Battle of Allt Camhna facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Allt Camhna
Part of the Scottish clan wars
Allt Camhna
Date 1586 Location Allt Camhna, Scottish Highlands, Scotland Result Mackay/Gunn victory
Belligerents
Clan Mackay Clan Gunn	Clan Sinclair
Commanders and leaders
William Mackay	Henry Sinclair (KIA)
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	140 (seven score)

The Battle of Allt Camhna was a Scottish clan battle fought in 1586 between the Clan Gunn and Clan Mackay against the Clan Sinclair.

Background

According to historian Robert Mackay, in 1585 a meeting took place at Elgin, Scotland between George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly, Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness and Huistean Du Mackay, 13th of Strathnaver. The purpose of the meeting, according to Robert Mackay, was to repair relations which had become damaged between the Earl of Sutherland, Earl of Caithness and Huistean Du Mackay (Hugh Mackay), due to actions by the Clan Gunn and Hugh Mackay in Assynt, both having gone there on the orders of the Earl of Caithness. However, historian Angus Mackay does not state that Hugh Mackay attended this meeting and that the purpose of the meeting was to break up the confederacy between Hugh Mackay and the Earl of Caithness. According to historian Robert Mackay, it was decided at the meeting that the Clan Gunn should be "made away", because they were judged to be the principal authors of these "troubles and commotions", but that both Hugh Mackay and George Sinclair, Earl of Caithness were unwilling to attack their old allies the Clan Gunn and therefore departed from the meeting at Elgin.

In consequence, in 1586, George Gordon, Marquess of Huntly came north to Sutherland, the lands of his cousin, Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland. He sent a message to both Hugh Mackay and George Sinclair, Earl of Caithness to meet him at Sutherland's seat of Dunrobin Castle. According to historian Robert Mackay the Earl of Caithness met with the Gordons of Huntly and Sutherland but Mackay did not and was therefore denounced as a rebel. However, according to historian Angus Mackay, Hugh Mackay did attend this second meeting but refused the proposals of the Gordons of Huntly and Sutherland that the Gunns should be destroyed. However, the Earl of Caithness did indeed agree with the Gordons that the Gunns should be destroyed. Robert Mackay also states that the Earl of Caithness agreed with the Gordon's proposals at this second meeting to attack the Gunns.

The battle

According to historian Robert Mackay, Sinclair, Earl of Caithness sent his men under the command of Henry Sinclair to attack the Gunns. Henry Sinclair being the uncle of the brothers Hugh Mackay (of Strathnaver) and William Mackay (of Bighouse). The Gunns who were informed of these proceedings, gathered their men and were joined by a strong body of men from Mackay's country under William Mackay. On arrival William Mackay proposed that together they should attack the men of Sutherland, but he was overruled by the Gunns who opted to attack the Sinclairs of Caithness instead. Historian Angus Mackay however, gives a different account of how the Mackays under William Mackay came together with the Gunns. Angus Mackay states that the forces of the Earl of Caithness and the Earl of Sutherland pursued the Gunns from Caithness and into the hills of Strathnaver, and at this time a strange coincidence took place: William Mackay (younger brother of Hugh) had raided the MacLeods taking much cattle. As William Mackay was returning home he came across the Earl of Sutherland's men who were searching for the Gunns and a fight took place over the cattle. William Mackay's men fought a rear guard action and the following morning they stumbled across the Gunns who were retiring from the Sinclairs of Caithness. Together the Mackays and Gunns attacked the Sinclairs, defeating them and killing their leader Henry Sinclair, who was a cousin of the Earl of Caithness.

Historian Robert Mackay agrees on the outcome of the battle in that the Mackays and Gunns together defeated the Sinclairs of Caithness, killing their leader Henry Sinclair, but also points out that the historical account of the battle (given below) by Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet, who was himself a younger son of Alexander Gordon, Earl of Sutherland, "says nothing as to his countrymen being at this conflict, perhaps because he is unwilling to admit that they were beaten, - a fact which he never admits; but he, at the same time, leaves room to imply that they were guilty of treachery, which is much worse than a defeat. The day and place were fixed for their meeting the Caithness men, and they did not appear, but allowed those to be cut down by a host which had laid their accounts to have the combined forces of Caithness and Sutherland to contend with".

Historical accounts of the battle

Robert Mackay, quoting Sir Robert Gordon

17th-century historian Sir Robert Gordon (1580–1656), who was living at the time of the battle and who was a younger son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, wrote an account of the battle in his book A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland. However, the first account given below is that of early 19th-century historian Robert Mackay in his book History of the House and Clan of Mackay published in 1829 and quoting from Gordon.

Aftermath

Shortly after the Battle of Allt Camhna the Clan Gunn was defeated at the Battle of Leckmelm in Ross-shire by the Clan MacLeod of Assynt, the Clan Sutherland and the Mackay of Aberach branch of the Clan Mackay.