Crawford, Ross Mackenzie (2016) Warfare in the West Highlands and Isles of Scotland, c. 1544-1615. PhD thesis http://theses.gla.ac.uk/7310/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Warfare in the West Highlands and Isles of Scotland, c. 1544-1615 Ross Mackenzie Crawford Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Scottish History January 2016 School of Humanities College of Arts University of Glasgow Abstract Warfare has long been associated with Scottish Highlanders and Islanders, especially in the period known in Gaelic tradition as „Linn nan Creach‟ (the „Age of Forays‟), which followed the forfeiture of the Lordship of the Isles in 1493. The sixteenth century in general is remembered as a particularly tumultuous time within the West Highlands and Isles, characterised by armed conflict on a seemingly unprecedented scale. Relatively little research has been conducted into the nature of warfare however, a gap filled by this thesis through its focus on a series of interconnected themes and in-depth case studies spanning the period c. 1544-1615. It challenges the idea that the sixteenth century and early seventeenth century was a time of endless bloodshed, and explores the rationale behind the distinctive mode of warfare practised in the West Highlands and Isles. The first part of the thesis traces the overall „Process of War‟. Chapter 1 focuses on the mentality of the social elite in the West Highlands and Isles and demonstrates that warfare was not their raison d'être, but was tied inextricably to chiefs‟ prime responsibility of protecting their lands and tenants. Chapter 2 assesses the causation of warfare and reveals that a recurrent catalyst for armed conflict was the assertion of rights to land and inheritance. There were other important causes however, including clan expectation, honour culture, punitive government policies, and the use of proxy warfare by prominent magnates. Chapter 3 takes a fresh approach to the military capacity of the region through analysis of armies and soldiers, and the final thematic chapter tackles the conduct of warfare in the West Highlands and Isles, with analysis of the tactics and strategy of militarised personnel. The second part of this thesis comprises five case studies: the Clanranald, 1544-77; the Colquhouns of Luss and the Lennox, 1592-1603; the MacLeods of Harris and MacDonalds of Sleat, 1594-1601; the Camerons, 1569-1614; and the „Islay Rising‟, 1614- 15. This thesis adopts a unique approach by contextualising the political background of warfare in order to instil a deeper understanding of why early modern Gaelic Scots resorted to bloodshed. Overall, this period was defined by a sharp rise in military activity, followed by an even sharper decline, a trajectory that will be evidenced vividly in the final case study on the „Islay Rising‟. Although warfare was widespread, it was not unrestrained or continuous, and the traditional image of a region riven by perpetual bloodshed has been greatly exaggerated. 2 Contents Abstract .................................................................................... 2 Contents .................................................................................... 3 List of Figures ............................................................................. 4 List of Tables .............................................................................. 5 Acknowledgements ....................................................................... 6 Author’s Declaration ..................................................................... 8 Conventions and Abbreviations ........................................................ 9 Introduction ............................................................................. 10 Part 1: The Process of War Chapter 1: Mentalities and Martial Culture ......................................... 31 Chapter 2: Causation of Warfare ..................................................... 59 Chapter 3: Armies and Soldiers ....................................................... 77 Chapter 4: Conduct of Warfare ...................................................... 106 Part 2: Case Studies Chapter 5: The Clanranald, 1544-77 ................................................ 131 Chapter 6: The Colquhouns of Luss and the Lennox, 1586-1608 ................ 155 Chapter 7: The MacDonalds of Sleat and MacLeods of Harris, 1594-1601 ..... 173 Chapter 8: The Camerons, 1569-1614 .............................................. 193 Chapter 9: The ‘Islay Rising’, 1614-15 .............................................. 207 Chapter 10: Conclusion ............................................................... 229 Appendices ............................................................................. 235 Bibliography ............................................................................ 241 3 List of Figures Figure 1: Approximate area of study ................................................. 26 Figure 2: Effigy from Kilninian Church, Mull ........................................ 32 Figure 3: Albrecht Dürer's woodcut, 1521 ........................................... 95 Figure 4: Possible army movements before Blàr nan Lèine, 1544 .............. 138 Figure 5: Military activity during the ‘Islay Rising’, 1615 ........................ 223 4 List of Tables Table 1: Estimated Muster of the Hebrides (by clan) in ‘The note of the Weste Isles of Scotland’, 1593 ............................................................... 78-9 Table 2: Estimated Muster of the Hebrides (by clan) in ‘The Description of the Isles of Scotland’, c. 1595 .......................................................... 79-80 Table 3: Estimated Muster of Highlands in 1602 ................................. 82-3 5 Acknowledgements First of all, I must thank the College of Arts at the University of Glasgow for furnishing me with a funded scholarship, which allowed this project to be undertaken. I feel privileged to have been supervised by Martin MacGregor and Thomas Clancy, both of whom have helped to ensure this project has been intellectually stimulating and personally gratifying. I have now been supervised by Martin since I started my undergraduate dissertation in 2009 and his generous, empathetic approach over these six-plus years has always been greatly appreciated. My thanks to my viva examiners, Matthew Strickland and Alison Cathcart, for making the viva process an enjoyable and thought-provoking experience. I owe further thanks to many members of staff from Glasgow, in particular Dauvit Broun, Steven Reid, Aonghas MacCoinnich, Catriona MacDonald, and Sheila Kidd. I have been immensely fortunate in the calibre of personnel with whom I have shared an office in 9 University Gardens. Joe Ryan-Hume, Shaun Kavanagh, Sigbjørn Halsne, and Samantha Dean all provided advice, laughter, and sometimes commiseration. In 2014/15 however, it is fair to say that Brian Brennan and I were the main custodians of Room 103, and I am immensely grateful to him for his friendship and indispensable counsel in the final stages of the PhD. Tribute must be paid to William Hepburn, Joanna Tucker, David Cochran-Yu, and Graeme Sinclair for the regular caffeine-based diversions over the years. Thanks also to my fellow students in 9 University Gardens, especially Miles Kerr-Peterson, who proof-read this thesis in the final weeks. Outside of academia, thank you to Adam, Fraser, Michael, and Steven for offering recreational respite on a near- weekly basis. Special thanks must be paid to Meesh Nicolson. All academics „live‟ with their research to some extent, but less recognised is the fact that their partners do too! Throughout this process, Meesh has never been anything but encouraging of my studies, whilst also offering welcome reminder that the twenty-first century, not the sixteenth, is our temporal residence. Her forbearance towards various „thesis trips‟ across the country must be commended. Without her unstinting love and support, this thesis simply would not have been possible. Finally, it remains to thank my parents. Their passion for Scotland and her history fostered my own interest from a very early age, which they later magnified through a fateful purchase of Terry Deary‟s Horrible Histories: Bloody Scotland. Moreover, they could see when no one else could, perhaps including myself, that the path of the PhD 6 would ultimately prove to be a rewarding experience. They were right. My mere thanks seem trifling when measured against the lifetime of love and support they have offered me. Therefore, to make a start towards repaying that debt, I dedicate this thesis to them. 7 Author’s Declaration I declare that, except where explicit reference is made to the contribution of others, this dissertation is the result of my own work and has not been submitted for any other degree at the University of Glasgow or any other institution. Signature: Printed name: 8 Conventions