Battle of Coille Bhan

Looking down onto the settlement of Attadale, with Loch Carron in the background

Date	1721
Location	Coille Bhan, Attadale, Ross, Scotland
Result	Tactical government victory, as rebel forces withdrew first, unable to resist. Strategic rebel victory as government force failed to take their lands.

Belligerents

Clan Mackenzie

Colonel Kirk’s Regiment

Commanders and leaders

Colonel Donald Murchison
Kenneth Murchison

Captain McNeil

Strength

Unknown

160 men

Casualties and losses

Unknown

several wounded
1 killed

The Battle of Coille Bhan (Scottish Gaelic for White Wood) was fought in 1721 near Attadale, in the county of Ross in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between a British government force against Highlanders of the Clan Mackenzie.

The Battle of Coille Bhan followed on from the Battle of Glen Affric in 1721 when government forces had failed to take the lands of Mackenzie of Seaforth. The taxes being collected by Mackenzie’s factor, Donald Murchison were being sent to Mackenzie himself who was living in exile in France for his part in the Jacobite Rising of 1715, rather than the taxes going to the British crown. It was decided that a second attempt should be made to seize Mackenzie of Seaforth’s estates.

This time 160 soldier’s of Colonel Kirk’s regiment left Inverness under the command of Captain McNeil who had previously served in the Highland Watch regiment. Unlike their predecessors who had been ambushed in Glen Affric, McNeil took a longer but easier route, from to Inverness to Dingwall, Strath-garve, and Loch Carron.

Mackenzie’s force were led by Colonel Donald Murchison who had been in command at the previous conflict in Glen Affric. Donald Murchison marched his main force to the top of Mam Attadale while a relative of his, Kenneth Murchison went forward with 13 men, all armed with muskets to prepare for an ambush at Coille Bhan (White Wood).

Captain McNeil with 18 men of his government force advanced on Kenneth Murchison’s position. They received fire in which several of the government troops were wounded and one was killed. However, McNeil persisted in attacking his enemy and eventually he defeated them and Kenneth Murchison’s men withdrew, as they were unable to resist any further.

However, although Captain McNeil had defeated this advance force, he soon heard of the larger group of Mackenzies waiting at Attadale under the command of Donald Murchison. As a result, McNeil and his men returned to Inverness.

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Wikipedia