Battle of Alltan-Beath

Battle of Alltan-Beath
Part of the Scottish clan wars
Foulis Castle where Donald Mackay was imprisoned after the Battle of Alltan-Beath
Date 1542 Location Knockartel, Scotland Result Clan Sutherland victory
Belligerents
Clan Sutherland (Supporters of John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland)	Clan Mackay
Commanders and leaders
Hutcheon Murray of Aberscross Gilbert Gordon of Garty	Donald Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver
Strength
Unknown	"A company of men"
Casualties and losses
William Sutherland (KIA)	John MacIan-MacAngus (KIA)

The Battle of Alltan-Beath also known as the Battle of Ailtan-Beath was a Scottish clan battle said to have taken place in the year 1542 in the village of Knockarthur (or Knockartel), in Sutherland, in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between men of the Clan Mackay and men of the Clan Sutherland whose chiefs were the Gordon, Earls of Sutherland.

17th-century historian, Sir Robert Gordon, who himself was a son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, wrote an account of the background events leading up to the battle: Gordon states that there was peace between the Mackays and Sutherlands from the death of John Mackay in 1529 until the year 1542 when chief "Donald Mackay came with a company of men to the village of Knockartel, burnt the same, and took a prey of goods from Strathbrory". He goes on to say that the goods were soon recovered and that soon afterwards Donald Mackay again invaded Sutherland and marched as far as Skibo Castle and encamped there.

Historian Angus Mackay disputes the version of background events given by Sir Robert Gordon. Angus Mackay states that Robert Stuart, Bishop of Caithness, having departed for England to join his brother the Earl of Lennox, made some arrangements with his relatives, the Earl of Caithness and Donald Mackay, for the protection of his castles and church-lands. As such the Earl of Caithness occupied Scrabster Castle which was near Thurso and Donald Mackay, having advanced into Sutherland, placed a party of his clansmen in Skibo Castle, under the command of Neil Mackay of the Mackay of Aberach branch of the Clan Mackay.

Neither the Mackay historians or Sir Robert Gordon, son of the Earl of Sutherland mention the battle of Alltan-Beath. However, an account of the Battle of Alltan-Beath was written in the book Conflicts of the Clans published by the Foulis Press in 1764, written from a manuscript from the time of King James VI of Scotland (1566–1625):

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