as being fought between the Munros and Mackenzies in 1501. This has perplexed many historians because there is no reference in any contemporary historical documents to such a battle.

Mackenzie's account states that William Munro of Foulis led a group of 900 Munros, Dingwells and MacCullochs who attacked the Mackenzies, laying waste to their lands and taking much spoil. However, on their return, they were attacked by just 140 Mackenzies at a place called Drumchatt, where 800 of Munro's force were killed. Mackenzie based his story on a short verse written by the Rev John MacRae who wrote the 'Ardintoul MS History of the Mackenzies' and who died minister of Dingwall in 1704. The same verse was also recorded in George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie

George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie

George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie FRS , known as Sir George Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet from 1654 to 1685 and as The Viscount of Tarbat from 1685 to 1703, was a Scottish statesman....

's 'MS History of the Mackenzies', it reads:

"Did eight hundred men defeat and many kill, With his seven score on the face of Pharrel hill".

Knock farril (Knockfarrel) is the eastern extension of the Drumchatt ridge.

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