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Battle between Campbells and MacDonalds near Finlarig Castle...

Fieldworkers
Date
Track ID 18199
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1964.15.B12

Original Tape ID

SA1964.015

Summary

Battle between Campbells and MacDonalds near Finlarig Castle; battle between MacGregors and MacNabs in Glen Tarken.

There was a wedding at Finlarig Castle of one of the Campbell daughters. The MacDonalds of Glencoe and the MacDonalds of Keppoch appeared in the vicinity driving stolen cattle. The Campbells sallied out of the castle to confront them. The Campbells were led by Captain Menzies, who had fought under Gustavus Adolphus in Sweden. There were heavy casualties on both sides, and MacDonald of Keppoch was killed. The MacDonalds buried their dead in Glen Lochy. A woman married to a Campbell took in a wounded MacDonald and when her husband came in he stabbed him to death. It was said that the first cannon fired in Scotland was the one fired from the castle that day. A Gaelic scholar, Charles Stewart, who lived where the Youth Hostel now is, had a collection of stone cannonballs from the battlefield. A sword hilt was also found. The battle took place in the middle of the 17th century.

Another clan battle in the Killin area was between the MacGregors and the MacNabs, in Glen Tarken, between Loch Tay and Loch Earn.

Item Subject/Person

Campbell clan; MacDonald clan; MacGregor clan; MacNab clan

Recording Location

County - Perthshire

Parish - Killin

Village/Place - Killin

Item Location

County - Perthshire

Language

English

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good