Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet

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Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 57°57′N 4°4′W / 57.950°N 4.067°W

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet

Part of the Scottish clan wars

Sands of Loch Fleet looking towards Strathfleet.

Date	c.1455^[1]
Location	Around Dornoch, Sutherland Skibo : N7389 Strathfleet : NH779757°57′N 4°4′W / 57.950°N 4.067°W / 57.950; -4.067
Result	Sutherland victory

Belligerents

Clan Sutherland

Clan Donald
and allies

Commanders and leaders

Robert Sutherland
Neil Murray

John of Islay

Strength

500–600

Unknown

Casualties and losses

>50 killed

Unknown

The Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet was prompted by Clan Donald's invasion of the area around Dornoch in northern Scotland in 1480. Two attacks were repulsed by the local clans of Clan Sutherland and the Murrays of Aberscross.

Background

In 1455, John MacDonald of Islay, Earl of Ross had entered into a secret treaty, in which he agreed to become a vassal of Edward IV of England in return for help in conquering northern Scotland. When James III of Scotland discovered this agreement in 1476, he stripped John of his possessions on the mainland. John spent the next few years trying to reclaim the land he thought was his. When he lent most of his forces to his kinsman Donald Balloch of Islay to ravage the West Coast, John took 500-600 men around the north of Scotland to the Dornoch Firth on the east coast.^[2] It's not clear what his intention was,^[2] but he landed a few miles from Dunrobin Castle, home to Clan Sutherland who controlled much of the far north of Scotland.

Battles

At first the MacDonalds camped in front of Skibo Castle,^[2] a possession of the Bishop of Caithness. John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland sent a force under Neill Murray to watch the islanders.^[2] MacDonald began to ravage the country, so Murray attacked, driving off the invaders who lost a captain named Donald Dubh-na-Soirn, and 50 men.^[2]

In response to this defeat, MacDonald sent some of his men and "a company of men from Ross"^[2] up the coast to Loch Fleet, just south of Dunrobin. Sutherland sent his brother Robert and some men to meet the attackers "on the sands of Strathfleet".^[2] After a "fierce and bloody struggle",^[2] the island men and their allies were defeated "with great slaughter"^[2] and the survivors pursued as far as Bonar.

Aftermath

This was to be the final conflict between the MacDonalds and Sutherlands,^[2] as Sutherland married MacDonald's sister Margaret soon afterwards, sealing an alliance. However this heavy defeat may have been a factor in the conflict between John MacDonald and his son Angus Og, which resulted in the Battle of Bloody Bay in 1480 or 1483.

References

^ Gordon, Robert (1813) [Printed from original manuscript 1580 – 1656]. A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland. Edinburgh: Printed by George Ramsay and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company Edinburgh; and White, Cochrance and Co. London. p. 73-74. Retrieved 30 January 2021. "About this tyme" (p. 74) and "The yeir of God 1455" (p. 73)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Browne, James (1849). A History of the Highlands and of the Highland Clans. Vol. I. Edinburgh: A. Fullarton. pp. 170–1. Retrieved 30 January 2021.

Scottish clan battles

Wars of Scottish Independence

First War of Scottish Independence

Second War of Scottish Independence

Anglo-Scottish Wars

Border wars	Duns Otterburn 1385 1400 Nesbit Moor (1402) Homildon Hill Yeavering Piperdean Sark Roxburgh Berwick (1482) Redeswire
Flodden campaign	Flodden Field
Solway Moss campaign	Haddon Rig Solway Moss
Rough Wooing	Edinburgh Ancrum Moor Pinkie Inchkeith Haddington Broughty Castle

Private and local clan battles
(Many of these also had links at national
level, including the feuds between Clan Donald
and the Crown, Clan Douglas and the Crown
and the Mary, Queen of Scots civil war)

