Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
The Battle of Inverlochy (1431) (Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Inbhir Lòchaidh) was fought after Alexander of Islay (Alasdair Ìle, Rìgh Innse Gall), Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross, had been imprisoned by King James I. A force of Highlanders led by Donald Balloch, Alexander's cousin, defeated Royalist forces led by the Earls of Mar and Caithness at Inverlochy, near present-day Fort William. Over 1000 men were supposedly killed, among them the Earl of Caithness. Balloch then went on to ravage the country of Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan, who had been loyal to the king during the rebellion. King James himself soon after led an army into the Highlands, and the rebel forces disintegrated.
Battle of Inverlochy (1431) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Scottish clan wars | |||||||
![]() Battlefield is the green field above the squareish central building of the aluminium factory | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Lordship of the Isles | Scottish Crown | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Donald Balloch Alasdair Carrach. |
Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar Allan Stewart, 4th Earl of Caithness | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
30 | 900 | ||||||
Official name | Battle of Inverlochy I | ||||||
Designated | 14 December 2012 | ||||||
Reference no. | BTL34 |
With the murder of King James 6 years later, Alexander was liberated, and renewed the campaign of vengeance against the Royalist supporters.
The pibroch The End of the Great Bridge is traditionally held to have been composed during the battle and Piobaireachd Domhnull Dubh, named for clan chief Donald Dubh Cameron, commemorates the battle.[2][3][4][5]
See also
Notes and references
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Battle Of Inverlochy (1431) (23707)". Canmore. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- "BBC Radio Scotland - Pipeline, Ciaren Ross". BBC. 34:00 minutes in.
- Historic Environment Scotland. "Battle of Inverlochy I (BTL34)". Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- "The Battle of Inverlochy - 1431". www.clan-cameron.org.
- "The End of the Great Bridge" (PDF). pipesdrums.com.
- Bower, Walter, Scotichronicon, 1987–96.
- Brown, M., James I, 1994.
- MacDonald, Hugh, History of the MacDonalds, in Highland Papers, vol. I, 1914.