The Battle of Glen Affric, 1721
The Jacobite rising of 1715 was a rebellion against the British-Hanoverian government, led by the exiled James Stuart, who claimed to be the rightful king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Highland Clans were divided in their support for the Jacobites, with some supporting the rebellion and others supporting the government. The Clan Ross, one of the most powerful clans in the Highlands, supported the government during the Jacobite rising of 1715 and the rising of 1719.
The chief of the Clan Mackenzie, William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, had been exiled in France for his part in the Jacobite rising of 1715. He returned briefly to Scotland to take part in the Jacobite rising of 1719, but was defeated and returned to exile in France. In 1720, two members of the Clan Ross, William Ross, 6th of Easter Fearn, and his brother Robert Ross, were appointed factors on the derivatives of Mackenzie of Seaforth, Chisholm, and Glenmoriston. The following year, in 1721, they set off on an expedition to collect rents on these derivatives.
The Rosses set off from Inverness with thirty armed men, picking up a further fifty armed men from Bernera Barracks. They were on their way to Mackenzie of Seaforth’s lands in Kintail when they met three hundred men of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan Macrae in Glen Affric. Historian Alan Mackenzie says that the Rosses were “ambushed” near Loch Affric. The Mackenzies and Macraes were commanded by Colonel Donald Murchison of Auchtyre and Lochalsh, who had been collecting rents and sending them to Mackenzie of Seaforth in France.
A skirmish took place between the two sides, and the Rosses were outnumbered. William Ross of Easter Fearn was the first to be wounded by shots fired at him from his right. However, he continued to give orders to his troops to advance and clear the ground of lurking clansmen. They had some success in this respect and were able to proceed to a narrow gorge in Kintail which led into Loch Affric, where they were ambushed by Murchison’s men. William Ross’s son Walter Ross and also his nephew William Ross (son of his brother Robert Ross) were also wounded.
Realizing that further resistance was useless, William Ross met Colonel Murchison between the lines, and a discussion took place. The Rosses agreed to return home, promising never again to officiate as factors and as a token of sincerity handed their commissions to Donald Murchison.
Walter Ross died of his wounds. Colonel Murchison insisted on escorting his foes past a thicket where he alleged a “bloodthirsty” party from the Clan Cameron lurked. On reaching Beauly, Walter Ross was buried in Beauly Priory. A second unsuccessful attempt was made by government troops to seize Mackenzie of Seaforth’s lands by force, in which the Battle of Coille Bhan was indecisive.
The Battle of Glen Affric had a lasting impact on the politics and society of the region. The defeat of the Rosses marked a significant victory for the Mackenzies and Macraes, and further solidified their power in the region. The Mackenzies, in particular, had been a powerful force in the Highlands for centuries, and the Battle of Glen Affric served as a reminder of their strength and determination.
The battle also had a lasting impact on the relations between the different clans in the Highlands. The Rosses had been one of the most powerful clans in the region and their defeat at the hands of the Mackenzies and Macraes demonstrated the shifting balance of power in the Highlands. The battle also highlighted the deep-seated rivalries and tensions between the different clans, which would continue to shape the politics and society of the region for centuries to come.