Macfarlane vs. Colquhoun

The feuding between these clans began in 1590 when members of the MacFarlane Clan started raiding the Glens of Luss, which was Clan Colquhoun territory. They would steal livestock and property from them and return back to their own lands.   At first, the MacFarlane’s were able to carry on these raids with very little resistance from the Colquhouns.  This all changed with the Bannachra raid of 1592.

In July of 1592, a large group of Macfarlanes, under the direction of the Clan Chief John MacFarlane, and supported by members of Clan MacGregor, descended from the mountains onto the fields of Luss, which were just ripening for the harvest. The band of men began to plunder everything they came across.  Sir Humphry Colquhoun, the chief of Clan Colquhoun, gathered as many clansmen as he could and along with neighboring land proprietors met the MacFarlane’s.  The two sides fiercely battled into nightfall, but eventually the MacFarlane troops were too much for Humphry Colquhoun’s fighting men and they were forced to retreat to Bannachra Castle.

The Macfarlane’s and the MacGregor’s pursued the Colquhoun’s to their castle and laid siege to their stronghold.  According to legend the Macfarlane’s were able to bribe a servant of the Colquhoun chief. This servant was directed to shine a torch on his chief when he was near one of the castles loopholes.  The MacFarlane’s bowman patiently waited until they had a clear shot. They fired at the first opportunity, hitting the chief directly through the heart, killing him instantly. Once the chief was dead the Macfarlane’s were able to storm the castle.  They slaughtered the occupants and before leaving they set fire to everything inside.  The surviving Colquhoun’s appealed to the crown in Edinburgh for  justice and ask for a case in front of the royal court.  It doesn’t appear that there was any retribution handed out against the MacFarlane’s, but the Colquhoun’s servant, known as the “Traitor of Colquhoun”, was executed in 1593.

In 1603 the MacFarlane’s once again organized a large raid on Colquhoun territory, known as the raid of Glen Finlas.  A large group of MacFarlane’s entered Colquhoun territory and made there way to Bannachra Castle where they killed servants and set the castle on fire.  On their return from Colquhoun lands they made a detour to Ross Dhu Castle, stole the castle gates and carried them to Arrochar.  The Colquhoun’s sent a message to the Macfarlane chief asking for the return of their castle gates, the response they got was, “If you want the gates, come and take them away.” Colquhoun of Luss collected his men and marched through the “String of Luss”, ready to get revenge on the MacFarlane’s and recover the gates of his castle. The Macfarlanes of Arrochar did not expect them, the chief and some of his clansmen were in the chief’s house drinking ale when they arrived.  The chief escaped by jumping out of his window and hiding in the thickets.  The Macfarlane’s sounded out their war cry “Loch Slay” and their men began to gather. Colquhoun and his men made a hastily retreat, fleeing into the woods of Loch Lomond and were never able to claim back the gates of Ross Dhu.