The Battle of the Shirts ( gd, Blàr na Léine, also the Battle of Kinloch-Lochy) 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 that took place in 1544 in the

Great Glen The Great Glen ( gd, An Gleann Mòr ), also known as Glen Albyn (from the Gaelic "Glen of Scotland" ) or Glen More (from the Gaelic ), is a glen in Scotland running for from Inverness on the edge of Moray Firth, in an approximately straight ...

, at the northern end of

Loch Lochy Loch Lochy (Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Lòchaidh'') is a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland.With a mean depth of , it is the third-deepest loch of Scotland. Geography Located southwest of Loch Ness along ...

. The Clan Macdonald of Clanranald and their allies 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 ...

fought the

Clan Fraser Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). Publishe ...

and men from

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 ...

. The battlefield has been included and protected by

Historic Scotland Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment. ...

in their

Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland The Inventory of Historic Battlefields is a heritage register listing nationally significant battlefields in Scotland. The inventory was published for consultation in December 2010 by Historic Scotland, an agency of the Scottish Government, and l ...

. Clan tradition of the clans involved and all histories written since the period have stated that the name was derived from the fact that the day was so hot that both sides threw off their

chainmail Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...

hauberks and Plaids, fighting in their shirts.

Background

The chiefship of the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald was in dispute.

Hugh Fraser, 3rd Lord Lovat Hugh Fraser, 3rd Lord Lovat (c. 1494 – 15 July 1544) was a Scottish peer and Chief of Clan Fraser of Lovat from 1524 until 1544. Biography Fraser was the eldest son of Thomas Fraser, 2nd Lord Lovat (died 1524) and Janet Gordon, daughter ...

, chief of

Clan Fraser of Lovat Clan Fraser of Lovat ( gd, Friseal french: link=yes, Fraiser) is a Highland Scottish clan and the principal branch of Clan Fraser. The Frasers of Lovat are strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gaine ...

, was the uncle of one of the warring claimants, Ranald Galda (the stranger), whose cause he supported. Lovat with over four hundred of his best men joined up with the

Earl of Huntly Marquess of Huntly (traditionally spelled Marquis in Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: ''Coileach Strath Bhalgaidh'') is a title in the Peerage of Scotland that was created on 17 April 1599 for George Gordon, 6th Earl of Huntly. It is the oldest existing ...

, chief of

Clan Gordon Clan Gordon is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire ...

, who was the Lieutenant of the North. They intended to crush the MacDonalds and make Ranald the chief. The combined Fraser and Gordon force marched to Inverlochy, in

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; gd, Loch Abar) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig, as they were before being reduced in extent by the creation ...

and they successfully established Ranald's control over

Moidart Moidart ( ; ) is part of the remote and isolated area of Scotland, west of Fort William, known as the Rough Bounds. Moidart itself is almost surrounded by bodies of water. Loch Shiel cuts off the eastern boundary of the district (along a south ...

by taking

Castle Tioram Castle Tioram () ( gd, Caisteal Tioram, meaning "dry castle") is a ruined castle that sits on the tidal island Eilean Tioram in Loch Moidart, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is located west of Acharacle, approximately from Fort William. Thou ...

The battle

The Earl of Huntly decided to split his forces from the Frasers and returned to his own territory. The expedition being cut short, Fraser, Lord Lovat led his men up the

towards

Glenmoriston Glenmoriston or Glen Moriston ( gd, Gleann Moireasdan) is a river glen in the Scottish Highlands, that runs from Loch Ness, at the village of Invermoriston, westwards to Loch Cluanie, where it meets with Glen Shiel. The A887 and A87 roads pass th ...

. This decision to divide their forces for their return journey might indicate that Lovat and Huntly thought that the MacDonalds were no longer a threat. The MacDonalds had been stalking the invaders but had held back because they were numerically inferior. However, with Huntly's men gone, the MacDonalds moved swiftly to outflank Lovat, falling upon the unsuspecting Frasers on an area of wild marshland to the north of

. The battle became known as ''Blar-ne-leine'' which means ''the field of the shirts'' because the heat of the day caused the Highlanders to take off their heavy chainmail coats and fight in their shirts. That translation is however disputed by some non-Gaelic commentators, who assert that it really refers to the marshy ground. Lovat and his Frasers were outnumbered, but he could have fought a

rearguard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...

action to cover his escape. Instead, Lovat led his men into a

pitched battle A pitched battle or set-piece battle is a battle in which opposing forces each anticipate the setting of the battle, and each chooses to commit to it. Either side may have the option to disengage before the battle starts or shortly thereafter. A ...

. Lovat was killed along with his son and heir, and hundreds of men with the victory falling to the MacDonalds.

Aftermath

Lovat and his son were later buried at

Beauly Priory Beauly Priory was a Valliscaulian monastic community located at "Insula de Achenbady", now Beauly, Inverness-shire. It was probably founded in 1230. It is not known for certain who the founder was, different sources giving Alexander II of Scotlan ...

. For the most part the Earl of Huntly focused his attention in other parts of Scotland thereafter, as a result of which John MacDonald, Cameron of Lochiel, and the chiefs of Glengarry, Keppoch, and Glencoe were free to spend the month of April 1545 sacking the regions near

Urquhart Castle Urquhart Castle (; gd, Caisteal na Sròine) is a ruined castle that sits beside Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. The castle is on the A82 road, south-west of Inverness and east of the village of Drumnadrochit. The present ruins dat ...

, destroying what they did not take. Parliament attempted to summon John to answer accusations of treason several times beginning in September, but John did not respond. No records suggest that Parliament ever successfully called to account the Captain of Clanranald, who finally died unrepentant in 1584.

Notes and references

Bibliography

* ''The Book of Clanranald'', in Reliquae Celticae, vol. II ed. A. MacBain and J. Kennedy, 1894. * Fraser, James, ''The Chronicles of the Frasers. The Wardlaw Manuscript'', ed. W. Mackay, 1905. * Grant, N., ''Scottish Clans and Tartans''.Crescent Books, New York, 1987 . * Gregory, D., ''History of the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland'', 1975 reprint. * Hill, J. M., ''The Distinctiveness of Gaelic Warfare, 1400–1750'', in The European History Quarterly, vol. 22, 1992.T * Lesley, Bishop John, ''The History of Scotland from the Death of King James I'', 1830. * MacDonald C., ''Moidart, or among the Clanranalds,'' 1889. * Mackay, D. N., ''Clan warfare in the Scottish Highlands'', 1922. * Alexander MacGregor, The Feuds of the Clans.''

External links

Ross Cowan, ''More Like Lions Than Men: The Battle of Loch Lochy, 1544''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shirts, Battle Of The 1544 in Scotland Conflicts in 1544 Clan Fraser Clan Donald 16th-century Scottish clan battles Blar na Léine