The Battle of Alltan-Beath, also known as the Battle of Ailtan-Beath, was a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

battle said to have taken place in 1542 in the village of Knockarthur (or Knockartel), in

Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...

, in the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...

. It was fought between men of the

Clan Mackay Clan Mackay ( ; ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far north of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I of Scotland, Rober ...

and men of the

Clan Sutherland Clan Sutherland also known as House of Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland; however, in the ear ...

whose chiefs were the Gordon,

Earls of Sutherland Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland, William de Moravia and is the premier earldom in the Peerage of Scotland. The earl or countess of Sutherland is al ...

Background

Sir Robert Gordon's account

17th-century historian,

Sir Robert Gordon Sir Robert Gordon (1791 – 8 October 1847) was a British diplomat. Gordon was a younger son of George Gordon, Lord Haddo (himself the eldest son of the 3rd Earl of Aberdeen) and a brother of the 4th Earl of Aberdeen. He was educated at St ...

, who himself was a son of

Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland (died 1594) was a Scottish landowner. Early life He was the son of John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland and his second wife Lady Helen Stewart, daughter of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox and widow of ...

, 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 Skibo Castle (Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteal Sgìobail'') is located to the west of Dornoch in the Highland (council area), Highland county of Sutherland, Scotland overlooking the Dornoch Firth. Although largely of the 19th century and early 20th ce ...

and encamped there.

Angus Mackay's account

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 England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

to join his brother the

Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first e ...

, made some arrangements with his relatives, the

Earl of Caithness Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and it has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to hav ...

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 Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...

and Donald Mackay, having advanced into

, placed a party of his clansmen in

, under the command of Neil Mackay of the

Mackay of Aberach The Mackays of Aberach also known as the Clan Aberach are a Scottish family and a branch of the ancient Clan Mackay of the Scottish Highlands. They were the senior cadet branch of the Clan Mackay and were seated at Achness, in Strathnaver, which i ...

branch of the Clan Mackay.

Battle

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.

Aftermath

Sir Robert Gordon's account

Sir Robert Gordon, son of the Earl of Sutherland goes onto say that in that year: The Gordon Earl of Huntly and Gordon Earl of Sutherland both coming north into Sutherland, they did summon Sinclair, Earl of Caithness and Donald Mackay to compear before them at Helmsdale, to answer for their intromission with the bishop's rents, and for the wrongs which they had done, and caused to be done upon the bishop's lands. The Earl of Caithness compeared at the time and place appointed, and yielded himself to their mercy. So, having made a final agreement with them at Helmsdale, he returned again into Caithness. Donald Mackay was also at this time brought to the Earls of Huntly and Sutherland, who (upon Mackay's submission) pardoned him what was past; yet he was at their command imprisoned in the castle of Foulis.

Angus Mackay's account

This version of events is however disputed by historian Angus Mackay who says that Sir Robert Gordon described it with his "usual untruthfulness". Mackay also quotes historian Sir William Fraser who shows that at the time the Earl of Cathness was sitting hospitably entertaining friends in Castle Sinclair Girnigoe when by contrast Sir Robert Gordon describes him as having been "sprawling in the river of

Helmsdale Helmsdale (, ) is a village on the east coast of Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. The modern village was planned in 1814 to resettle communities that had been removed from the surrounding straths as part of the Highland Clea ...

with the terror of the Gordons upon him". Angus Mackay also disputes the account that Donald Mackay of Strathnaver was even taken prisoner.

Mackay's escape from Foulis Castle

17th-century historian Sir Robert Gordon writes of Mackay's imprisonment at Foulis: "where he continued a good while in captivity; from whence he escaped by means of Donald MacK-ean-voyr, (Mackay) a Strathnaver man, who advised him to flee away". 19th-century historian Alexander Mackenzie wrote in his book the ''History of the Munros of Fowlis'' (1898):

References

{{Authority control Alltan-Beath Alltan-Beath 1542 in Scotland Alltan-Beath Alltan-Beath