Battle of Morar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Morar |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Scottish clan wars | |||||||
 Morar and Loch Morar |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Clan Mackenzie Clan Ross |
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail Alexander Ross of Invercharron Andrew Munro of Novar |
Glengarry MacDonald | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Clan Mackenzie: 1700 Clan Ross: 180 |
Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 killed A "few" wounded |
Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Morar was a fight between Scottish clans. It happened in 1602, near Loch Morar in the Scottish Highlands. This battle involved the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry against the Clan Mackenzie. The Mackenzies were helped by members of the Clan Ross and Andrew Munro of Novar.
Why the Battle Happened
A long-standing disagreement existed between the Mackenzies and the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry. Kenneth Mackenzie, the leader of the Mackenzies, wanted the MacDonell chief to go to court in Edinburgh. This was about past problems between the clans.
However, the MacDonell chief did not show up in court. Instead, he decided to take matters into his own hands. This was after two of his clan members had been killed. Because the MacDonell chief didn't appear in court, the Mackenzies caused trouble in the MacDonell area of Morar.
The Battle Begins
The two groups of clansmen eventually met. A battle started, and there were losses on both sides. According to some historical records, the Clan Ross supported the Mackenzies. This was because Kenneth Mackenzie was married to Ann Ross. She was the daughter of George Ross, the chief of Clan Ross.
After the fighting, the clans reached an agreement for peace. The MacDonell chief agreed to give the lands of Strome to Lord Mackenzie of Kintail. This helped to settle their differences.
What Happened Next
Even after the battle, Strome Castle was still controlled by the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry. So, Mackenzie of Kintail began a siege to take the castle. During this siege, Andrew Munro of Novar was injured. A few other Mackenzie men were also hurt.
The MacDonells eventually gave up and surrendered the castle. Mackenzie then used gunpowder to blow up the castle.
