Sandside Chase

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The Sandside Chase (The Chase of Sandside, The Chase of Sansett; in Gaelic, Ruoig-Hansett, Ruaig Handside or Ruaig-Shansaid) was a Scottish clan battle which took place in 1437 in Caithness, about 6 mi west of Thurso. The Clan Mackay launched a raid from Strathnaver towards Thurso until they encountered resistance from the locals at Dounreay. The Mackays then pulled back to Sandside, where they were joined by reinforcements and slaughtered the defenders on the coast north of Reay.

Background

Neil Mackay, 8th of Strathnaver, son of Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver, chief of Clan Mackay had been imprisoned on the Bass Rock by King James I of Scotland in 1427 for his part in the Battle of Harpsdale, which took place in 1426. Neil Wasse Mackay was released from the Bass Rock in 1436 and the following year raided Caithness in a repeat of the Battle of Harpsdale eleven years before.

Battle

The Mackays met the Caithness men at Dounreay and pushed them to the Forss Water before Caithness reinforcements made them retreat to Sandside. There they were joined by the Mackay forces that had been posted on Drum Hollistan to protect their rear. Ian Aberach manoeuvred his opponents into a loop of the bay below Sandside House and slaughtered them around the ancient fort of Cnoc Stangar. The survivors were chased back to Dounreay. A row of some 60 stones still standing at in 1915 were said to mark the graves of some of those killed in the battle, but they had disappeared by 1964.

Accounts of the Battle

Conflicts of the Clans

An account of the battle was written in the book Conflicts of the Clans which was published by the Foulis press in 1764 and which was written from Sir Robert Gordon's manuscript which was written in the time of King James VI of Scotland (1566 - 1625):

Sir Robert Gordon

Sir Robert Gordon's (1580–1656) manuscript was published in 1813 and has an account of the battle as follows:

Robert Mackay

A traditional account of the battle was written by Robert Mackay in his book the History of the House and Clan of the Name Mackay, published in 1829:

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