The feuding between these clans began in 1590 when members of the MacFarlane Clan started raiding the Glens of Luss, which was Clan Colquhoun territory. They would steal livestock and property from them and return back to their own lands.   At first, the MacFarlane’s were able to carry on these raids with very little resistance from the Colquhoun’s.  This all changed with the Bannachra raid of 1592. Read More…

In 1501 William Munro of Foulis was knighted by James IV of Scotland and began to assist the king in public affairs in the Scottish Highlands.  It is believed that William Munro was instructed to lead a force against Clan Mackenzie as part of his official duties. The Mackenzie chief, Hector Roy Mackenzie was considered obnoxious to the government and a “disturber of the public peace”, this may have been the motivation for the ordered attack.  Along with members of Clan Munro, William gathered a force of up to 900 men, this also included members of the Dingwall Clan and the MacCulloch Clan.  This force attacked the Mackenzie’s, destroyed their property and seized a large number of their cattle. Read More…

In 1514 John de Moravia, 9th Earl of Sutherland, died without an heir.  John’s sister, Elizabeth de Moravia, and her husband Adam Gordon, the son of the chief of Clan Gordon, assumed the chiefdomship of Clan Sutherland.  John Mackay of Strathnaver, chief of Clan Mackay, opposed the take over of Clan Sutherland by the Gordon family.  John Mackay urged his brother-in-law Alexander Sutherland to claim the Earldom of Sutherland for himself. Read More…

It is believed that this feud may have gone back as far as the 13th century when Kenneth MacHeth, an ancestor of the Mackay Clan tried to invade the lands owned by an ancestor of the Rosses.  MacHeth was defeated, his head was cut off and sent to King Alexander of Scotland. Read More…

Several years before the feud, Clan Mackintosh, under the leadership of the 6th chief of the clan,  abandoned some of their lands in Lochaber.   Members of Clan Cameron took over the property. Years later, William Mackintosh, the 7th chief of the clan demanded that Loch Arkaig should be restored to the Mackintoshs.  The Camerons refused,  believing that they rightfully settled on abandoned lands.  The two clans met at the Battle of Drumlui where the Mackintoshs were able to defeat the Camerons in battle but sustained significant losses. Read More…

The date of the Feud between Clan Buchanan of Leny and Clan MacLaren of Balquhidder, known as the circumstance at Sron Lainie, is up for debate.  Some associate this clan battle with the 11th or 12th century but most agree that the Buchanan Clan was not established in the area of the feud that early in the history of Scotland. It is much more likely that the feud took place in the 15th century during the reign of James V. Read More…

Sir Alan Stewart of Darnley, held the office of High Constable of the Scottish Army in France until the year 1437 when he gave his French territories to his younger brother, Sir John Stewart and returned to his clan’s seat in the Eastwood parish of Renfrewshire.  Upon his arrival home Sir Alan began a prosecution campaign against members of the neighboring Boyd Clan.  This constant harassment of the Boyds upset their chief Thomas Boyd, who decided to act against Sir Alan. Read More…

In 1530 the chief of clan MacDonald of Clanranald, Allaster MacRuari, died leaving two claimants to the role of chief of the clan. The first claimant was the chief’s illegitimate son, John Moidartach.  The second was his cousin Ranald Gallda.  John Moidartach was very popular among the clan members and he unanimously won a vote in 1530, by the clan leaders, to take over the clan.  Ranald Gallda’s claim was supported by his uncle Lord Lovat of Fraser, the chief of a powerful neighboring clan. Read More…

The story of the Gunn-Keith feud started with a legend of unrequited love.  The feud began in 1426, when the chief of Clan Keith found out the daughter of Lachlan Gunn, Helen of Braemore, was engaged to her cousin Alexander Gunn.  The night before the wedding the Keith’s attacked the Gunn’s wedding party, killing Alexander Gunn and abducting Helen.  It is believed that she committed suicide shortly after, by throwing herself from Ackergill Tower to avoid her fate of marrying Dugald Keith. Read More…

This dispute started when the Murray’s of Octertyre, in 1490 were sent by the Abbot of Inchaffray to collect rents or debts from the Drummond family.  The collection of the debt was not welcome by the Drummond’s so the Murray’s ended up forcibly collecting the debt in the form of the Drummond’s cattle.  In retaliation, the Drummond Clan chief sent his son David, with some troops to attack the Murray’s and attempt to evict them off their land.  The Murray’s received word that the Drummond’s were on their way and prepared for the attack.  Read More…

In 1578, John Johnstone was made “Warden of the Scottish West March” by King James VI of Scotland.  This gave the Johnstone’s power over the neighboring Maxwell clan creating a tension between the two clans. The first major conflict in 1585 was sparked by a disagreement between the Maxwell Clan and Lord Arran, over land holdings.  King James VI sided with Lord Arran and tasked the Johnstone’s with arresting the Maxwell clan chief.  Two bands of soldiers were sent to assist the Johnston’s against the Maxwell’s. Robert Maxwell, the chiefs brother, commanded a group that met up with the two groups of soldiers commanded by the Johnstone’s.  Read More…

The feud began in 1488 when the son of Lord Montgomery was awarded the title of Baillie of Cunninghame.  This was a title traditionally held by the Cunningham’s.  They lost the title after they supported King James III against his son James IV during the Battle of Sauchieburn.  After the death of James III and the ascension of James IV to the throne, the Cunningham’s were out of favor with the crown.  Read More…

George Sinclair, the 6th Earl of Caithness, was forced to sell his estates and titles to John Campbell of Glenorchy in 1675 due to a debt he owed. Upon George Sinclair’s death in 1676 John Campbell claimed the Sinclair estates and had himself declared Earl of Caithness, which was a traditional title of Clan Sinclair.  George’s son, George Sinclair of Keiss, disputed the claim with assistance from other Sinclair families in the region. Read More…

In the 16th century Clan Gordon and Clan Forbes engaged in a bitter feud that featured many battles and massacres throughout that century.  Up until 1500 the Forbes could have been considered the most powerful and influential Clan in the North of Scotland, however the Gordons of Huntly quickly rose to power and became the dominate clan.  The Gordon’s attempted to force its neighboring clans into submission but the Forbes refused to bow down and resisted attacks from the powerful Gordon Clan.  Read More…

The tension between the MacGregor Clan and the Colquhoun clan began sometime in the early 16th century caused by continuous raiding that members of the MacGregor Clan were organizing in Colquhoun lands.  These men were said to be opportunists that saw the chance to plunder lands that were very difficult to protect.  It was estimated that the MacGregor raids may have killed as many as 140 men over the years, many unarmed.  One legend states that they had even killed 40 schoolboys who had come to watch one of the raids. Read More…