Last Updated on February 7, 2021 by ACGS Webmaster
On this day in History – February 7, 1603 – Battle of Glen Fruin
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Glen Fruin, one of the bloodiest clan battles in Scottish history.
ACGS Webmaster visits Glen Fruin in August of 2019.
The Battle of Glen Fruin was fought on February 7, 1603 between Clan Gregor and its allies which included Camerons and MacFarlanes against Clan Colquhoun with its allies of Buchanan’s, Lindsays and MacLintocks.
Against insurmountable odds, approx. 300 MacGregors were up
against approx. 700 plus Colquhouns, with 300 of them on horseback, the MacGregors won easily because of the superb leadership of then Clan Chief Alasdair MacGregor of Glenstrae.
The end result was that the Colquhoun’s suffered heavy casualties and were defeated with over a hundred and forty men killed. The MacGregors only suffered two casualties which is quite remarkable considering that 300 men against 700 hardly seems like a fair fight.
Even though the MacGregors were victorious, history shows that we won the battle but lost the war. It was because of this battle that started a chain of events that made Clan Gregor the most persecuted Clan in Scottish history.