Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet

Sands of Loch Fleet looking towards Strathfleet.

Date	1480
Location	Around Dornoch, Sutherland Skibo : N7389 Strathfleet : NH7797Coordinates: 57°57′N 4°4′W / 57.950°N 4.067°W / 57.950; -4.067
Result	Sutherland & Murray victory

Belligerents

Clan Donald
"men from Ross"

Clan Sutherland
Murrays of Aberscross

Commanders and leaders

John MacDonald of Islay, Earl of Ross

Robert Sutherland
Neil Murray of Aberscross

Strength

500-600

Unknown

Casualties and losses

>50, "great slaughter"

Unknown

Skibo Castle was largely rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries

The Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet was prompted by Clan Donald's invasion of the area around Dornoch in northern Scotland in 1480. Two attacks were repulsed by the local clans of Clan Sutherland and the Murrays of Aberscross.

Background

In 1462, John MacDonald of Islay, Earl of Ross had entered into a secret treaty, in which he agreed to become a vassal of Edward IV of England in return for help in conquering northern Scotland. When James III of Scotland discovered this agreement in 1476, he stripped John of his possessions on the mainland. John spent the next few years trying to reclaim the land he thought was his. When he lent most of his forces to his kinsman Donald Balloch of Islay to ravage the West Coast, John took 500-600 men around the north of Scotland to the Dornoch Firth on the east coast.^[1] It's not clear what his intention was,^[1] but he landed a few miles from Dunrobin Castle, home to Clan Sutherland who controlled much of the far north of Scotland.

Battles

At first the MacDonalds camped in front of Skibo Castle,^[1] a possession of the Bishop of Caithness. John, 8th Earl of Sutherland sent a force under Neill Murray to watch the islanders.^[1] MacDonald began to ravage the country, so Murray attacked, driving off the invaders who lost a captain named Donald Dubh-na-Soirn, and 50 men.^[1]

In response to this defeat, MacDonald sent some of his men and "a company of men from Ross"^[1] up the coast to Loch Fleet, just south of Dunrobin. Sutherland sent his brother Robert and some men to meet the attackers "on the sands of Strathfleet".^[1] After a "fierce and bloody struggle",^[1] the island men and their allies were defeated "with great slaughter"^[1] and the survivors pursued as far as Bonar.

Aftermath

This was to be the final conflict between the MacDonalds and Sutherlands,^[1] as Sutherland married MacDonald's sister Margaret soon afterwards, sealing an alliance. However this heavy defeat may have been a factor in the conflict between John MacDonald and his son Angus Og, which resulted in the Battle of Bloody Bay in 1480 or 1483.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Browne, James (1849), A History of the Highlands and of the Highland Clans vol I, Edinburgh: A. Fullarton, pp. 170–1

Scottish clan battles

14th century	Battle of the Pass of Brander Battle of Dalrigh Battle of Drumlui Battle of Invernahavon Battle of the North Inch

15th century	Battle of Aldy Charrish Battle of Arbroath Battle of Brechin Battle of Arkinholm Battle of Bealach nam Broig Battle of Blar Na Pairce Battle of Bloody Bay Battle of Craignaught Hill Battle of Champions Battle of Clachnaharry Battle of Corpach Battle of Craig Cailloc Battle of Dingwall Battle of Drumchatt Battle of Drumnacoub Battle of Harlaw Battle of Harpsdale Battle of Inverlochy (1431) Siege of Inverness (1429) Battle of Lochaber Battle of Palm Sunday Raid on Ross Sandside Chase Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet Battle of Tannach Battle of Tarbat Battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach

16th century	Battle of Achnashellach Battle of Alltachuilain Battle of Allt Camhna Battle of Leckmelm Battle of Alltan-Beath Battle of Bun Garbhain Battle of Carberry Hill Cleanse the Causeway Chanonry of Ross Battle of Clynetradwell Battle of Corrichie Battle of Craibstone Battle of Dryfe Sands Battle of Garbharry Battle of Glendale Battle of Glenlivet Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart Siege of Inverness (1562) Battle of Knock Mary Battle of Langside Battle of Linlithgow Bridge Battle of Logiebride Battle of Melrose Battle of the Shirts Battle of the Spoiling Dyke Battle of Summerdale Battle of Tillieangus Battle of Torran Dubh Battle of the Western Isles

17th century	Battle of Altimarlach Stand-off at the Fords of Arkaig Battle of Benbigrie Battle of Carinish Battle of Coire Na Creiche Battle of Glen Fruin Battle of Morar Battle of Maol Ruadh

see also	Scottish clan Jacobite risings Wars of Scottish Independence Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms Anglo-Scottish Wars Marian civil war Military of Scotland Manrent Massacre of Glencoe

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, November 04, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.