The Battle of Leckmelm, 1585

The Battle of Leckmelm was a clan battle that took place in the Scottish Highlands in 1585. It was fought between the Clan Gunn and a coalition of other clans led by the Earl of Sutherland. The specific circumstances and causes of the battle are not clear, but it appears to have been part of ongoing conflicts between these clans in the region.

The Clan Gunn was supported by the Clan Mackay in the Battle of Allt Camhna, where they defeated the Clan Sinclair. However, another branch of the Mackay clan, the Mackays of Aberach, were enemies of the Gunns at this time and fought against them at Leckmelm. The Earl of Caithness and Sutherland, along with Sir Patrick Gordon of Achindown, joined forces with the Mackays and MacLeods to try to defeat the Gunns.

The Gunns attempted to flee towards the Western Isles, but were confronted by the Mackays and MacLeods at Leckmelm. After a skirmish, the Clan Gunn was overthrown and most of their company was killed. George Gunn, the captain of the Clan Gunn, escaped by swimming a nearby loch, but was later captured and released. The scattered remains of the Clan Gunn returned to their ancestral lands, but eight years later they were attacked again by the Clan Sinclair in revenge for their defeat at Allt Camhna.