Battle of Inverlochy (1431)

Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
Part of the Scottish clan wars
Battlefield is the green field above the squareish central building of the aluminium factory
Date September 1431 Location Fort William, Scotland grid reference NN126750 Result Clan Donald victory
Belligerents
Supporters of Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross: Clan Donald + allies	Supporters of James I of Scotland
Commanders and leaders
Donald Balloch Alasdair Carrach.	Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar Allan Stewart, 4th Earl of Caithness
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
30	900

The Battle of Inverlochy (1431) (Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Inbhir Lòchaidh) was fought after Alexander of Islay (Alasdair Ìle, Rìgh Innse Gall), Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross, had been imprisoned by King James I. A force of Highlanders led by Donald Balloch, Alexander's cousin, defeated Royalist forces led by the Earls of Mar and Caithness at Inverlochy, near present-day Fort William. Over 1000 men were supposedly killed, among them the Earl of Caithness. Balloch then went on to ravage the country of Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan, who had been loyal to the king during the rebellion. King James himself soon after led an army into the Highlands, and the rebel forces disintegrated.

With the murder of King James 6 years later, Alexander was liberated, and renewed the campaign of vengeance against the Royalist supporters.

See also

• Battle of Lochaber (1429)
• Battle of Inverlochy (1645)

Notes and references

• Bower, Walter, Scotichronicon, 1987-96.
• Brown, M., James I, 1994.
• MacDonald, Hugh, History of the MacDonalds, in Highland Papers, vol. I, 1914.

External links

• The Battles of Clan Cameron