Battle of the Western Isles
Coordinates: 55°57′18″N 5°54′04″W / 55.955°N 5.901°W
The Battle of the Western Isles was an event in 1586 on the Isle of Jura, in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg and the Clan MacLean.[1]
Background
Jura was divided between the MacLeans, and the MacDonalds of Dunnyveg, and a feud had developed between them. In 1579, the King forced the two sides to come to terms; Angus MacDonald, leader of the MacDonalds, married the sister of Lachlan MacLean, leader of the Macleans.
In 1585, Donald MacDonald, head of the MacDonalds of Sleat, went to visit his relative, Angus. Unfortunately, bad weather meant that he landed in the part of Jura controlled by the MacLeans. Tradition recounts that someone stole some cattle from the MacLeans; MacDonald accounts say it was two enemies of the MacDonalds, who hoped the MacLeans would blame the MacDonalds, and attack. In any event, the MacDonalds were attacked that night by a large number of MacLeans, at a place called Inbhir a' Chnuic; tradition states that 60 of them were slain, and that Donald MacDonald escaped because he had fallen asleep upon on the boat.
The MacDonalds assembled their forces and landed in Mull, the MacLean heartland. The MacLeans sought refuge in the hills, taking their cattle with them, and were fast enough that the MacDonalds had no-one to attack, and left. Lachlan assembled a large army and launched a surprise attack on the retiring MacDonald forces, south of Kerrara.
In the aftermath, Angus decided to act as meditator. Lachlan made a show of hospitality but took Angus's group prisoner the next day. Angus was forced to quitclaim the Rinns of Islay, and hand over his brother Ronald MacDonald as a hostage.
The "Battle"
When Lachlan went to take possession of the Rinns, Angus invited him to Mullintrae. After a banquet in Lachlan's honour, Angus took Lachlan prisoner. In order to get Angus to kill Lachlan, an ambitious MacLean magnate spread a false rumour that Ronald had been killed; Angus' other brother, Coll, believed the rumour and consequently beheaded dozens of MacLean supporters who were with Lachlan, but Lachlan himself was more valuable as a hostage. Hearing about these events, the king ordered Angus to release Lachlan; Ronald was released in exchange.
Angus then went to Ireland, but Lachlan, now wanting revenge, took the opportunity to invade Islay, setting fire to much of it, having first obtained fire and sword authority from the king. Angus reacted by attacking MacLean lands, burning property there and killing huge numbers of people. Lachlan then did the same in Kintyre.
Aftermath
The MacIans of Ardnamurchan (MacIan with an I not an L), neighbours of the MacLeans had refused to assist in the dispute against Angus, as they were themselves a branch of the MacDonalds. John MacIan, their leader, had long sought to marry Lachlan's still-living mother. Lachlan now invited him to do so. However, on the wedding night, Lachlan's forces burst into the bedchamber, kidnapped John, and killed 18 of John's men, in revenge for the lack of support the MacIans had provided to Lachlan. After a year, John MacIan was released, in exchange for the hostages Angus had taken.
In 1591, the king demanded that Lachlan and Angus attend him at Edinburgh. The king seized their eldest sons as hostages, and forced them to pledge future good behaviour.
References
- ↑ Conflicts of the Clans published in 1764 by the Foulis press, from a manuscript written in the reign of James VI of Scotland.