1263 Battle of Largs

American television network ABC has scraped plans to create a sweeping TV drama set in the Highlands. Described as a ‘tartan Game of Thrones‘, the series was to be set in medieval times when the great Clans battled one another and Viking invaders.

Tentatively titled The Clan or Highlanders, a significant amount of the series’ plot is said to have been centered around the 1263 Battle of Largs. Sources close to the project said the historical drama would have featured epic battle scenes between Clansmen and invading Vikings.

The series won an ABC development deal last year, but was not part of the projects selected last month to be made into pilot episodes. Produced by Charlize Theron’s production company Denver & Delilah, the Oscar winning actress was also set to be an executive producer on the series. The script was penned by Northern Irish filmmaker Terry George whose previous credits include Hotel Rwanda. A report by the Daily Record stated that the project could be resurrected if another network showed enough interest.

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Monument to the Battle of Langside in Glasgow

Historic Scotland has recently opened a consultation with the public as it moves to increase the number of recognised historic battlefield sites around Scotland. Under plans drawn up areas such as the site of the battle of Loudon Hill, One of Robert the Bruce’s early victories, Mary Queen of Scots defeat at Langside and the ‘Battle of the Shirts’ a famous skirmish between Clan Donald and Clan Fraser will all be protected as sites of historical significance.

Historic Scotland already looks after well knows sites such as Culloden and Bannockburn. Culloden already has a magnificent and award winning visitor centre and plans are underway for a new centre at Bannockburn. During this ‘Year of Creative Scotland’ in 2012 the sites chosen will be properly investigated for any physical remains or significant archeology and also deeper consideration will be given to any potential planning applications which may impact on these areas.

To be added to Historic Scotland’s current list of 28 battle sites the new ones will have to demonstrate that they are of  extreme historical and cultural significance. The consultation will go online for public comment on Friday May 18th until June 30th, at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/battlefieldconsultation .

The successful candidates for the Inventory will be announced later this year.

The battlefields under consideration in the consultation are:

• East Ayrshire

Loudoun Hill (1307)

• East Lothian

Dunbar I (1296)

• Glasgow City / East Renfrewshire

Langside (1568)
The battle of Langside includes a small area of East Renfrewshire, although the majority is in
Glasgow City.

• Highland

Blar na Léine (1544)
Glenlivet (1594)
Inverlochy I (1431)

• Midlothian

Roslin (1303)

• Perth and Kinross

Dunkeld (1689)
Tippermuir (1644)

• Scottish Borders

Melrose (1526)

• Stirling

Sauchieburn (1488)

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Both sides realised that this could not go on. and so some attempt was made to broker a peace between the two warring clans. Unfortunately this would end up making matters a whole lot worse!

Around 1600 a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ style romance blossomed between the Margaret, sister of the chief of the MacLeods and Donald Gorm Mor MacDonald the son of the MacDonald chief. surely such a match would see an end to war between the clans? err not exactly!

It was tradition in the highlands that a form of marriage contract called ‘hand fasting’ could be entered into. This contract was in all respects similar to marriage except that it could have certain ‘conditions’ that could be agreed beforehand, in this instance that Margaret would produce a male heir. Unfortunately for Margaret and Donald a son was not forthcoming and to make matters worse Margaret somehow managed to loose sight in one eye during the first year of the handfasting.

Donald was now intent on ending his contract with Margaret and so his father decided to send her home to Skye. Unfortunately the old chief had never forgotten the old feud and could not resist the opportunity to stir things up again. Margaret was landed back on skye and sent to Dunvegan sitting backwards on a one eyed horse, accompanied by a one eyed servant and a one eyed dog. This had the desired effect of enraging Rory, the MacLeod chief and war was back on again.

Trinity Temple, North Uist

Rory sent his cousin, Donald Glas MacLeod along with a party of 40 men over to the island of North Uist to exact revenge and raid the land taking any livestock they could lay hands on. The locals had been warned of the approaching MacLeods and had gathered up any goods they had and stored them at the Trinity Temple and Carinish. The Macleods soon found out and headed there, breaking the sanctity of the temple in doing so. The MacLeods now camped out there were were surprised by twelve MacDonalds led by Donald MacIain ‘ic Sheumais (Donald, son of John, son of James) of Clan Ranald. Clearly outnumbering the MacDonalds the MacLeod men pursued them but this had been a carefully planned ambush drawing them into open ground. A fierce battle ensued which by all accounts lasted most of the day. At one point the leaders of both forces faced each other and all other fighting stopped as Donald Glas and Donald MacIan traded sword blows, neither giving an inch of ground. This fight carried on for some time, many MacLeods had already been killed and those observing this titan battle were mostly Macdonalds. On seeing that their leader was gradually loosing ground to MacLeod some of them rushed in to assist. MacLeod was said to have killed two of them instantly but another landed a sword blow which mortally wounded him.

Donald MacIan survived the engagement but had received an arrow in the foot during the battle and his foster mother removed the arrow, tradition has it that she sang a song to drown out his cries of pain, the translation from the Gaelic was:

Son in Iain, my Darling
Soon you heard the wailing
You saved the shore on the paling day
You struck terror into the seed of the stallion (Macleod)
The seed of the white faced lame mare

The result was a victory for the MacDonalds but at a high cost and with the entire party of MacLeods wiped out the bodies littered the small field, the nearby ‘Feith na Fala’ or ‘Ditch of Blood’ attests to this.

The Ditch of Blood

This has been said to be the last battle fought in Scotland using only traditional weapons (swords and arrows) but it wasn’t the end of the feud, later that year the MacDonalds headed for Skye. They raided the north of the island, driving cattle down towards Glen Brittle. The Macleods who had been busy attempting to get support from Campbell of Argyll against the MacDonalds were surprised but pursued their enemy to Coire Na Creiche. Rory MacLeod’s brother Alastair led the attack on the MacDonalds and this battle lasted for a day and well into the night. Alas it did not go well for the MacLeods who were defeated once again by the MacDonalds with 30 MacLeods including Alastair being taken prisoner.

For Scotland’s Privy council though this had gone too far and they decided to intervene. Both leaders were ordered to surrender; MacDonald to Gordon of Huntly and MacLeod to Campbell of Argyll. Both sides agreed to release their prisoners and call an end to all hostility. Peace between the clans was celebrated with a party at Dunvegan castle that lasted 3 weeks and since then (more or less) The MacLeods and MacDonalds have lived together peacefully!

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