Battle of North Inch

The Battle of North Inch in Perth is one of the strangest conflicts in Scottish history. Also known as the Battle of the Clans, exactly who was on each side is still debated. What we do know is that in 1396, two clans had riled each other up so much that they were close to all-out war.

King Robert III was determined not to let that happen, but he couldn't get the clan chiefs to see eye to eye. Blood would need to be spilled; the question now was just how much blood. They agreed to settle their differences with an evenly matched trial by combat, thirty men from each clan fighting to the death.

One side is generally accepted as being Clan Chattan, a confederation of small clans. Their opponents may have been Camerons, MacKays or even a different clan from within Chattan, vying for prominence.

Barriers and seating were constructed where North Inch Park stands today to keep the public safely out of harm’s way and give the King and his courtiers the best view. The morning of the battle, one of the Chattan fighters was discovered missing. He was either sick or had cold feet at the prospect of battle and disappeared. Up stepped a local blacksmith called Henry Gow who volunteered to fight and even up the sides.

The fight may have been staged but it was still brutal. The spectators were horrified at the spectacle on the North Inch. 19 of Clan Chattan were killed, while all but one of their opponents fell. He only managed to survive by jumping the barrier and swimming across the river Tay to safety.

Henry the blacksmith survived the fight, and some say his great, hammer wielding strength was what tipped the scales of victory. He was richly rewarded and invited to become a member of Chattan, beginning a new Clan Gow within their ranks.