The Battle of Craibstone, 1571

The Battle of Craibstone was a conflict that took place in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1571 between the Clan Gordon and the Clan Forbes. It was part of the Marian civil war, in which the Forbes clan supported King James VI and the Gordon clan supported Mary, Queen of Scots. The battle was won by the Gordons, who forced the Forbes into retreat after about an hour of fighting. According to some accounts, the number of casualties was roughly equal on both sides, with around 60 men killed on each side. However, other sources report that the Gordons suffered fewer casualties and that the Forbes suffered significant losses, with some accounts putting the number at 300 dead.

The conflict arose as a result of the ongoing political and religious tensions of the time. Mary, Queen of Scots was a Catholic, while King James VI was a Protestant. The Forbes clan supported James and the Gordon clan supported Mary. The two clans had a long-standing rivalry, and the Battle of Craibstone was just one episode in a larger feud that stretched back for centuries.

According to some accounts, the Forbes clan, led by Alexander Master of Forbes, marched on Aberdeen with a force of around 800 men, including two bands of musketeers known as “hagbutters.” They were opposed by the Gordons, who had a force of around 900 men in the town. The Forbes clan crossed the bridge into Aberdeen and engaged in a battle with the Gordons at Craibstone. The Forbes were eventually forced to retreat, and Alexander Master of Forbes and around 200 of his men were captured.

The aftermath of the battle was significant for both sides. The Gordon clan emerged as the victors, and the Forbes clan was humiliated by their defeat. The son of Lord Forbes, Alexander Master of Forbes, was imprisoned at Huntly Castle. The battle also had wider implications for the Marian civil war, as it was seen as a victory for the supporters of Mary, Queen of Scots.

In the years that followed the Battle of Craibstone, the Marian civil war continued to rage on, with the Clan Forbes and the Clan Gordon continuing to take opposing sides. The conflict finally came to an end in 1573, when the Earl of Morton, a leading figure in the Protestant party, was appointed Regent of Scotland. However, the rivalry between the Forbes and Gordon clans persisted for many years, and the Battle of Craibstone remained an important moment in their long and tumultuous history.