The Battle of Craig Cailloch, 1441

The Battle of Craig Cailloch was a clan battle fought in 1441 between the Clan Cameron and Clan Mackintosh, who were part of the Chattan Confederation, in Scotland. The conflict arose in the aftermath of the war between James I of Scotland and Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, which had ended with Alexander’s defeat and imprisonment in 1429. Both Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan had initially sided with James during the war, but following Alexander’s release and appointment as Justiciar of Scotia in 1439, he reconciled with the Chattans and encouraged them to attack the Camerons, whom he viewed as traitors.

The battle took place at Craig Cailloch, a location in the Brae of Badenoch, and was led by Ewan, the son of Donald McEwan for the Camerons, and Malcolm Mackintosh for the Chattans. It was a bloody encounter, in which several leading members of the Chattan Confederation, including Lachlan Badenoch, were wounded or killed. Despite this, the Chattans emerged victorious and launched further raids on Cameron lands in Lochaber in revenge for the deaths of their members.

As a result of the battle, the leader of Clan Cameron, Donald Dubh, was forced into exile in Ireland, forfeiting his lands at Locheil. The long-standing enmity between the Earl of Ross and the clans may have contributed to this outcome.

The Battle of Craig Cailloch was a significant event in the history of the Clan Cameron and Clan Mackintosh in Scotland, and its aftermath had lasting consequences for the clans involved. It serves as a reminder of the complex and often violent relationships between the various clans that existed in Scotland during this period, and the significant role that political and personal allegiances played in shaping these conflicts. Overall, the battle was a bloody and violent encounter that had significant consequences for the clans involved, and serves as a reminder of the complex and often tumultuous relationships that existed between the various clans in Scotland during this time.