Siege of Brahan

Siege of Brahan
Part of Jacobite rising of 1715
Brahan Castle
Date November 1715 Location Brahan Castle, Scotland 57°33′24″N 4°29′21″W / 57.5568°N 4.4893°W / 57.5568; -4.4893Coordinates: 57°33′24″N 4°29′21″W / 57.5568°N 4.4893°W / 57.5568; -4.4893 Result Victory for clans loyal to the government
Belligerents
Clans loyal to British Government: Clan Sutherland Clan Munro Clan Fraser	Jacobite clans: Clan Mackenzie
Commanders and leaders
John Gordon, 16th Earl of Sutherland Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet	William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth
Strength
1500	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	400 cows seized 200 sheep seized
Location within Scotland

The Siege of Brahan took place in Scotland in November 1715 and was part of the Jacobite rising of 1715. Highlanders loyal to the British-Hanoverian government of George I of Great Britain laid siege to Brahan Castle, seat of William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, who was a staunch Jacobite, loyal to the House of Stuart.

William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth had supported the Jacobite cause of the House of Stuart throughout the rebellion of 1715. The rebellion suffered a setback at the inconclusive Battle of Sheriffmuir on 13 November 1715, and Mackenzie's own forces under John Mackenzie of Coul had been defeated at the Siege of Inverness on the same day. However it appears that the government forces of the Earl of Sutherland and Sir Robert Munro of Foulis, who laid siege to Mackenzie’s seat of Brahan Castle, did so in a spirit of revenge, as Mackenzie had defeated them at the Skirmish of Alness a month previously. After the Jacobite defeat at Sheriffmuir, Mackenzie of Seaforth retreated back towards Inverness where he had left a garrison. However the town had been captured by forces loyal to the Government and on Mackenzie's approach 200 men of the Clan Sutherland, 150 of Clan Mackay, 300 of Clan Grant, 150 of Clan Munro and 50 of Clan Forbes of Culloden set out to give him battle. Mackenzie avoided them and made his way back to Brahan, while his pursuers halted at the Fraser's Castle Downie. When crossing the Beauly Firth the pursuers were met by messengers of Lady Seaforth promising the submission of her son but he did not submit and fled to the Isle of Lewis and then to France.