The Skirmish of Arisaig took place on 16 May 1746 at
Arisaig,
Scotland and was the last armed conflict of the
Jacobite rising of 1745. It was fought between a British Government force and
Jacobites of the
Clan Macdonald of Clanranald.
Background
After the Jacobite defeat at the
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...
in April 1746, the Western Highlands of Scotland received attention from the British
Royal Navy.
Captain John Fergussone of the Royal Navy had sailed north in the bomb vessel through the
Sea of the Hebrides and
The Minch, and had come under fire from the Jacobites in what is now known as the
Skirmish of Loch Ailort on 9 May 1746.
On 16 May 1746, the British naval expedition acquired a new force when HMS ''Furnace'' was joined by another bomb vessel, .
Fergussone then came under the command of
Robert Duff who was the senior captain.
The next day, 17 May, Duff and Fergussone launched a joint expedition against
Morar.
Their sailors landed on the western end of the beach and burnt the house of Alan MacDonald.
Skirmish
After Morar, the vessels turned south, rounding the peninsula and arriving off
Arisaig.
As the boats approached MacDonald of Borrodale's men opened fire on them and also exploded three French gunpowder mines when the sailors reached the shore.
Aftermath
In response Duff and Fergussone retaliated by burning all of the houses along the loch.
On 27 May 1746, ''Furnace'' and ''Terror'' embarked with eighty regular troops from Fort William along with 120 men of the
Campbell of Argyll Militia.
[Duffy. p.533.] On 28 May this combined force made its way to
Strontian where Duff and Fergussone left the coastal settlement of
Moidart in flames.
On 30 May they anchored off the
Isle of Eigg where Captain John MacLeod and forty men of the Jacobite Clan Ranald Regiment were lured by false promises to surrender only for thirty-eight of them to be confined on ship, some of whom died on voyage to the
River Thames and the rest destined to become slaves in the
West Indies.
Fergussone then posted detachments around
Loch Morar and on the night of the 4/5 June 1746 one of his parties captured the Jacobite
Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, a major prize.
See also
*
Jacobite rising of 1745
*
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...
*
Skirmish of Loch nan Uamh
The Skirmish of Loch nan Uamh was a conflict that took place on 2 May 1746 and was part of the Jacobite rising of 1745. It was fought by the British Royal Navy against French privateers who were supporting the Jacobite rebels.
Background
Follow ...
*
Skirmish of Loch Ailort
References
{{reflist
Arisaig
Arisaig
Arisaig
Lochaber
History of the Scottish Highlands