'Forgotten' Battle of Glenshiel to be remembered

The 300th anniversary of the "forgotten" Battle of Glenshiel is to be marked on Saturday.

Jacobites, supported by 300 Spanish troops, fought a government army loyal to King George I at the battle near Shiel Bridge.

Despite their superior numbers, the Jacobites lost.

In a commemoration, involving the Association of Highland Clans and Societies, 12 wreaths are to be laid at the battle site.

Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop, National Trust for Scotland president Neil Oliver and Lt Col Geraint Davies of the Army in Scotland will be among those who will lay the wreaths.

The Association of Highland Clans and Societies said "too few" people in Scotland knew of the battle, which came during a failed Jacobite rising to restore the Stuart monarchy.

The battle site is near the A87 road to Kyle of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye.

The Jacobite side was largely made up of the Clan Mackenzie, along with Camerons, and Macdougalls, as well as group of MacGregors, whose numbers included Rob Roy MacGregor.

Campbells, a clan that would in later risings fight for the government. also fought on the Jacobite side.

The Spanish marines involved were from Galicia and were briefly based at the famous Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie before the battle.

One of the Spanish troops died of heatstroke in the week before the battle, due to the extreme heat in the Highlands that summer.

A hill at the scene of the battle is called Sgùrr nan Spàinteach, the Peak of the Spaniards.

Among those fighting with the government army at Glenshiel were members of the clans Munro, Mackay, Sutherland and Fraser.

The government side used a new type of mortar artillery against the Jacobite force.