The Raids of Urquhart were two raids carried out in the vicinity of

Urquhart Castle Urquhart Castle ( ; ) is a ruined castle that sits beside Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The castle is on the A82 road, southwest of Inverness and east of Drumnadrochit. The present ruins date from the 13th to 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 ...

in October 1544 and April 1545 where a large amount of cattle, horses, harvest, furniture and military equipment were stolen from the

Clan Grant Clan Grant is a Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch, Grant of Grant, and several cadet branches, such as Grant of Glenmoriston. History Origins The Chiefs of Clan Grant descended from Normans who arrived in Scotland during the medie ...

, a Highland

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 ...

, by the

Clan Cameron Clan Cameron is a West Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber, and within their lands lies Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isl ...

and Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, both also Scottish Highland clans.

Background

The raids took place in the aftermath of the

Battle of the Shirts The Battle of the Shirts (, also the Battle of Kinloch-Lochy) was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1544 in the Great Glen, at the northern end of Loch Lochy. The Clan Macdonald of Clanranald and their allies the Clan Cameron fought ...

which itself took place in July 1544 where the Clan Cameron and Clan Macdonald of Clanranald had defeated the

Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Fraser of Lovat ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan and the principal branch of Clan Fraser. The Frasers of Lovat are strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. ...

who had been supported by the Clan Grant and the

Clan Mackintosh Clan Mackintosh (''Clann Mhic an Tòisich'') is a Scottish clan from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The chiefs of the clan are the Mackintoshes of Mackintosh. Another branch of the clan, the Mackintoshes of Torcastle, are the chiefs of Cl ...

The raids

Ewen Cameron of Lochiel Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel (; February 1629 – February 1719) was a Scottish soldier and the 17th chief of Clan Cameron. He fought during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and was one the principal Jacobite leaders during the 1689 Rising. ...

, chief of Clan Cameron, and MacDonald of Glengarry made expeditions to the Grant's lands of Glenmoriston and

Glen Urquhart Glenurquhart or Glen Urquhart () is a glen running to the west of the village of Drumnadrochit in the Highland (council area), Highland Council areas of Scotland, council area of Scotland. Location Glenurquhart runs from Loch Ness at Urqu ...

where the Grants held Urquhart Castle. Among the goods taken were two hundred bolls of oats, with fodder; one hundred bolls of bere; one hundred cows; one hundred calves; forty young cows; ten one year-old stirks; eight horses and four mares; four young horses; one hundred and forty ewes; sixty gimmers and dinmonts; one hundred lambs. From

, were stolen; twelve beds, with bolsters, blankets and sheets; five posts; six pans; one basket and one chest which contained three hundred pounds in money; two brewing cauldrons; twenty pieces of artillery; ten stands of harness; and several other items of considerable value including doors; bedsteads, chairs and boats. According to Mackenzie, the large number of goods taken shows that the people of Glen Urquhart were "very well-to-do in those days".

Aftermath

Summonses were issued under the royal signet dated 3 August 1546 against Cameron of Lochiel and his coadjutors. According to Mackenzie, the raids probably helped secure the conviction and execution of Ewen Cameron of Lochiel in 1547. However, the principal charge against him was his part taken in the Battle of the Shirts, and of having supported 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 ...

References

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