The Battle of the Braes of Strathdearn was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1645 in Strathdearn,

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...

. It was fought by the

Clan Grant Clan Grant is a Highland Scottish clan. History Origins One theory is that the ancestors of the chiefs of Clan Grant came to Scotland with the Normans to England where the name is found soon after the conquest of that country, although some h ...

who defeated the

Clan Cameron Clan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands lies Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The Chief ...

, after the Camerons had raided the Grant's lands.

Background and the raids of Moyness

Forty-seven years earlier in 1598 the Camerons had raided the lands of Moyness when they were then held by the Clan Dunbar. In 1645, the Camerons again raided Moyness when they were then held by the Clan Grant. However, according to the Clan Cameron Association, Allan Cameron of Lochiel, chief of Clan Cameron, had little to do with this raid as at the time he was in his eighty-third year of age and in

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

when it took place.

The battle

The Camerons having stolen a large number of cattle were chased by the Grants who overtook them the next day. The commander of the Grant clansmen, Grant of Lurg, sent forward a powerful man named Lawson who requested that the Camerons leave them the cattle to avoid blood-shed. On his return the Camerons shot him dead with an arrow and the battle then took place between the two sides in which the Grants defeated the Camerons. According to Mackenzie, nineteen men from one branch of Clan Cameron were left dead on the battlefield and many were seriously wounded. The Grants also recovered all of their cattle.

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the battle Sir James Grant complained to Cameron of Lochiel who replied in writing to say that the Camerons did not know the lands belonged to the Grants, and if they had then they would not have carried out the raid. In his letter Cameron of Lochiel said that he had already had eight men dead and another twelve or thirteen wounded who he did not know if they would live or die. The Earl of Seaforth, chief of Clan Mackenzie had also complained about the Cameron's conduct and Lochiel replied to say that at the time of the battle and raid he had been in Argyll.

References

{{Scottish clan battles, state=collapsed Strathdearn Strathdearn Strathdearn Strathdearn Strathdearn