Battle of the Pass of Brander

Background

After the Battle of the River Dee, the Bruce's Scottish enemies still controlled strategically important lands in Scotland. The Bruce was convinced that the English would likely return to Scotland in the summer of 1308 and decided to act with speed to neutralize his remaining Scottish enemies.

After breaking through the English-held lowlands, Robert the Bruce turned his attention to the north, heading for the Red Comyn's stronghold at Lochaber, supported by a fleet of galleys sailing up Loch Linnhe. Robert took control of Comyn's lands after winning the Battle of Inverurie. The Bruce now turned west.

Alexander MacDougall was now too old and sick to take part in the rebellion against the Bruce and lay in his castle at Dunstaffnage. His son John Bachan, John of Argyll, was now the main leader of the MacDougalls. John had already faced the royal forces of Robert at the Battle of Dalrigh.

Battle

In August of 1308, John of Argyll's men took up a position in the narrow Pass of Brander, where the River Awe cuts through the southern slope of Ben Cruachan from Loch Awe. In a letter to King Edward II, John stated he was still recovering from illness, and thus was in a galley on Loch Awe observing his men along the pass. Having remembered the Battle of Dalrigh, where the Bruce's men waited in an elevated position above the pass and dropped large boulders on them as they tried to advance, John was keen to use the same strategy against the Bruce. His men hid in the hillside waiting to ambush the royal army from above.

However, the Bruce also remembered and outmaneuvered Argyll's men again. He had James Douglas and a party of Highlander archers positioned even higher up Ben Crauchan than Argyll's men above the enemy's rear guard.

As the MacDougalls attacked, they were caught in the middle, with King Robert coming from below and the Black Douglas from above. Argyll's men broke ranks and were chased westwards across the River Awe back to Dunstaffnage Castle, as John escaped down the river in his galley.

Aftermath

After the Battle of the Pass of Brander, the main MacDougall seat, Dunstaffnage Castle, was captured by Robert the Bruce's forces. John of Argyll fled to England, with his father joining him in 1310.

The internal threat to Robert the Bruce's crown ended when all his Comyn enemies had been destroyed or exiled, and their lands lost, allowing him to unify Scotland more effectively.