Battle of Invernahavon

Battle of Invernahavon
	Part of Clan Cameron-Clan Mackintosh feud
	; The River Spey at the point where itis joined by the River Truim (on the right), where the battle is said to have taken place
Date	1386, 1370
Location	Invernahavon in the upper Spey valley grid reference NN689962 ; 57°2′20″N4°9′36″W / 57.03889°N 4.16000°W
Result	Chattan (Mackintosh) victory
Belligerents
Clan Cameron	Chattan Confederation
Commanders and leaders
Charles MacGilony	Lachlan Mackintosh
Strength
400	Somewhat more than 400
Casualties and losses
High	Unknown

Last updated July 05, 2023

The Battle of Invernahavon was a Scottish clan battle between the Clan Cameron and the confederation of Clan Chattan that consisted of the Clan Mackintosh, Clan Macpherson, and Clan Davidson.^[2] Some sources give the date as 1386,^[1] others as 1370.^[2]

Background

During the chiefship of Lachlan Mackintosh, 8th chief of Clan Mackintosh, a feud had raged for some years with the Clan Cameron, apparently over the disputed lands of Glenlui and Loch Arkaig.^[3] Each side had raided each other's lands, lifting property.^[3]

Battle

In 1370, it is recorded in the Mackintosh MSS (manuscript) that around 400 Camerons made a raid into Badenoch and when they were returning home with their captured booty they were overtaken at Invernahavon by the Clan Chattan who were led in person by the Mackintosh chief.^[3] In the first engagement Mackintosh was defeated by the Camerons despite having a numerically superior force.^[3] This was apparently because there had been a dispute among the Clan Chattan between the Macphersons and Davidsons over who should have command of the right wing of their force, which was the post of honour.^[3] The Mackintosh chief favoured the Davidsons and as a result the Macphersons withdrew in disgust.^[3] Thus with the loss of the Macphersons, Mackintosh's force together with the Davidsons was numerically inferior and was totally defeated by the Camerons.^[3] However, soon after the Macphersons rejoined the battle and attacked the Camerons turning their victory into a defeat.^[3] The Camerons then retreated towards the Pass of Drumochter, skirting the end of Loch Ericht then turning westwards towards the River Treig.^[3] In the author's introduction to the Lochiel Memoirs published in 1842, it is stated that the Mackintosh chief had sent a man to taunt the Macphersons as cowards for not fighting the Camerons which subsequently coerced them back into the battle.^[4] According to Lachlan Shaw, the leader of the Camerons was one Charles Macgilony who was killed in the battle.^[5] However, Alexander Mackintosh-Shaw states that this is contrary to the tradition of the locality that the chief of the Camerons, Dhomhnuil Duibhe, commanded in person.^[3]

Aftermath

According to Lachlan Shaw the Battle of Invernahavon gave occasion to the Battle of the North Inch in Perth in 1396 that was also fought between the Clan Chattan and Clan Cameron.^[5] Alexander Mackintosh-Shaw also stated that it is highly likely that the combat at Perth had some connection with that at Invernahavon.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Clan Chattan is a unique confederation of Highland clans. The clan is distinctive in highland clan history in that it was acknowledged to be a community or confederation, of twelve separate Scottish clans, who each had their own clan chief recognized under Scottish law, but who were united under and bound to a superior chief of the confederation for mutual solidarity, sustenance and protection in the Middle Ages and early modern period in the Scottish Highlands.

Clan Mackintosh 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 Clan Chattan, a historic confederation of clans.

Clan Macpherson is a Highland Scottish clan and a member of the Chattan Confederation.

Clan Cameron is a West 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 which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The Chief of the clan is customarily referred to as simply "Lochiel".

Clan Davidson is a Highland Scottish clan and a member of the Chattan Confederation.

The Battle of Mulroy was a Scottish clan battle fought in August 1688 in the Lochaber district of Scotland. It was fought between the Clan Mackintosh who were supported by government troops under Kenneth Mackenzie of Suddie against the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch who were supported by the Clan Cameron over disputed lands in the Braes of Lochaber. The battlefield has been inventoried and protected by Historic Scotland under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy of 2009.

Clan MacBean, is a highland Scottish clan and is a member and historic sept of Clan Chattan.

The Battle of the North Inch was a staged battle between the Clan Chattan and the "Clan Quhele" in September 1396. Thirty men were selected to represent each side in front of spectators, including King Robert III of Scotland and his court, on land that is now the North Inch park in Perth, Scotland.

The Mackintoshes of Borlum were a cadet branch of the Clan Mackintosh, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. Their most famous member was Brigadier William Mackintosh, Laird of Borlum (1658–1743) usually known as Mackintosh of Borlum who was a leader of the Jacobite rising of 1715.

The Battle of Drumlui was a Scottish clan battle that took place in either 1330 or 1337, in the Scottish Highlands between the Clan Cameron and the Clan Mackintosh.

