Battle of Lagabraad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Lagabraad |
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| Part of MacDonald-Mackenzie feud | |||||||
  Clan crests of Clan Mackenzie (left) and Clan Donald (right) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Lordship of the Isles:Clan Donald |
 Kingdom of Scotland:Clan Mackenzie Clan Mackay Clan Brodie Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Ross |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Angus MacDonald | Earl of Atholl Mackenzie of Kintail |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 517 killed | ||||||
The Battle of Lagabraad was a fight between two powerful Scottish clans. It is also known as the Battle of Logiebride or Lagebread. This battle happened around 1480 or 1483. It was fought between Clan Donald and Clan Mackenzie in the Scottish Highlands.
Why did the battle happen?
In 1475, John of Islay, Earl of Ross, who was the leader of Clan Donald, lost his title as the Earl of Ross. He lost it to James III of Scotland, the King. Even though the MacDonalds still held their other important title, the Lordship of the Isles, this event weakened their power.
John of Islay's son, Aonghas Óg (also known as Angus), had a big disagreement with Kenneth Mackenzie, 7th of Kintail. Kenneth was the chief of Clan Mackenzie. Angus believed that the Mackenzies wanted to take over the Earldom of Ross.
Because of this, Angus gathered a large army. His army included fighters from the Isles, as well as men from Clan MacDonald of Keppoch and Clan MacDonell of Glengarry. They all headed towards Ross. The government saw this as a rebellion. So, they asked John Stewart, 1st Earl of Atholl to stop Angus and his forces.
It's interesting that different clans sometimes tell history differently. For example, some stories from Clan Donald say that the Battle of Lagabraad, where they won, wasn't written down in the Mackenzie family history. But the Battle of Park, where the Mackenzies won against the MacDonalds, is remembered in great detail by the Mackenzies.
Who fought in the battle?
According to the Clan Donald stories, the Earl of Atholl led an army of northern clans. This army included the Mackenzies, Mackays, Brodies, Frasers, and Rosses. They faced off against Angus and his Western army.
The two armies met at a place called Lagabraad. A very fierce battle took place there. In the end, Angus and Clan Donald won. The Earl of Atholl's army was completely defeated.
The Earl of Atholl's army lost 517 men who were killed. The chief of the Mackays was supposedly captured. The Earl of Atholl and Kenneth Mackenzie barely managed to escape with their lives.
What happened after the battle?
Soon after the battle, the government decided to send a new expedition against the rebels. They gave instructions to the Earl of Huntly and Earl of Crawford to lead this new force. However, it's not clear if they actually fought or if they were successful.
It seems that Angus later made peace with the Earl of Atholl.
