The Harrying of Buchan, also known as the Herschip (hardship) or Rape of Buchan, took place in 1308 during the Wars of Scottish Independence

Wars of Scottish Independence

The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....

. It saw vast areas of Buchan

Buchan

Buchan is one of the six committee areas and administrative areas of Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland. These areas were created by the council in 1996, when the Aberdeenshire unitary council area was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994...

 in northeast Scotland, then ruled by Clan Comyn

Clan Cumming

Clan Cumming, also known as Clan Comyn, is a Scottish clan from the central Highlands that played a major role in the history of 13th century Scotland and in the Wars of Scottish Independence and were instrumental in defeating the English at the Battle of Roslin in 1303...

, burned to the ground by Robert the Bruce and his brother Edward

Edward Bruce

Edward the Bruce , sometimes modernised Edward of Bruce, was a younger brother of King Robert I of Scotland, who supported his brother in the struggle for the crown of Scotland, then pursued his own claim in Ireland. He was proclaimed High King of Ireland, but was eventually defeated and killed in...

, immediately following their May 1308 success at the Battle of Barra.

After his defeat at Barra, John Comyn, Earl of Buchan

John Comyn, Earl of Buchan

John Comyn was Earl of Buchan and an important member of Clan Comyn during the early 14th century. He was a chief opponent of Robert the Bruce in the civil war that paralleled the War of Scottish Independence. He should not be confused with the better known John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, who...

 fled to England. Bruce's men chased him as far as Turriff

Turriff

Turriff is a town and civil parish in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It is approximately above sea level, and has a population of 5,708.Turriff is known locally as Turra in the Doric dialect of Scots...

, a distance of sixteen miles (25 km). Before heading south to lay siege to Aberdeen Castle

Aberdeen Castle

Aberdeen Castle was a late Middle Ages fortification, in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was situated on Castle Hill, a site today known as the Castlegate, where a block of flats are currently located....

, the Bruces "destroyed by fire his whole Earldom of Buchan", including all the castles and strongholds, principally Rattray Castle and Dundarg Castle

Dundarg Castle

Dundarg Castle is a ruined castle about north-northeast of New Aberdour, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was one of the The Nine Castles of Knuckle....

.

Bruce's men proceeded to kill those loyal to the Comyns, destroying their homes, farms, crops and slaughtering their cattle. Terrorising the locals, Bruce prevented any possible chance of future violent hostility towards him and his men. The Comyns had ruled Buchan for nearly a century, from 1214, when William Comyn inherited the title from his wife. Such was the destruction however, that the people of Buchan lost all loyalties to the Comyns and never again rose against Bruce's supporters. It took thirty years before John Comyn's successor to the Earldom, Henry Beaumont, made an appearance in the area. Between 1333–34 he repaired Dundarg Castle, which Bruce had destroyed during the harrying, only for it to be laid siege to and destroyed by Sir Andrew Murray

Sir Andrew Murray

Sir Andrew Murray , also known as Sir Andrew Moray or Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell, was a Scottish military leader who commanded resistance forces loyal to David II of Scotland against Edward Balliol and Edward III of England during the Second War of Scottish Independence...

 of Bothwell in December 1336. Finding little support, he left after the siege to England where he died in 1340. His son John refused the Earldom, ending the Comyn lineage and the first creation, Mormaers of Buchan.