The Stand-off at the Ford of Arkaig occurred in September 1665 at Achnacarry, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Fort William, Scotland. The Chattan Confederation led by the Clan Mackintosh assembled an army to challenge Clan Cameron in a 360-year-old dispute over the lands around Loch Arkaig. After a week of stalemate, the long-running feud was ended by a deal in which the Camerons bought the land from the Mackintoshes.

Ewen MacPherson of Cluny, known as "Cluny Macpherson", was the Chief of Clan MacPherson during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He took part as a leading supporter of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. After the rebellion was crushed, he went into hiding and eventually escaped to France. He was the uncle of poet James Macpherson, who collected, translated, and adapted the epic poem Ossian, based upon the Fenian Cycle of Celtic mythology.

The Battle of Craig Cailloch was a Scottish clan battle fought in 1441 between the Clan Cameron and Clan Mackintosh. The two clans had defected from Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross during his war with James I of Scotland. Alexander lost the war but was subsequently appointed Justiciar of Scotia by James and became reconciled to the Chattans. Alexander encouraged the Chattans to invade the lands of the Camerons which resulted in a battle on Craig Cailloch in 1441. The battle was bloody and several leading Chattan men were killed. Afterwards Malcolm Mackintosh led further raids into Cameron territory to avenge the deaths. Donald Dubh, leader of the Camerons was later forced into exile in Ireland.

The Battle of Palm Sunday also known as the Massacre of Palm Sunday was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1429 in the Scottish Highlands between the Clan Cameron and the confederation of Clan Chattan.

The surname Gow is a sept of the Clan Macpherson, a Highland Scottish clan. The Clan Macpherson are in turn a member of the confederation of the Clan Chattan. Within the clan the surname Smith is considered synonymous with that of Gow and this is due to the family's progenitor being either of the surname Smith or of having been of the occupation of Blacksmith. They are known in Scottish Gaelic as the Sliochd an Gobh Cruim which means "the race of the crooked smith".

Malcolm Beg Mackintosh, sometimes Callum Beg Macintosh was the tenth chief of the Clan Mackintosh, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. He was also chief of the confederation of clans known as the Clan Chattan.

Lachlan Beg Mackintosh, 14th of Mackintosh was the chief of the Clan Mackintosh, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. He was also chief of the confederation of clans that was known as the Clan Chattan.

William Mackintosh, 15th of Mackintosh was the chief of the Clan Mackintosh, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. He was also chief of the confederation of clans that was known as the Clan Chattan.

Ferquhard Mackintosh, 12th of Mackintosh was the chief of the Clan Mackintosh, a Scottish clan of the Scottish Highlands. He was also chief of the confederation of clans known as the Clan Chattan.

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References

1 2 3 Historic Environment Scotland. "Invernahavon (24630)". Canmore . Retrieved February 3, 2019.
1 2 "The Battle of Invernahavon". clan-cameron.org. Clan Cameron Association. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Mackintosh-Shaw, Alexander (1880). "III". Historical Memoirs of the House and Clan of Mackintosh and of the Clan Chattan. London: printed for the author by R. Clay, sons, and Taylor. pp. 84-88. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
↑ Drummond, John; Macknight, James (1842). "Author's Introduction". Memoirs of Sir Ewen Cameron of Locheill, Chief of the Clan Cameron : with an introductory account of the history and antiquities of that family and of the neighbouring clans. Edinburgh: Printed for the Maitland Club. pp. 9-10 (of author's introduction). Retrieved November 2, 2019.
1 2 Shaw, Lachlan (1827). The History of the Province of Moray. Glasgow: Hamilton, Adams, & co., London and Thomas D. Morrison. pp. 260-261.

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[RCAHMS-1] 1 2 3 Historic Environment Scotland. "Invernahavon (24630)". Canmore . Retrieved February 3, 2019.

[Battle2-2] 1 2 "The Battle of Invernahavon". clan-cameron.org. Clan Cameron Association. Retrieved February 3, 2019.

[AlexanderMackintosh-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Mackintosh-Shaw, Alexander (1880). "III". Historical Memoirs of the House and Clan of Mackintosh and of the Clan Chattan. London: printed for the author by R. Clay, sons, and Taylor. pp. 84-88. Retrieved November 9, 2019.

[Lochiel-4] Drummond, John; Macknight, James (1842). "Author's Introduction". Memoirs of Sir Ewen Cameron of Locheill, Chief of the Clan Cameron : with an introductory account of the history and antiquities of that family and of the neighbouring clans. Edinburgh: Printed for the Maitland Club. pp. 9-10 (of author's introduction). Retrieved November 2, 2019.

[Shaw-5] 1 2 Shaw, Lachlan (1827). The History of the Province of Moray. Glasgow: Hamilton, Adams, & co., London and Thomas D. Morrison. pp. 260-261.

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