CLAN BATTLE ON THE NORTH INCH OF PERTH 1396

      The North Inch of Perth is a flat grassy parkland on the right bank of the River Tay north of the city. When the battle took place there in 1396 Perth was still a walled-city. The walls are gone now but North Inch remains and the location of the battle is well-marked. Much has been written about this battle but not much is known about it. Most authorities agree that some of the Scottish nobility witnessed the fight -- a 30 man-a-side conflict within a walled enclosure between two Highland clans using swords, bows and arrows and axes. Most of the disagreement concerns the identity of the two opponents.

      There is much agreement that one of the clans in the fight was the Clan Chattan. The problem here lies with the fact that different modern clans claim to have been its personification. As the leader of the Clan Chattan by virtue of the marriage of Eva, the Mackintosh claims to have been the leader of the Cattanachs versus the Camerons. The Camerons agree with this assessment.

      On the other hand, the Macphersons' claim to have been that manifestation because they were the descendants of the true leaders of Old Clan Chattan. They name the Davidsons as their opponent in the fight and the Davidsons agree. A factor that weighs heavily in support of the Macpherson's claim is their possession of the Feadan Dubh, the Black Chanter that is said to have fallen from heaven that day and is displayed on this panel behind the glass-covered window.

      Another fact that supports the Macpherson/Davidson claim is that the ancient historians who have provided us with the details of the battle name one of the clan participants as 'Clan Kay'. It is clear that they were unfamiliar with the Gaelic tongue or else they would have known that the Gaelic name of the Davidsons is Clann Dhai where Dhai is pronounced 'Guy'. To quote Edward Dwelly, author of the authoritative Illustrated Gaelic to English Dictionary, although "some suppose that it was the MacKays that fought at the North of Perth, whereas a little knowledge of Gaelic would have shown that it was the Davidsons."

      Tradition holds that all but one of the Davidsons were killed in the conflict while eleven of the MacVuirichs survived although badly wounded. The leader of the winning side (if there was one) is said to have been Duncan, the parson whose sons called themselves Mac a' Phearsain.

      Sir Walter Scott used the writings of the ancient authors in composing his novel, The Fair Maid of Perth. This tale focuses on the battle as a major theme but the details are too complex to display here. For those interested in romantic novels with a historical basis (albeit tenuous to an extent), it is a worthwhile read.