Robert III viewed the Battle of the Clans from the Blackfriars Monastery gardens. The site of the battle in 1396 is marked by a stone plinth on the North Inch opposite the Blackfriars plaque.
The staging of the battle of the clans in 1396 was an attempt by King Robert III t to find a solution to a long running feud between Clan Chatton and Clan Kay. The identity of the actual participates has not been firmly established. Clan Chattan was originally called Clan Qwhewyl. The Clan Chattan was a confederation of a number of individual clans, principally the MacIntoshes and the MacPhersons together with others. Clan Kay was originally known as Clan Yha. This clan according to William Skene in his “Highlanders Of Scotland” (1837) might well have included among others, dissident MacPhersons and Camerons who had previously been part of Clan Chatton.
The contest was arranged by The Earl of Crawford and the Ear of Moray to prevent a previously local feud over land holdings developing into a larger conflict, involving the entire highlands.
As Sir Walter Scott describes it, the clans were to “refer their differences to the fate of the battle”.
Thirty warriors from each clan were to do battle to resolve the dispute. One of Clan Chattan’s men fled before the battle began and Hal O The Wynd was drafted in to even up the numbers. Clan Chattan were victorious said to be in no small part to the efforts of Hal O the Wynd. See also Hal O the Wynd House
Clan Chatton still exists. The Camerons assume the mantle of Clan Yha. Disputes continued until finally resolve in the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh in 1664. This may appear to be rather a long time, but a similar dispute between Gunns and Keiths was not resolved until 1978.
