The Battle of Carinish was a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...

battle fought in

North Uist North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Etymology In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...

in 1601. It was part of a year of feuding between

Clan MacLeod Clan MacLeod (; gd, Clann Mac Leòid ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is MacLeod of MacLeod, are known in Gaelic as ' ("see ...

of Dunvegan and the

Clan MacDonald of Sleat A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

, that ended with a MacDonald victory and an enforced peace.

Background

In 1601, Donald Gorm Mor MacDonald (Dòmhnall Gorm Mor MacDhòmhnall) rejected his wife, a sister of Rory MacLeod (Ruaraidh MacLeòid) of Harris and Dunvegan. MacLeod responded to this slight by devastating the

Trotternish Trotternish or Tròndairnis (Scottish Gaelic) is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. Its most northerly point, Rubha Hùinis, is the most northerly point of Skye. One of the peninsula's better-known features is the Trot ...

peninsula in the north of

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated b ...

, which prompted MacDonald to attack MacLeod land in

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...

The battle

In turn MacLeod raided North Uist, sending 40 men under his cousin Donald Glas MacLeod to seize goods that the locals had put for safety in the

Trinity Temple Teampull na Trionaid ("trinity church") is a ruined 13th-century Augustinian nunnery at Carinish, on North Uist, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. History According to Bill Lawson, an entry in the Red Book of Clanranald reads, . Bill Lawson ( ...

Carinish Carinish ( gd, Càirinis), is a hamlet on North Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It is in the south of the island, about from the causeway to Benbecula. The hamlet is known for the Carinish Stone Circle and the Trinity Temple. Carinish is ...

. On hearing this, Donald MacIain 'ic Sheumais (''Donald, son of John, son of James'') of Clan Ranald gathered his 12 '' gillemores'' and bound for Carinish. On his way, his force was augmented to 15. They arrived early in the forenoon and successfully surprised raiders as they feasted in the church. Only two MacLeods survived; Donald MacLeod was among the dead. Donald MacIain 'ic Sheumais suffered a serious arrow wound, but soon recovered.Alexander Mackenzie. History of the Macdonalds and Lords of the Isles; with genealogies of the principal families of the name. p26. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/alexander-mackenzie/history-of-the-macdonalds-and-lords-of-the-isles-with-genealogies-of-the-princi-kca/page-26-history-of-the-macdonalds-and-lords-of-the-isles-with-genealogies-of-the-princi-kca.shtml accessed 7 August 2012. Tradition has it that the song Ic Iain 'Ic Sheumais'' was composed by his foster-mother to soothe his pain. The Battle of Carinish is said to be the last engagement fought with bows and arrows in the British Isles, though such an engagement may have taken place in England in 1642.John Norton, letter dated 5 October 1642. As printed in The Garrisons of Shropshire during the Civil War, Leake and Evans publishers, Shrewsbury, 1867, page 32. "every man from 16 to 50 and upwards, gott himself into such armes as they could presently attaine, or could imagine be conduceable for the defence of the towne". "some companies of foote.. with their musketts... began to wade foarde, which being descried, we, with our bowes and arrows did so gaule them (being unarmed men) that with their utmost speed they did retreate" https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=4HBMAAAAMAAJ&rdid=book-4HBMAAAAMAAJ&rdot=1 accessed 7 August 2012

Aftermath

Three weeks later, on his way back to Skye to report his victory, a violent snow storm forced Donald MacIain 'ic Sheumais to seek shelter at Rodel in Harris. He told only his godson, who was at Rodel as page to Rory MacLeod. As Rory MacLeod looked out at the storm, he exclaimed to his page that "on such a night he would not refuse shelter even to his greatest enemy, even Donald MacIain 'ic Sheumais". The page immediately took Rory at his word and informed him that Donald was indeed requesting shelter. Donald and his men were given hospitality by the MacLeods. The tension at dinner was severe and violence was only avoided by Rory's firmness. Early in the night the page told the Macdonalds that the wind was fair for Skye and they wisely departed; before dawn, MacLeod clansmen set fire to their quarters without the knowledge of their chief. As the Macdonalds sailed away, their piper played the tune "The MacLeods are disgraced". After another MacLeod defeat at the

Battle of Coire Na Creiche The Battle of Coire na Creiche (Battle of Benquhillan) was a Scottish clan battle fought on the Isle of Skye in 1601. It was the culmination of a year of feuding between Clan MacLeod of Dunvegan and the Clan MacDonald of Sleat, that ended with ...

, the

Privy Council of Scotland The Privy Council of Scotland ( — 1 May 1708) was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of ...

intervened to end the feud. The peace was celebrated with three weeks of feasting and festivities at

Dunvegan Castle , native_name_lang =Gaelic , alternate_name = , image = Dunvegan Castle.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = The south-west face of the castle , map = , map_type = Scotland Isle of Skye ...

. Apart from a brief flare-up in 1603, that was the end of violence between the two clans.

In popular culture

The events are the subject of a comic folk song by Glasgow folk singer

Matt McGinn Matthew McGinn (17 January 1928 – 5 January 1977) was a Scottish folk singer-songwriter, actor, author and poet. Born in Glasgow in 1928, McGinn was a prolific songwriter and is recognised as an influential figure in the British folk music ...

. The song is called The One-Eyed Woman.

Gallery

File:Carinish.png, Carinish with the battlefield File:Teampull na Trionad.png, The Teampull na Trionad File:Teampull na Trionad Graveyard.JPG, The Graveyard of the Teampull na Trionad

References

Bibliography

* Seems largely based on the account in ''Conflicts of the Clans''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Carinish