Battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach

Battlefield looking westwards from the cemetery.
The Tutim Burn joins the Oykel roughly level with Tuiteam house, the white building on the right.

Date	1406?
Location	North bank of River Oykel 57°58′32″N 4°38′45″W / 57.97556°N 4.64583°W / 57.97556; -4.64583Coordinates: 57°58′32″N 4°38′45″W / 57.97556°N 4.64583°W / 57.97556; -4.64583
Result	Decisive Mackay victory

Belligerents

Clan Mackay,
Clan Sutherland

Clan MacLeod of Lewis

Commanders and leaders

Angus Du Mackay
Hugh Mackay,
Alexander Murray

Malcolm MacLeod

Strength

Unknown

Casualties and losses

Unknown

1 survivor

Mouth of the Tutim Burn looking east towards the cemetery

Tutim cemetery

The Battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach (Scottish Gaelic: "plentiful slaughter";^[1] also known as Tuttim–Tarwach, Tuttim–Turwigh, Tuttim–Tarwigh or Tutim Tarvach) was a Scottish clan battle in which the Mackays wiped out raiders from the Clan MacLeod of Lewis who were returning from an attack on Mackay land in Strathnaver. The Mackays caught up with the raiders on the north bank of the River Oykel some three miles west of where the river joins the River Cassley at the head of the Kyle of Sutherland. The battle probably took place in 1406, but the date is uncertain from the manuscripts.

Background

Angus Mackay of Strathnaver had married^[1] Sidheag, sister of Roderick, chief of the MacLeods.^[2] When Angus died, he left his brother Black Hugh (Uistean Dow or Houcheon Dubh) as regent ("tutor") for his two sons Angus Dow (Dubh) and Rory Gald^[1] (Roderick Gald, "Lowland").^[3] When Roderick heard that his sister was in dispute with Hugh Mackay in 1406,^[4] he decided to resolve the matter by sending a company of men to the Reay Country, the Mackay lands that bordered Caithness. The men were led by Roderick's brother, Malcolm (Máel Coluim or Maol Choluim) MacLeod, later known as Gille-caluim Beag, Gill-callum-beg-Macbhowan^[3] or Gilealm Beg McBowen ("Malcolm the Little"); "gille" had come to replace "maol" in such names.

Failing to come to an amicable agreement, Malcolm ravaged Mackay lands in Strathnaver, and the Sutherland district of Brae-Chat (Breachat),^[1] around Lairg at the south end of Loch Shin. This provoked both the Mackays and Robert Earl of Sutherland, the latter sending a company of men under Alexander Murray of Cubin (Alistair Ne-Shrem-Gorme)^[3] to join Hugh Mackay in pursuit of the raiders.^[5]

Battle plans

The River Oykel and its estuary the Kyle of Sutherland stretch across the Highlands from Dornoch on the east coast almost to Ullapool on the west coast. The river is the traditional boundary between Sutherland to the north and Ross to the south, and is a major transport artery linking the East Coast to the MacLeod territory of Assynt in the west. The Mackays and Sutherland men caught up with the MacLeods as they were crossing the Tutim Burn, laden down by booty and stolen cattle.

Battle

Initially Mackay tried to just recover his property. When the MacLeods objected, a "long, furious, cruel, and doubtful...rather desperate than resolute"^[6] battle ensued, which ended with the slaughter of all the MacLeods except one, who managed to return to Lewis and report the defeat before dying of his wounds.^[7]

Aftermath

Angus Dow succeeded his uncle as chief of the Mackays when Hugh died two years later. Despite his defeat by Donald, Lord of the Isles, at the Battle of Dingwall in 1411, the Mackays appear to have prospered and expanded under Angus Dow and he is regarded as the ancestor of all the Mackay chiefs. By 1427 he was important enough to be one of the chiefs summoned to a parliament in Inverness, where they were arrested by James I.^[8] At that time he had 4000 men under his command^[8] according to the Scotichronicon; such power led to his nickname of Enneas-en-Imprissi, "Angus the Absolute".

Numerous cairns once marked the battlefield, but their stones have since been used for building dry stone walls.^[7] A cemetery was later built on the hillside to the east of the battlefield;^[3] according to local legend the cemetery wall was built from the cairns. Today the A837 road runs through the battlefield.

Notes and references

Most descriptions of the battle are based on that in Gordon's Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland.

1 2 3 4 Anon (1764), The History of the Feuds and Conflicts Among the Clans in the Northern Parts of Scotland and in the Western Isles: from the year M.XX1 unto M.B.C.XIX, now first published from a manuscript wrote in the reign of King James VI, Foulis Press Referred to as Conflicts of the Clans, this is probably based on Gordon's account.
↑ Early authors thought that Malcolm himself was chief of the MacLeods, rather than Roderick.
1 2 3 4 Society for the Benefit of the Sons and Daughters of the Clergy (1845), The New Statistical Account of Scotland : Inverness, Ross and Cromarty, W. Blackwood and Sons, pp. 405–6
↑ 1406 is the date given by Conflicts of the Clans and many other sources, although the New Statistical Account of Scotland merely repeats Gordon's comment that the battle happened whilst Robert son of Nicholas was Earl of Sutherland. Gordon says that Nicholas died in 1399, but the NSAoS authors dismiss the accuracy of his dates and say that "1397 may be considered as about the time of this event". 1395 is the date used by a source that calls the battle Tuttim-Turwigh, but the origin of this combination is not clear.
↑ Gordon, Sir Robert of Gordonstoun (1615–30), A genealogical history of the earldom of Sutherland, from its origin to the year 1630 Now available on CD (ISBN 1897955847); most other accounts are based on Gordon's.
↑ Gordon cited on p406 of New Statistical Account of Scotland.
1 2 Young, Andrew (1857), The Angler and Tourist's Guide to the Rivers, Lakes and Remarkable Places in the Northern Counties of Scotland: To which is Added, Instructions to Young Anglers, Adam and Charles Black, p. 89
1 2 Mackenzie, Alexander, History of the Mackenzies, p. 67

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

Clan MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan and Clan MacLeod of Lewis

Clan chiefs

MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan (MacLeod of MacLeod)	Leod Tormod Malcolm Iain Ciar William Cleireach Iain Borb William Dubh Alasdair Crotach William Mary Donald Norman William John Sir Rory Mor John Roderick John Roderick Norman John Norman Norman John Norman Norman Norman Magnus Sir Reginald Dame Flora John Hugh Magnus

MacLeod of Lewis	Torquil Roderick Torquil Roderick Torquil Roderick [Torquil] Roderick [Torquil] Donald

Castles and buildings

MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan	Dunvegan Castle Dunscaith Castle Church of St Clement

MacLeod of Lewis	Ardvreck Castle

Clan heirlooms and relics

MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan	Fairy Flag Sir Rory Mor's Horn Dunvegan Cup Bannatyne manuscript

Clan battles

MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan	Battle of Harlaw Battle of Bloody Bay Battle of Glendale Battle of the Spoiling Dyke Battle of Coire Na Creiche

MacLeod of Lewis	Battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach Battle of Bloody Bay Battle of Leckmelm Battle of Culloden

Names and families

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