Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we turn our attention to a dramatic and bloody clash that unfolded on February 7, 1603—the Battle of Glen Fruin. This battle, fought near Loch Lomond, was a brutal encounter between Clan Gregor and Clan Colquhoun, and it would have far-reaching consequences for the defeated and, ironically, for the victors as well.

To understand how this conflict erupted, we need to step back and examine the long-standing feud between these two powerful Highland clans. By the late 16th century, tensions between the Gregor and Colquhoun families had been simmering for years. The MacGregors were a proud but often persecuted clan, known for their warrior spirit and resistance to external authority. The Colquhouns, meanwhile, were a wealthy and influential Lowland clan with strong ties to the Scottish crown.

The immediate cause of the battle stemmed from a series of disputes over land and cattle raiding. Cattle theft, or "reiving," was common in the Highlands, and both clans had accused each other of repeated raids. Matters escalated when a group of MacGregors was reportedly refused hospitality by the Colquhouns—a serious insult in Highland culture. In response, Alasdair MacGregor of Glenstrae, the chief of Clan Gregor, gathered his men and prepared to teach their rivals a lesson.

The Colquhouns, knowing that conflict was imminent, sought assistance from allies, including some local Lowland forces. Sir Alexander Colquhoun led an army of around 300 men, including cavalry, and positioned them in Glen Fruin, a narrow valley near Loch Lomond. It was here that they intended to ambush the MacGregors.

However, Alasdair MacGregor was a skilled strategist. He led his men—numbering only about 400—through the hills and managed to outflank the Colquhouns, trapping them in the glen. What followed was a devastating slaughter. The heavily armed Colquhouns, despite their superior numbers and mounted soldiers, were no match for the fierce Highland warriors who swarmed them from multiple directions. Some 200 men of Clan Colquhoun and their allies were killed in the battle, while casualties on the MacGregor side were reportedly very light.

One of the most tragic aspects of the battle was the fate of a group of students from Dumbarton who had accompanied the Colquhoun forces, possibly as observers or as part of their education in military affairs. According to some accounts, these young men were also killed in the chaos, further fueling outrage against the MacGregors.

In the aftermath, Sir Alexander Colquhoun went straight to King James VI, carrying with him a gruesome display—several bloodied shirts from the slain men, meant to evoke sympathy and demand justice. The king, already wary of the MacGregors due to their history of defiance, responded with swift and brutal measures. In April 1603, just two months after the battle, he issued an edict proscribing the entire Clan Gregor. Their very name was outlawed—MacGregors were forced to renounce their surname or face execution. Many of them were hunted down, executed, or driven into exile.

Alasdair MacGregor himself was captured and taken to Edinburgh, where he was hanged in 1604. The once-proud Clan Gregor was scattered, and for years, they suffered under some of the harshest laws imposed on any Scottish clan. It wasn’t until the 18th century that the proscription was lifted, allowing the MacGregors to reclaim their name officially.

The Battle of Glen Fruin is remembered as one of the most significant feuds in Scottish clan history, illustrating the brutal nature of Highland warfare and the precarious position of clans who found themselves on the wrong side of royal authority. Today, echoes of that ancient conflict can still be felt in the landscapes of Glen Fruin, a quiet valley that once ran red with blood.

Thank you for joining us on this journey through Scotland’s past. Tune in tomorrow for another episode of This Day in Scottish History. I'm Colin MacDonald—Haste Ye Back!

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