Battle of Achnashellach The Battle of Achnashellach was a Scottish clan battle said to have taken place in the year 1505 , in the Scottish Highlands at Achnashellach . It was fought by the Clan Cameron against the Clan Mackay and the Clan Munro . The battle . Contemporary evidence . Little is known of the events concerning the Battle of Achnashellach as there is little contemporary evidence to support it . However the Clan Munro records that " " Sir William Munro of Foulis was sent to Lochaber on the King ' s business and was killed in an engagement between the Camerons and MacKays at a place called Achnashellach in 1505 " " . Aside from this there is little evidence of the battle , however it is Clan Cameron tradition that they defeated a joint force of Munros and Mackays . Donald Gregory ' s background account . Donald Gregory ' s book " History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland from AD 1493 to AD 1625 " , with quoted source , gives an insight into the circumstances in Scotland , in the years prior to the battle : " A . D . 1502 : A commission was afterwards given to the Earl of Huntly , the Lord Lovat , and William Munro of Fowlis to proceed to Lochaber and let the King ' s lands of Lochaber and Mamore , for the space of five years , to true men . At the same time , the commissioners had strict instructions to expel all broken men from these districts , which , in the state of affairs at that time , was equivalent to an order to expel the whole population . Similar directions were given relative to the lands forfeited by MacLeod of Lewis " ( The MacLeods of Lewis also supported the rebellion of Domhnall Dubh but the Clan MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan opposed the MacDonalds and laid siege to several of their castles ) . Mackenzie ' s account of the battle . Alexander Mackenzie wrote an account of the Battle of Achnashellach in his book " The History of the Munroes of Fowlis " . Mackenzie quote ' s Gregory ' s book for the events of 1502 , already mentioned above . " Sir William is said to have been killed in the prime of his life , in 1505 , at a place called Achnashellach or Achnaskellach , in Lochaber , by Ewen " MacAlein Mhic Dhom ' huill Duibh " , XIII . of Lochiel , in a raid which is thus described in Lochiels Memoirs . Besides the other wars wherein Lochiel was engaged , he had also a ruffle with Baron of Reay , Chief of the MacKays , a people living many miles north of Lochaber . What the quarrel was I know not , but it drew on an invasion from the Camerons , and that an engagement wherein the MacKays were defeated and the Laird of Fowlis , Chief of the Munros , who assisted them , was killed upon the spot . " " In 1502 a Royal Commission had been given to the Earl of Huntly , Thomas fourth Lord Lovat , and Sir William Munro of Fowlis , to proceed to Lochaber and let the King ' s lands of Lochaber and Mamore for the space of five years to true men , and this is what probably led to the raid and the collision with the Camerons in which Sir William was slain . " John Stewart ' s account of the battle . John Stewart wrote a brief account of the events surrounding the Battle of Achnashellach in his book " The Camerons , A History of Clan Cameron " , again without quoting a source : " There is tradition that the Clan Cameron took part in an expedition to the country of the Mackays in Sutherlandshire and that they defeated a joint force of Munros and Mackays but the object of this enterprise is not clear . Sir William Munro of Foulis was Justiciary and Lieutenant of Inverness and the Earldom of Ross . In 1505 he was killed by " Ewen McAllan Vicoldui " at Achnashellach . As Ewen MacAllan ( Cameron ) had supported the rebellion of Donald Dubh in 1503 and as Achnashellach is only 12 miles from the Castle of Strome in Lochalsh , which he was constable , it seems likely that Ewen was acting in support of Donald Dubh when Munro was killed . " Other accounts . One 17th - century account states that William was killed by treachery : " William Munro of Foulis , a knight most valiant for leading an army at the command of the King against certain factious northern men , he perished by treachery . " Another historian from the early 18th century states that Munro was killed by Cameron , adding that : " the house was surrounded and refused to surrender " . Aftermath . William Munro left two sons Hector and William . The eldest , Hector Munro took over as chief and had extensive lands confirmed to him by King James V of Scotland at Stirling and was made the Royal Lieutenant of Western Ross - shire as his father was before him . Hector Munro was also made constable of Strome Castle on behalf of the MacDonnells of Glengarry by King James V . Previously Ewen Cameron had been constable of Strome Castle for the MacDonalds of Lochalsh . Ewen Cameron was executed in 1547 , aged 60 .