Battle of Littleferry - The Battle

The Battle

The Earl of Cromartie and his force decided to re-join the main Jacobite force under Prince Charles at Inverness. However he and his men were attacked, with vigour at Little Ferry by two Highland Independent Companies, one from the Clan Sutherland and one from the Clan Mackay, led by Ensign John Mackay of Moudale.

Believing that all of Sutherland's followers had dispersed, the Jacobite officers had allowed their men to march ahead of them, confident that they, the officers on horseback, could quickly catch up with the marching men. However, there were still some Sutherland men in the hills above Dunrobin. Led by Ensign Mackay, the Sutherland men came down from the hills near Golspie, attacking into the gap between the rebel officers and their soldiers. Most of the Jacobite officers were captured; many of the men were killed, and the rest were driven onto the beach, where several were drowned trying to swim Loch Fleet. Most of Cromartie's men were either killed or taken prisoner and thus denied the Prince much needed reinforcements.

An account of the Battle of Littleferry was written by Angus Mackay in his book "The Book of Mackay":

A few days before Culloden, Cromartie got orders to rejoin the Prince at Inverness with all his forces, but as he was marching towards the Little Ferry, Ensign John Mackay with a handful of men intrepidly attacked him. Mackay's boldness encouraged others of the Sutherland militia, who were in the hills near at hand, to take part in the affray, with the result that Cromartie was defeated and all his troops were either killed or captured. Mackay pistol in hand forced his way into Dunrobin Castle, into which Cromartie fled, and notwithstanding the efforts of the Countess of Sutherland, who was suspected of favouring the rebels and especially Cromartie, made a prisoner of the earl whom he found hiding under a bed.