1689 part of a feud between the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch and the city of Inverness
A Highland clan besieged Inverness in 1689, plundering the city and taking hostages in retaliation for a 1665 riot against their kinsmen.
Key Facts
- Year of siege
- 1689
- MacDonald force size
- 800 to 900 men
- Original riot (cause)
- 1665 Inverness riot against Clan MacDonald
- Mediator
- John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee
- Resolution
- Ransom paid; hostages released, plunder retained
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In 1665, the people of Inverness rioted and seriously injured a number of men of the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch. This act of violence created a lasting grievance between the clan and the city that went unresolved for twenty-four years, ultimately reigniting into open conflict in 1689.
In 1689, the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch laid siege to Inverness with a force of 800 to 900 men. They plundered the town and seized hostages. John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee, intervened as mediator, and a ransom was negotiated and paid for the release of the captives.
Following the siege, the MacDonalds of Keppoch withdrew, plundering and devastating settlements along their route home. Shortly afterward, the clan joined John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee, at the Battle of Killiecrankie, aligning themselves with the broader Jacobite cause in Scotland.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee (mediator).
Side B
1 belligerent