The Battle of Drumoak, 1402
The Battle of Drumoak, also known as the Battle of Keith’s Muir, was a clan battle that took place in Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1402. The conflict arose from a longstanding feud between the Clan Irvine and the Clan Keith. According to records, the feud between the two families was particularly bitter, with each side committing acts of violence against the other. In 1393, the Keiths made a foray onto Irvine territory, but were overtaken by the Irvines before they could make off with their plunder. The two clans clashed on a moor on the north bank of the River Dee, which is now known as Keith’s Muir.
The Irvines emerged victorious in the battle, driving their enemies back across the River Dee and into Keith’s Pot, a deep and rocky part of the river where many of them were drowned. The leader of the Keiths is said to have made it to a rock protruding from the water, but was killed by Irvine arrows. The rock is now known as the Keith Stone.
After the battle, King James I mediated a resolution to the feud by arranging for the Irvine chief’s son to marry the daughter of the Keith chief, the Earl Marischal. Despite this marriage, the Irvine chief is said to have held a grudge and refused to consummate the union. In 1411, the Irvine chief participated in the Battle of Harlaw, where he was killed in a duel with Maclean of Duart Castle.
The site of the Battle of Drumoak is said to have yielded a number of arrowheads, which are believed to be linked to the conflict. It is unclear how many casualties were suffered by each side in the battle, but it is thought that the Irvines emerged as the dominant clan in the aftermath of the conflict. Despite the resolution of the feud through marriage, tensions between the two clans may have continued for some time.