MacDonald vs. MacLeod

This feud started in 1577 when three young members of the MacLeod Clan became stranded on the Island of Eigg, among members of the MacDonald of Clanranald clan.  The three men were welcomed by the MacDonalds until they became aggressive towards some of the MacDonald women.  The three were beaten and set out to sea.  Word spread to the chief of Clan MacLeod about the treatment of his three clansmen. Enraged, the Macleod chief gathered up a group of his men and headed to Eigg to seek revenge.

The MacDonalds of Eigg got word that the MacLeods were on their way and hid in a cave on the island.  After several days of searching, the MacLeods were about to give up and head home, when they spotted a MacDonald scout.  They followed his footsteps back to the cave.  The MacDonalds refused to leave the cave when ordered to by the MacLeods, they hoped that the narrow entrance would protect them.  The MacLeods decided to light a fire to smoke out the MacDonalds but the fire ended up suffocating everyone in the cave, killing 395 members of the clan.

In 1578 the MacDonalds of Sleat, in eight ships, headed to Skye to avenge the murder of their kin.  They entered Ardmore Bay and found a number of MacLeods at a church service in Trumpan.  They set the church on fire killing all inside but one.  The MacLeods sent their fighting men to confront the MacDonalds.  The MacDonalds were completely massacred after trying to unsuccessfully escape in their boats.  It is known as the battle of the Spoiling Dyke due to the fact that the slaughtered MacDonalds were buried under turf dyke.

In 1595 the two clans attempted to end the feud by uniting the families.  The Macleods chief’s sister was married to the chief of the MacDonald of Sleat.  Legend states that she was blind in one eye and the MacDonald Chief sent her back to the Macleods accompanied by a one-eyed horse, a one-eyed dog and a one-eyed man.  The MacLeod chief was so upset that he sent his men to attack the MacDonald owned Trotternish, on the Isle of Skye.  The MacDonalds responded by attacking the Island of Harris.  The Macleod Chief’s cousin MacDhomhnaill, took 40 men on a raid of North Uist.  They were able to cause some mayhem in Uist but were eventually tracked down and killed by members of the MacDonald Clan.

The feud peaked at the Battle of Coire na Creiche in 1601. The MacDonald’s decided to end the feud with an all out attack on the MacLeods.  Rory MacLeod, chief of the MacLeods was away seeking help from Archibald Campbell, the 7th Earl of Argyll. The MacLeod forces were led by Rory’s brother Alasdair.  He caught up with the MacDonalds at Coire na Creiche in Skye.  The fight was said to be so brutal that it lasted well into the night and the Allt Coir a Mhadaidh river ran red with blood.  In the end the MacLeods were defeated and Alasdair MacLeod was captured.  Because of the brutality of the feud, Scotland’s privy council stepped in a forced a resolution between the two clans.