Skirmish of Alness facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Skirmish of Alness
Part of Jacobite rising of 1715
The Bridge of Alness
Date October 1715 Location Alness, Scotland Result Jacobite victory, government troops retreated
Belligerents
Great Britain: Clan Sutherland Clan Mackay Clan Ross Clan Munro	Jacobites: Clan Mackenzie Clan MacDonald of Sleat Clan MacRae Clan Mackinnon Clan Chisholm
Commanders and leaders
Earl of Sutherland Lord Reay Baronet Munro Munro of Newmore	Earl of Seaforth Sir Donald MacDonald
Strength
1800	3000
Casualties and losses
1 killed	None

The Skirmish of Alness was a small battle in October 1715. It happened in Alness, a place in the Scottish Highlands. This fight was part of the Jacobite rising of 1715. It was between Highlanders who supported King George I of Great Britain and those who wanted the old House of Stuart family back on the throne.

What started the fight?

The Jacobite uprising begins

In 1715, many people in Scotland wanted to bring back the House of Stuart to the throne. They were called Jacobites. Their leader was John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar. He started a rebellion against King George I.

Seaforth's plan

William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth was the chief of Clan Mackenzie. He joined the Jacobite rebels. Earl of Seaforth marched to Inverness and took control of the town.

Munro's response

Meanwhile, Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet was the chief of the Clan Munro. His clan supported the government and King George I. Sir Robert Munro secretly gathered his men. He planned to take Inverness back from the Jacobites.

A message and a retreat

Earl of Seaforth heard about Munro's plan. He sent a messenger to Sir Robert Munro. The message told Munro to go home peacefully. It warned him not to join the Jacobites. Sir Robert Munro decided to go back to his home at Foulis Castle.

Seaforth's next move

The next day, Earl of Seaforth left Inverness with many soldiers. He left his relative, John Mackenzie of Coul, in charge of Inverness.

Gathering forces at Alness

Government supporters unite

The government hoped that John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland would help. He was the chief of Clan Sutherland. Sir Robert Munro had asked for help from him and Lord Reay. The Earl of Sutherland gathered his forces. He was joined by George Mackay, 3rd Lord Reay, chief of the Clan Mackay. A group from the Clan Ross also came to help. They all supported the government.

The army at Alness

These government-supporting clans arrived at Alness on October 5. The Earl of Sutherland checked his army. He counted 1800 men ready to fight. They lined up for battle. The Mackays and Rosses were on the right side. The Sutherlands were in the middle. The Munros were on the left.

Unusual weapons

It is said that the Rosses only had sharpened wooden poles as weapons. They had given up their real weapons to the government earlier. The Munros, however, had six cannons. Earl of Seaforth heard that they "boasted" about using these cannons. They supposedly wanted to destroy his home at Brahan Castle.

The conflict at Alness

Seaforth's advance

Earl of Seaforth heard about the government forces gathering. He decided to break them up. He was joined by Sir Donald MacDonald, chief of the Clan MacDonald of Sleat. Other clans also joined him. Seaforth's force grew to 3000 men. With this larger army, he marched towards the Earl of Sutherland's camp at Alness.

A quick retreat

According to one story, when the Earl of Sutherland and Lord Reay heard about the much bigger enemy army, they retreated. They went to Bonar Bridge with only 40 men. They left the rest of their soldiers behind. Only one person died in this short encounter.

Munro's stand

However, Sir Robert Munro did not leave his men. The Munros who were left behind marched back to Foulis Castle. Munro's father, Sir Robert Munro, 5th Baronet (known as the blind baron), had made the castle strong. A group from the Clan Grant was coming to help the Earl of Sutherland. But they turned back and never arrived. If they had come, the numbers might have been more even.

A meeting of leaders

Deciding not to fight

The leaders of the two sides held a meeting. The Earl of Sutherland and Lord Reay decided it was not smart to fight. Their enemy had many more soldiers.

Munro wanted to fight

However, Sir Robert Munro and his cousin, George Munro, 3rd of Newmore, wanted to fight. Munro of Newmore argued that even with fewer men, they might still win. He believed they could at least "scatter" the enemy.

Hostage demands

In a letter from January 1716, Thomas Robertson wrote about the conflict. He said that Earl of Seaforth demanded hostages. This was to make sure the Earl of Sutherland and Munro would not cause trouble in his lands while he was away. In the end, the clans supporting the government marched back to their homes.

What happened next?

Lands plundered

The Munros and Rosses returned home to find their lands had been damaged. However, historian D.M. Rose says that Sir Robert Munro may have made the damage seem worse than it was.

A different view

According to Rose, Munro's cousin, Munro of Culcairn, gave a more reliable account. He said that only a few bad men caused damage. He also said that Seaforth's enemies claimed Seaforth approved of this damage.

Revenge and other battles

Still, Sir Robert Munro gathered his forces again. He got revenge in the Siege of Brahan. The Munros and Sutherlands destroyed parts of Seaforth's lands near Brahan Castle. This happened after the Siege of Inverness (1715). In that siege, Mackenzie of Coul was forced to leave Inverness on November 13. On the same day, the main Jacobite army, including Earl of Seaforth, was defeated at the Battle of Sheriffmuir.

Images for kids

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  Clan Mackenzie tartan in the Clan Munro exhibition at the Storehouse of Foulis

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  Clan Sutherland tartan in the Clan Munro exhibition at the Storehouse of Foulis

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  Clan Ross tartan in the Clan Munro exhibition at the Storehouse of Foulis