The Battle of Tannach (Blare Tannie or Blar-Tannie, gd, Tannach Moor) was a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from 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 structure recognised ...

battle fought about southwest of Wick, in the far north of Scotland. It was fought between men of the

Clan Keith Clan Keith is a Highland and Lowland Scottish clan, whose Chief historically held the hereditary title of Marischal, then Great Marischal, then Earl Marischal of Scotland.Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family E ...

and

Clan Mackay Clan Mackay ( ; gd, Clann Mhic Aoidh ) is an ancient and once-powerful Highland Scottish clan from the far North of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish ...

from

Strathnaver Strathnaver or Strath Naver ( gd, Srath Nabhair) is the fertile strath of the River Naver, a famous salmon river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland. The term has a broader use as the name of an ancient province also kn ...

against men of the

Clan Gunn Clan Gunn ( gd, Na Guinnich) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with lands in northeastern Scotland, including Caithness, Sutherland and, arguably, the Orkney Isles. Clan Gunn is one of the oldest Scottish Clans, being descended from the N ...

and possibly their allies the

Clan Oliphant Clan Oliphant is a Highland Scottish clan. History Origins of the clan Although this remains the subject of ongoing research the earliest member of this Clan known to date is Roger Olifard, who witnessed a foundation charter to the Clunic prio ...

and

Clan Sutherland Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed ...

from Caithness. The date is uncertain, it was probably in 1464 but may have been in 1438.

Background

The cause of the battle seems to have been a claim made by one of the Oliphants, then allies of the Sutherlands of Duffus to some lands held by the Keiths. The lands were later granted to the Oliphants by King James IV. Also the Keiths requiring the assistance of the Mackays indicates that they were opposed by a powerful force.

Accounts of the Battle

Sir Robert Gordon

Sir Robert Gordon (1580–1656) wrote an account of the battle in his book the ''Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland'':

''About the year 1464, some serious disputes had arisen between Keith of Ackergill and the Guns and other inhabitants of Caithness. The Keiths, mistrusting their own forces, they sent to Angus Mackay (the son of Niel-Wasse) intreating him to come to their aid; whereunto he easily conescended. Then did the inhabitants of Caithness convene in all haste, and met the Strathnaver men and the Keiths, at a place in Caithness called Blare Tannie, i.e The Moor of Tanach. There ensued a cruel fight, with great slaughter on either side. In the end the Keiths had the victory, by the means chiefly of John-More-MacK-Ean-Reawich, who is very famous in these countries for his valour and manhood shewn at this conflict''. Gordon, Sir Robert. (1580 - 1657). ''A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland''. Originally written between 1615 and 1625, published in 1813. pp. 69.

Conflicts of the Clans

Another account of the battle was written in the book ''Conflicts of the Clans'' first published by the Foulis Press in 1764, written from a manuscript from the time of King James VI of Scotland (1566 - 1625): In this account battle is dated as taking place in 1438:

''About the year of God 1438, there fell some variance betwixt the Keiths and some others of the inhabitants of Caithness. The Keiths, mistrusting their own forces, sent to Angus Mackay of Strathnaver (the son of Neil Wasse), entreating him to come to their aid, whereunto he easily yielded; so Angus Mackay, accompanied with John Mor MacIan-Riabhaich, went into Caithness with a band of men, and invaded that country. Then did the inhabitants of Caithness assemble in all haste, and met the Strathnaver men and the Keiths at a place in Caithness called Blair-tannie. There ensued a cruel fight, with slaughter on either side. In the end the Keiths had the victory, by means chiefly of John Mor MacIan-Riabhaich (an Assynt man), who was very famous in these countries for his manhood shown at this conflict. Two chieftains and leaders of the inhabitants of Caithness were slain, with divers others. This Angus Mackay, here mentioned, was afterward burnt and killed in the Church of Tarbat, by a man of the surname of Ross, whom he had often molested with incursions and invasions.''Foulis Press, 1764, "The History of the Feuds and Conflicts Among the Clans in the Northern Parts of Scotland and in the Western Isles: from the year M.XX1 unto M.B.C.XIX, now first published from a manuscript wrote in the reign of King James VI." The only changes made is the modernising of the orthography to 1890 standards:--
electricscotland.com. Retrieved on January 06, 2013.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tannach, Battle of 15th-century Scottish clan battles 1464 in Scotland Conflicts in 1464 Tannach Caithness