Recent from talks
Battle of Littleferry
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Battle of Littleferry
The Battle of Littleferry (also known as the Skirmish at Golspie) took place during the Jacobite rising in 1746, just before the Battle of Culloden. Scottish forces loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government defeated a Scottish Jacobite force.
Following the Skirmish of Tongue, where a significant amount of money and urgent supplies had been captured from the Jacobites by forces under Captain Hugh Mackay, a strong force of Jacobites was sent north under the command of George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie to try to recover the supplies. This force arrived too late to be of any assistance to their allies, who had been captured at the Skirmish of Tongue.
William Sutherland, 17th Earl of Sutherland was loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government, but he had not raised and armed his clan quickly enough to take action against the Jacobite Charles Edward Stuart. This led to a suspicion in London that Sutherland might be disloyal. However, the Jacobites also questioned Sutherland's loyalty, and the Jacobite Earl of Cromartie was sent with 500 men against the Earl of Sutherland. Cromartie's force stormed Dunrobin Castle; the Earl of Sutherland narrowly escaped them through a back door of the castle.
According to accounts by Angus Mackay (1906) and Peter Simpson (1996), Cromartie and his men were attacked at Littleferry as they made their way south by two Independent Highland Companies, one from the Clan Sutherland and one from the Clan Mackay, led by Ensign John Mackay of Moudale. However, according to the account written in The Sutherland Book in 1892 by Sir William Fraser this was Ensign John Mackay of the Sutherland militia.
The semi-professional independent companies are often confused with the non-professional local militia companies who also supported the Government but who were less cohesively organized. According to historian Patrick Marriott writing in 2022, it was not Ensign John Mackay of Moudale of the independent company who led the attack at the Battle of Littleferry but Ensign John Mackay from Golspie, who was in one of the Sutherland local militia companies and whose identity has been obscured from history. Marriott also states that although key elements of the two independent companies were present on the Government side at the battle, most of the fighting for the Government was done by three Sutherland local militia companies. The first of these was of around 80 men, captained by Robert Macallister who was a senior factor for the Earl of Sutherland and whose lieutenant was Hector Munro of Novar and whose ensign was John Mackay from Golspie. The second was commanded by Lieutenant William Sutherland of Sciberscross and included around 70 men. The third included around 80–100 men and was captained by Robert Gray who was another factor to the Earl of Sutherland. The latter militia company also included a "good number" of the independent company men.
Cromartie's Jacobite force consisted of about 300-500 men. This Jacobite force comprised some of their best fighting men; the MacGregors, Coll Macdonell of Barrisdale, the Clan Mackinnon and the Jacobite Mackenzies under George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie.
The Earl of Cromartie and his force decided to march south to rejoin the main Jacobite force under Prince Charles at Inverness. Believing that all of Sutherland's followers had dispersed, the Jacobite officers had allowed their men to march ahead of them, confident that they, the officers on horseback, could quickly catch up with the marching men. However, there were still some Sutherland men in the hills above Dunrobin. Led by Ensign John Mackay, the Sutherland men came down from the hills near Golspie, attacking the gap between the rebel officers and their soldiers. Most of the Jacobite officers were captured; many of the men were killed, and the rest were driven onto the beach, where several were drowned trying to swim Loch Fleet. Most of Cromartie's men were either killed or taken prisoner and thus denied the Prince much needed reinforcements.
An account of the Battle of Littleferry was written by Angus Mackay in The Book of Mackay:
Hub AI
Battle of Littleferry AI simulator
(@Battle of Littleferry_simulator)
Battle of Littleferry
The Battle of Littleferry (also known as the Skirmish at Golspie) took place during the Jacobite rising in 1746, just before the Battle of Culloden. Scottish forces loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government defeated a Scottish Jacobite force.
Following the Skirmish of Tongue, where a significant amount of money and urgent supplies had been captured from the Jacobites by forces under Captain Hugh Mackay, a strong force of Jacobites was sent north under the command of George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie to try to recover the supplies. This force arrived too late to be of any assistance to their allies, who had been captured at the Skirmish of Tongue.
William Sutherland, 17th Earl of Sutherland was loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government, but he had not raised and armed his clan quickly enough to take action against the Jacobite Charles Edward Stuart. This led to a suspicion in London that Sutherland might be disloyal. However, the Jacobites also questioned Sutherland's loyalty, and the Jacobite Earl of Cromartie was sent with 500 men against the Earl of Sutherland. Cromartie's force stormed Dunrobin Castle; the Earl of Sutherland narrowly escaped them through a back door of the castle.
According to accounts by Angus Mackay (1906) and Peter Simpson (1996), Cromartie and his men were attacked at Littleferry as they made their way south by two Independent Highland Companies, one from the Clan Sutherland and one from the Clan Mackay, led by Ensign John Mackay of Moudale. However, according to the account written in The Sutherland Book in 1892 by Sir William Fraser this was Ensign John Mackay of the Sutherland militia.
The semi-professional independent companies are often confused with the non-professional local militia companies who also supported the Government but who were less cohesively organized. According to historian Patrick Marriott writing in 2022, it was not Ensign John Mackay of Moudale of the independent company who led the attack at the Battle of Littleferry but Ensign John Mackay from Golspie, who was in one of the Sutherland local militia companies and whose identity has been obscured from history. Marriott also states that although key elements of the two independent companies were present on the Government side at the battle, most of the fighting for the Government was done by three Sutherland local militia companies. The first of these was of around 80 men, captained by Robert Macallister who was a senior factor for the Earl of Sutherland and whose lieutenant was Hector Munro of Novar and whose ensign was John Mackay from Golspie. The second was commanded by Lieutenant William Sutherland of Sciberscross and included around 70 men. The third included around 80–100 men and was captained by Robert Gray who was another factor to the Earl of Sutherland. The latter militia company also included a "good number" of the independent company men.
Cromartie's Jacobite force consisted of about 300-500 men. This Jacobite force comprised some of their best fighting men; the MacGregors, Coll Macdonell of Barrisdale, the Clan Mackinnon and the Jacobite Mackenzies under George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie.
The Earl of Cromartie and his force decided to march south to rejoin the main Jacobite force under Prince Charles at Inverness. Believing that all of Sutherland's followers had dispersed, the Jacobite officers had allowed their men to march ahead of them, confident that they, the officers on horseback, could quickly catch up with the marching men. However, there were still some Sutherland men in the hills above Dunrobin. Led by Ensign John Mackay, the Sutherland men came down from the hills near Golspie, attacking the gap between the rebel officers and their soldiers. Most of the Jacobite officers were captured; many of the men were killed, and the rest were driven onto the beach, where several were drowned trying to swim Loch Fleet. Most of Cromartie's men were either killed or taken prisoner and thus denied the Prince much needed reinforcements.
An account of the Battle of Littleferry was written by Angus Mackay in The Book of Mackay:
Recent media