The Battle of Alltachuilain, 1514

The Battle of Alltachuilain was a Scottish clan battle that took place in the early 16th century in the parish of Loth, county of Sutherland. It was fought between factions of the Clan Sutherland in a dispute over the Earldom of Sutherland. The dispute arose after the death of John Sutherland, 9th Earl of Sutherland, in 1514, who had no heir. His sister Elizabeth Sutherland, 10th Countess of Sutherland, inherited the Earldom and married Adam Gordon, a younger son of George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly. Their son, Alexander Gordon, was to become the legal heir to the Earldom of Sutherland, but this was disputed by others, including John Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver, chief of the Clan Mackay, who had previously been defeated by Elizabeth Sutherland and Adam Gordon at the Battle of Torran Dubh in 1517.

Alexander Sutherland, Elizabeth Sutherland’s half-brother, also claimed the Earldom of Sutherland for himself as the rightful heir. In order to assert his claim, Alexander Sutherland laid siege to Dunrobin Castle, the principal seat of the Earls and Countesses of Sutherland, which he eventually succeeded in taking. Adam Gordon responded by sending a force of his own under Alexander Leslie of Kinninuvy and John Moray of Aberscors to besiege Alexander Sutherland in the castle. The castle surrendered, but Alexander Sutherland had retreated into Strathnaver, the land of his brother-in-law John Mackay.

Adam Gordon then sent Alexander Leslie and John Moray to confront Alexander Sutherland, who had invaded Sutherland and killed some of his own kinsmen who supported Adam Gordon. The two sides met at a place called Alltachuilain or Ald-Quhillin, where a battle ensued. Alexander Sutherland was taken prisoner and all of his men were either slain or fled. Alexander Sutherland was then executed by Alexander Leslie at the very place where they fought, and his head was placed on a spear on the top of Dunrobin Castle.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Alltachuilain, William Sutherland, 6th of Duffus, also claimed the Earldom of Sutherland, but he was killed by the Bishop of Caithness in 1530. Adam Gordon and Elizabeth Sutherland’s son, Alexander Gordon, became known as the Master of Sutherland, and his son later became John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland. Alexander Sutherland’s descendants occupied the lands of Kilphedder, where he had lived, for generations on payment of a nominal rent to the Earls of Sutherland. The ruins at Kilphedder are now more closely associated with one of his descendants, William Sutherland, who was known as “Bane of Clyne.”