page_title: Clan Mackay
section_title: 15th century and clan conflicts
hierarchical_section_title: Clan Mackay / History / 15th century and clan conflicts
caption_attribution_description: Source: James Logan, R. R. MacIan (ill.) The Clans of The Scottish Highlands. First published 1845, reprinted 1847. Creator: Robert Ronald MacIan (1803-1856)
context_page_description: Clan Mackay is an ancient and once-powerful Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. In the centuries that followed they were anti-Jacobite. The territory of the Clan Mackay consisted of the parishes of Farr, Tongue, Durness and Eddrachillis, and was known as Strathnaver, in the north-west of the county of Sutherland. However, it was not until 1829 that Strathnaver was considered part of Sutherland when the chief sold his lands to the Earls of Sutherland and the Highland Clearances then had dire consequences for the clan. In the 17th century the Mackay chief's territory had extended to the east to include the parish of Reay in the west of the neighbouring county of Caithness. The chief of the clan is Lord Reay and the lands of Strathnaver later became known as the Reay Country.
context_section_description: In 1403 the Battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach was fought between Clan Mackay and Clan MacLeod of Lewis: Chief Angus Mackay, 6th of Strathnaver had married the sister of the MacLeod of Lewis. MacLeod found that his sister had been mistreated and he decided to spoil Strathnaver and Brae-Chat in Sutherland but in the ensuing battle MacLeod was killed.
  In 1411 Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles challenged the Stewart royal family for the Earldom of Ross. Chief Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver joined the Stewart Confederacy and  the Battle of Dingwall took place in which Donald of the Isles defeated Mackay. However, Angus Du Mackay later married a sister of Donald of the Isles, and granddaughter of Robert II of Scotland, indicating how important the Clan Mackay had become.
  In 1426 the Battle of Harpsdale took place where Chief Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver, with his son Neil, laid waste to Caithness. The inhabitants of Caithness assembled and fought Angus Du at Harpsdale, where there was great slaughter on both sides. Soon afterwards James I of Scotland came to Inverness, intending to pursue Angus Du Mackay who submitted himself to the King's mercy, and gave his son Neil as a pledge of his future obedience. The King accepted, and sent Neil Mackay to remain in captivity on the Bass Rock, in the Firth of Forth; he was afterwards called Neil Bhasse or Whasse. In 1431 the Battle of Drumnacoub took place where Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver defeated the Clan Sutherland who were led by Angus Moray. In 1437 a conflict known as the Sandside Chase took place where men of Caithness were overthrown by Neil Bhasse Mackay, 8th of Strathnaver after his release from the Bass Rock. In 1464 the Battle of Tannach took place where the Clan Mackay, under Angus Roy Mackay, 9th of Strathnaver, and the Clan Keith defeated the Clan Gunn of Caithness.
  In the late 15th century the Clan Mackay and Clan Ross had long been at feud. This resulted in the Battle of Tarbat in 1486 where the Mackays were defeated by the Rosses and chief Angus Roy Mackay, 9th of Strathnaver was killed. This was followed by the Battle of Aldy Charrish where the Rosses were defeated by the Mackays and the Ross chief was killed along with many of his clan. According to 17th-century historian Sir Robert Gordon, who was a younger son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, the Clan Sutherland joined the side of the Clan Mackay at this battle. However, 19th-century historian Angus Mackay disputes the Sutherland's presence at the battle stating that it would be unlikely that the Earl of Sutherland at the time would have assisted against the Rosses as he was married to a daughter of the Ross chief of Balnagowan, and also that the feudal superiority of the Sutherlands over the Mackays "nowhere existed save in his own fertile imagination".
caption: A Victorian era romantic illustration of a MacKay clansman by R. R. McIan.
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