BattlefieldsClan Mackay Resistance to Earl of Ross 1290
Medieval

Clan Mackay Resistance to Earl of Ross 1290

1290
Scotland
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Ross earldom forces attempting northward extension
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Mackay Strathnaver warband
Outcome
Mackay repelled Ross earldom incursion; Strathnaver remained outside direct Ross earldom control; Mackay independence from southern earldom authority maintained.
The Battle

History & Significance

Clan Mackay resisted attempts by the Earl of Ross to extend earldom authority northward into Sutherland and Mackay territory in the late thirteenth century. The Mackay resistance to Ross established the pattern of northern clan independence from the great earldom that would persist throughout the medieval period. Mackay chiefs maintained their autonomy by force of arms and by exploiting the remoteness of Strathnaver.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around this battlefield

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near this battlefield