13th century	Embo (1245) Largs (1263) Red Ford (1294/96)
14th century	Dalrigh (1306) Pass of Brander (1308) Drumlui (1330/37) Invernahavon (1370/86) Angus (1391) North Inch (1396)
15th century	Drumoak (1402) Tuiteam Tarbhach (1406) Dingwall (1411) Harlaw (1411) Harpsdale (1426) Drumnacoub (1427/33) Lochaber (1429) Palm Sunday (1429) Inverness (1429) Mamsha (1429) Inverlochy (1431) Sandside Chase (1437) Craignaught Hill (1439) Craig Cailloch (1441) Arbroath (1445/46) Brechin (1452) Bealach nam Broig (1452) Clachnaharry (1454) Arkinholm (1455) Skibo and Strathfleet (1455) Tannach (1464/38) Champions (1464/78) Stalc (1468) Corpach (1470) Tarbat (1480) Lagabraad (1480/83) Bloody Bay (1480/83) Lochmaben Fair (1484) Aldy Charrish (1487) Blar Na Pairce (1485/91) Raid on Ross (1491) Drumchatt (1497) Black Mount (1497/98) Daltullich (1499)
16th century	Drumchatt (1501) Achnashellach (1505) Knock Mary (1511) Glendale (1513) Torran Dubh (1517) Alltachuilain (1518/19) Cleanse the Causeway (1520) Glenboultachan (1522) Melrose (1526) Linlithgow Bridge (1526) Summerdale (1529) Alltan-Beath (1542) Shirts (1544) Raids of Urquhart (1544/45) Garbharry (1555) Corrichie (1562) Inverness (1562) Chaseabout Raid (1565) Carberry Hill (1567) Langside (1568) Chanonry of Ross (1569 - 1573) Garbhain (1570) Torran-Roy (1570) Craibstone (1571) Tillieangus (1571) Beauly (1577/78) Spoiling Dyke (1578) Allt Camhna (1586) Leckmelm (1586) Western Isles (1586) Clynetradwell (1590) Dryfe Sands (1593) Glenlivet (1594) Logiebride (1597) Traigh Ghruinneart (1598) Benbigrie (1598)
Early 17th century	Bengrime (1601) Carinish (1601) Coire Na Creich (1601) Morar (1602) Glen Fruin (1603) Braes of Strathdearn (1645)

Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Bishops Wars	Brig of Dee Newburn
First English Civil War	Boldon Hill Newcastle York Marston Moor Carlisle Tippermuir Aberdeen (1644) Inverlochy Auldearn Alford Kilsyth Philiphaugh Lagganmore Aberdeen (1646) Rhunahaorine Moss Dunaverty
Second English Civil War	Mauchline Muir Preston
Third English Civil War	Whiggamore Raid Stirling 1st Inverness 2nd Inverness Carbisdale Dunbar Inverkeithing Worcester
Glencairn's rising	Tullich Dalnaspidal

Period from Restoration of 1660 to Glorious Revolution of 1688

Private and local clan battles	Fords of Arkaig (1665) Altimarlach (1680) Mulroy (1688)
Covenanter rebellion of 1679	Drumclog Bothwell Bridge The Killing Time
Monmouth Rebellion	Argyll's Rising

Jacobite risings

Jacobite rising of 1689	Loup Hill Killiecrankie Dunkeld Cromdale Glencoe
Jacobite rising of 1715	Cornwall Culloden House Alness Dunfermline Preston Inverness Sheriffmuir Brahan
Jacobite rising of 1719	Eilean Donan Glen Shiel Glen Affric Coille Bhan
Jacobite rising of 1745	Highbridge 1st Ruthven Prestonpans Culloden House 1st Carlisle Clifton 2nd Carlisle 1st Fort Augustus Inverurie Falkirk Stirling 2nd Ruthven Moy Inverness 2nd Fort Augustus Atholl Blair Castle Keith Fort William Dornoch Tongue Littleferry Culloden Loch nan Uamh Loch Ailort Arisaig Lochaber and Shiramore Killin Appin Murder Rannoch