Battle of Alltan-Beath
Who Fought
A company of Clan Mackay men under Donald Mackay of Strathnaver
a Sutherland force led by Sir Hugh Kennedy, Hutcheon Murray of Abirscors, and Gilbert Gordon of Garty
History & Significance
The Battle of Alltan-Beath, also known as the Battle of Ailtan-Beath, was a Scottish clan battle said to have taken place in 1542 in the village of Knockarthur (or Knockartel), in Sutherland, in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between men of the Clan Mackay and men of the Clan Sutherland whose chiefs were the Gordon, Earls of Sutherland.
17th-century historian, Sir Robert Gordon, who himself was a son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, wrote an account of the background events leading up to the battle: Gordon states that there was peace between the Mackays and Sutherlands from the death of John Mackay in 1529 until the year 1542 when chief "Donald Mackay came with a company of men to the village of Knockartel, burnt the same, and took a prey of goods from Strathbrory". He goes on to say that the goods were soon recovered and that soon afterwards Donald Mackay again invaded Sutherland and marched as far as Skibo Castle and encamped there.
Historian Angus Mackay disputes the version of background events given by Sir Robert Gordon. Angus Mackay states that Robert Stuart, Bishop of Caithness, having departed for England to join his brother the Earl of Lennox, made some arrangements with his relatives, the Earl of Caithness and Donald Mackay, for the protection of his castles and church-lands. As such the Earl of Caithness occupied Scrabster Castle which was near Thurso and Donald Mackay, having advanced into Sutherland, placed a party of his clansmen in Skibo Castle, under the command of Neil Mackay of the Mackay of Aberach branch of the Clan Mackay.
Neither the Mackay historians nor the 1813 publication of Sir Robert Gordon's History of the Earldom of Sutherland mention an actual battle. However, an account of the Battle of Alltan-Beath was written in the book Conflicts of the Clans which was published by the Foulis Press in 1764 and which was based on Gordon's original 17th century manuscript.
Donald Mackay of Strathnaver, having succeeded his brother, John, taketh the occasion upon the death of Adam, Earl of Sutherland (who left his grandchild, John, young to succeed him) to molest and invade the inhabitants of Sutherland. He came, the year of God 1542, with a company of men to the village of Knockartoll, burnt the same, and took a great prey of goods out of Strathbrora. Sir Hugh Kennedy of Griffen Mains dwelt then in Sutherland, having married John, Earl of Sutherland's mother, after the death of his father, Alexander, Master of Sutherland. Sir Hugh Kennedy being advertised of Mackay's coming into Sutherland, he advises with Hutcheon Murray of Abirscors, and with Gilbert Gordon of Garty, what was best to be done. They resolve to fight the enemy; and so having gathered a company of men, they overtook Mackay, unawares, beside a place called Ailtan-Beath, where they invaded him suddenly; having passed his spies unseen. After a little skirmish the Strathnaver men fled, the booty was rescued, and John MacIan-MacAngus, one of their chieftains, was slain, with divers of the Strathnaver men. Donald Mackay, nevertheless, played the part of a good soldier; for in his flight he killed, with his own hand, one William Sutherland, who most eagerly pursued him in the chase. The inhabitants of Sutherland and Strathnaver (in regard of Earl John's minority) did thus continually vex one another, until this Donald Mackay was apprehended and imprisoned in the Castle of Fowlis, in Ross, by commandment of the Queen Regent and the Governor, where he continued a good while in captivity.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Alltan-Beath lies on Morar Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite.
The account in Conflicts of the Clans captures the sudden nature of the engagement at Alltan-Beath: Kennedy's force had managed to pass Mackay's scouts unseen and fell upon the Strathnaver men unawares, so that after only a brief skirmish the raiders fled and the stolen goods were rescued. Even in retreat, however, Donald Mackay distinguished himself, for he slew with his own hand one William Sutherland who pressed him most keenly in the pursuit, a detail which the chronicler recorded as proof that Mackay "played the part of a good soldier" even in defeat.
- John MacIan-MacAngus (a Mackay chieftain) killed along with divers Strathnaver men; William Sutherland killed by Donald Mackay during the pursuit
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