Clan warfare details uncovered by history project

Details of Highland clan warfare in the 16th Century have been uncovered as part of an archaeology and history project.

Lost Inverlael is examining a site near Ullapool, in Wester Ross, where hundreds of people lived until 1819 when families were cleared off the land by the landowner.

Munros owned the land from 1370 to 1629 and a record of their warring with the Mackenzie clan has been found in the clan's archives.

The information includes how the Mackenzie's stole grain and damaged a large mill at Inverlael.

The mill site, which is in an area of forestry, is currently the focus of an archaeological dig.

'Cracking stramash'

Hector Munro, today's clan chief, has been researching his family's archives as part of the Lost Inverlael project.

Local historian Duncan Mackenzie said Mr Munro was transcribing "medieval gobbledegook" into something that could be more easily understood.

Mr Mackenzie said: "He is coming up with some fantastic documents, and one of the documents relates to the mill.

"In 1571 there was this cracking stramash between the Mackenzie and Munros. They had been warring for three or four years."

The local judiciary eventually intervened and ordered the clans to Elgin in Moray explain themselves.

Mr Mackenzie said: "A big draft was written up of what each had done to the other - slaughtering and murdering, hellish work.

"There are also details of stuff stolen from Inverlael by the Mackenzies. There was a load of grain nicked off the place - about 30 tonne - and the mill was trashed at the same time."

Winter evictions

Archaeological work at Inverlael began last year.

Historical records have mentioned a settlement in the glen at least as far back as the 13th Century and, until the establishment of the village of Ullapool in 1788, it was described as "the largest settlement north of Dingwall".

In the 19th Century, the last residents were cleared off the land to make way for large-scale sheep farming.

Landowner Sir George Steuart MacKenzie began clearing 75 families - almost 260 people - in the winter of 1819-20.

The evictions came during the wider Highland Clearances.