Clan MacKay

Towards the end of the 15th century and at the beginning of the 16th century, chief Iye Roy Mackay, 10th of Strathnaver supported the Scottish Crown against the rebellion of Donald Dubh with much success. However, it is Clan Cameron tradition that in 1505, the Cameron chief who supported Donald Dubh, defeated a joint force of Mackays and Munros at Battle of Achnashellach. In 1513, chief Iye Roy Mackay, 10th of Strathnaver along with his brother, John Riavach Mackay, led the Mackays at the Battle of Flodden, where John Riavach was killed along with many of his clansmen.

According to historian Sir Robert Gordon, who himself was a son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, in 1517, the Battle of Torran Dubh took place where the Clan Sutherland defeated the Clan Mackay who were led by John Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver. However, historian Angus Mackay disputes Gordon's account and says that the battle was actually fought by the Mackays against the Rosses, Murrays and Gunns, and not against the Sutherlands. According to Sir Robert Gordon, in 1522, Alexander Gordon (the Earl of Sutherland's eldest son) overthrew John Mackay of Strathnaver at Lairg, and forced him to submit himself to the Earl of Sutherland, to whom John Mackay gave a bond of manrent and service. However, historian Angus Mackay disputes Gordon's account that there was even a skirmish and says that John Mackay was simply renewing the bond of friendship in 1522 with Alexander Gordon, that he had previously made with Alexander Gordon's father, Adam Gordon, in 1518. In 1528, the Mackays, who were then at feud with the Gordon, Earls of Sutherland are associated with Clan Forbes who were then at feud with the Gordon, Earls of Huntly, chiefs of Clan Gordon. According to the book Conflicts of the Clans which was published in 1764, in 1542 the Battle of Alltan-Beath took place where the Clan Mackay were defeated by the Clan Sutherland. According to historian Sir Robert Gordon, in 1542, chief Donald Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver was captured by the Gordon Earls of Sutherland and Huntly, and imprisoned in Foulis Castle. However, this is disputed by historian Angus Mackay.

In 1542, chief Iye Du Mackay, 12th of Strathnaver and his followers fought against the English at the Battle of Solway Moss. In 1544, Mackay joined the Earl of Arran at the Battle of Glasgow and in 1548 he joined in the Siege of Haddington.

In 1555, the Siege of Borve Castle took place where the castle capitulated and chief Iye Du Mackay, 12th of Strathnaver was captured by the Sutherlands, imprisoned at Dumbarton Castle, and later in Edinburgh Castle. According to Sir Robert Gordon, son of the Earl of Sutherland, the siege was followed by the Battle of Garbharry which was the last battle between the Mackays of Strathnaver and the Earls of Sutherland. In 1562, the Battle of Corrichie took place where the Mackays supported Mary, Queen of Scots against George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly.

In 1586, the Battle of Allt Camhna took place where the chief's younger brother William Mackay, 1st of Bighouse, assisted the Clan Gunn in a victory over the Clan Sinclair of Caithness. This was followed by the Battle of Leckmelm where the Mackay of Aberach branch of the clan assisted the Earl of Sutherland in defeating the Clan Gunn. In 1588, chief Huistean Du Mackay, 13th of Strathnaver joined the Earl of Sutherland and married his daughter the following year. In 1590, the chief's half-brother, Donald Balloch Mackay, led a company of archers at the Battle of Clynetradwell in support of the Earl of Caithness but he later sided with the Earl of Sutherland.

Thirty Years War

In April 1616 chief Donald Mackay went to London with his uncle, Sir Robert Gordon, and was knighted by the king. In 1626, Sir Donald Mackay embarked with 3000 men at Cromarty under Count Mansfeld for the Thirty Years' War in the service of the king of Denmark alongside their colonel, Robert Monro. In March 1627 Sir Donald Mackay was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia, and in 1628 was elevated in the peerage as Lord Reay. In 1630, Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay accompanied his regiment to Germany, and was present at the capture of Stettin and Colberg. The following year in 1631 Lord Reay was empowered by Charles I of England to raise another force of men for service with Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden. He quarreled with David Ramsay at the English Court and, having challenged him to a duel, both were imprisoned in the Tower of London to preserve the peace. During 1632 Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden was killed at the Battle of Lützen and Lord Reay was not repaid large sums of money due to him by the king.

Civil War

In 1638, James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose and the Lords Home, Boyd and Loudoun invited Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay to meet them and others to consider the religious troubles of the time and to sign the Covenant, which he did unwillingly, along with his son, John Mackay, Master of Reay, because of his long attachment to Charles I. In 1644, like Montrose, Lord Reay again espouses the cause of Charles I of England in the English Civil War, and aided Lord Crawford for several months at the Siege of Newcastle, in the defence of the city against the Scots army. When the town was captured by General Leslie, Lord Reay and Lord Crawford were sent as prisoners to Edinburgh Castle. In 1645, following Montrose's victory at the Battle of Kilsyth, Lord Reay was liberated from imprisonment and returned home. In January 1649 Charles I was executed. Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay having fought for Charles I during the civil war was to be created Earl of Strathnaver but the royal patent was not completed and Reay went into exile in Denmark where he died in February 1649.

In 1651, a company of men from the Clan Mackay led by William Mackay of Borley fought at the Battle of Worcester in England under the Duke of Hamilton in support of Charles II of England.

In 1680, George Mackay, 3rd Lord Reay succeeded his grandfather and for the next fourteen years was under the guardianship of his maternal grandfather Sir George Munro of Culrain. In 1689, General Hugh Mackay garrisoned 100 Mackays in Brahan Castle, seat of Mackenzie, Earl of Seaforth to keep check on the Mackenzies. General Hugh Mackay, was made Commander-in-Chief in Scotland by William, Prince of Orange. He was defeated at the Battle of Killiecrankie but he won the campaign against John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount of Dundee, who was killed at Killiecrankie. General Hugh Mackay was mortally wounded at the Battle of Steinkirk in 1692. The son of the second Lord Reay was The Hon. Aeneas Mackay, Brigadier-General who had a prolonged military service in Scotland, Ireland and on the continent. He died in Bath, Somerset in 1697 and there is a monument to him in Bath Cathedral.

Jacobite Rising of 1715–1719
During the Jacobite rising of 1715 the Clan Mackay were anti-Jacobite, taking the side of George I of Great Britain and defending Inverness Castle against the Jacobites. The Mackays were also present at the Skirmish of Alness in 1715 against Mackenzie, Earl of Seaforth. In 1719, a detachment of 80 men from the Clan Mackay fought at the Battle of Glen Shiel where they defeated the Jacobites.

Jacobite rising of 1745–1746

During the Jacobite rising of 1745 the Clan Mackay again supported the British Government and the Mackay Independent Highland Companies, along with some men from Loudon's Highlanders regiment, intercepted and captured gold which had been sent from France to the Jacobite leader Charles Edward Stuart, in what become known as the Skirmish of Tongue. Independent Highland Companies formed from the Clan Mackay, that were led by Ensign John Mackay, fought at the Battle of Littleferry in 1746 where they defeated the Jacobites and also captured the Jacobite George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie at Dunrobin Castle.