The Battle of Achnashellach, 1505

The Battle of Achnashellach was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1505 in the Highlands at Achnashellach. The participants in the battle were the Clan Cameron and a joint force of the Clan Mackay and Clan Munro. There is little contemporary evidence of the battle, and the accounts of what happened differ in some details.

According to one account, Sir William Munro of Foulis, who was the Justiciary and Lieutenant of Inverness and the Earldom of Ross, was on “King’s business” in the area and was killed in the battle. The Clan Munro records mention this event, but do not provide any further information about the circumstances of the battle.

Another account suggests that the battle was fought between the Clan Cameron and a joint force of Clan Mackay and Clan Munro, and that the Camerons emerged victorious. This is a tradition within the Clan Cameron, but it is not supported by any contemporary evidence.

There are several later accounts of the battle that provide additional details. One 17th century manuscript written by Alexander Munro of Obsdale states that Sir William Munro of Foulis was killed by treachery while leading an army at the command of the King against “certain factious northern men.” Another 19th century publication, the Memoirs of Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, mentions a feud between the Camerons and the Mackays, and states that the Laird of Foulis, who was the Chief of the Munros, was killed in an engagement between the two clans.

Despite these accounts, there is still much that is unknown about the Battle of Achnashellach. The exact circumstances and events of the battle are not clear, and it is difficult to determine what role the Munros and Mackays played in the conflict. It is possible that the battle was part of a larger conflict involving these clans and the Camerons, but there is not enough information to confirm this.