Battle of Benbigrie

Battle of Benbigrie
Part of the Scottish clan battles

The Battle of Benbigrie took place on the Isle of Islay (marked in green)
Date1598
Location
Islay, Scotland
Result Maclean victory
Belligerents
Clan Maclean Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg
Commanders and leaders
Chief Hector Chief James
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Clan Maclean-Clan MacDonald feuds

The Battle of Benbigrie took place on Isle of Islay in 1598 between the forces of Hector Og Maclean, 15th Chief and Sir James MacDonald, 9th of Dunnyveg.[1]

Background

At the Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart on the Isle of Islay in 1598, Sir James MacDonald, 9th of Dunnyveg led forces against Sir Lachlan Mor MacLean, 14th Chief of Duart. James was wounded in battle but his forces killed MacLean.

Hector Og Maclean, 15th Chief sought revenge for the death of his father and the hostile parties met at a place called Benbigrie, and as neither felt disposed to offer nor to accept terms, the result was an immediate battle. The followers of the chief of MacLean, upon this occasion, considerably outnumbered the MacDonalds; but Sir James, aware that he need hope for no reconciliation with his enraged kinsman, told his followers that in a resolute resistance alone existed any hope of safety to themselves or of protection to their homes. The MacDonalds, goaded to desperation by a knowledge of these facts, fought with uncontrollable fury, and it was not until the heights of Benbigrie were covered with their slain, and their chief carried off the field dangerously wounded, that their assailants succeeded in routing them.[2] Defeated Macdonald then fled to Spain.

References

  1. ^ Lachlan MacLean (1838). An Historical and Genealogical Account of the Clan Maclean.
  2. ^ John Patterson MacLean (1889). A History of the Clan MacLean from Its First Settlement at Duard Castle, in the Isle of Mull, to the Present Period: Including a Genealogical Account of Some of the Principal Families Together with Their Heraldry, Legends, Superstitions, Etc. R. Clarke & Co. p. 224. The hostile parties met at a place called Benbigrie, and as neither felt disposed to offer nor to accept terms, the result was an immediate battle. The followers of the chief of MacLean, upon this occasion, considerably outnumbered the MacDonalds; but Sir James, well aware that he need hope for no reconciliation with his enraged kinsman, told his followers that in a resolute resistance alone existed any hope of safety to themselves or of protection to their homes. The MacDonalds, goaded to desperation by a knowledge of these facts, fought with uncontrollable fury, and it was not until the heights of Benbigrie were covered with their slain, and their chief carried off the field dangerously wounded, that their assailants succeeded in routing them.
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Islay
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Scottish clan battles
Wars of Scottish Independence
First War of Scottish Independence
Second War of Scottish Independence
Anglo-Scottish Wars
Border wars
Flodden campaign
Solway Moss campaign
Rough Wooing
Private and local clan battles
(Many of these also had links at national
level, including the feuds between Clan Donald
and the Crown, Clan Douglas and the Crown
and the Mary, Queen of Scots civil war)
13th century
14th century
15th century
16th century
Early 17th century
Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Bishops Wars
First English Civil War
Second English Civil War
Third English Civil War
Glencairn's rising
Period from Restoration of 1660 to Glorious Revolution of 1688
Private and local clan battles
Covenanter rebellion of 1679
Monmouth Rebellion
Jacobite risings
Jacobite rising of 1689
Jacobite rising of 1715
Jacobite rising of 1719
Jacobite rising of 1745
See also


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