Skirmish of Arisaig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skirmish of Arisaig |
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| Part of the Jacobite rising of 1745 | |||||||
 Arisaig Bay |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Government |
 Jacobites |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Captain Robert Duff Captain John Fergussone |
MacDonald of Borrodale |
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The Skirmish of Arisaig was a small fight that happened on May 16, 1746. It took place in Arisaig, Scotland. This event was the very last armed conflict of the Jacobite rising of 1745. It involved soldiers from the British Government and Jacobite fighters. The Jacobites were supporters of the Stuart royal family. Specifically, they were from the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald.
Contents
What Happened Before
After the Jacobites lost the Battle of Culloden in April 1746, the British Royal Navy focused on the Western Highlands of Scotland. Captain John Fergussone of the Royal Navy sailed north. He was in a ship called HMS Furnace, which was a type of bomb vessel. A bomb vessel was a ship designed to fire bombs.
On May 9, 1746, Jacobite fighters shot at his ship. This event is now known as the Skirmish of Loch Ailort.
On May 16, 1746, another bomb vessel, HMS Terror, joined HMS Furnace. Captain Fergussone then came under the command of Captain Robert Duff. Captain Duff was the senior captain.
The next day, May 17, Duff and Fergussone started a joint mission. They went to Morar. Their sailors landed on the western part of the beach. They then burned down the house of Alan MacDonald.
The Skirmish of Arisaig
After leaving Morar, the British ships sailed south. They went around the peninsula and arrived near Arisaig. As the boats got closer, men led by MacDonald of Borrodale started shooting at them.
When the British sailors reached the shore, the Jacobites also set off three French gunpowder mines.
What Happened Next
In response to the attack, Captain Duff and Captain Fergussone fought back. They burned all the houses along the loch.
Further British Actions
On May 27, 1746, Furnace and Terror took on board eighty regular soldiers from Fort William. They also had 120 men from the Campbell of Argyll Militia. On May 28, this combined force went to Strontian. There, Duff and Fergussone left the coastal area of Moidart in flames.
On May 30, they anchored near the Isle of Eigg. Captain John MacLeod and forty men from the Jacobite Clan Ranald Regiment were tricked into surrendering. Most of them were held on the ship. Some did not survive the journey. Others were sent far away.
Later, Captain Fergussone placed groups of soldiers around Loch Morar. On the night of June 4-5, 1746, one of his groups captured Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat. This was a very important capture for the British.
See also
