Battle of the River Dee

Battle of the River Cree

Background

After the Harrying of Buchan, Edward Brus was left in charge of Galloway and led a campaign in Galloway and Douglasdale, defeating John St John at the Battle of Kirroughtree. He then turned his attention to Balliol lands and the stronghold of Buittle Castle.

Scottish rebels loyal to the Balliol cause gathered nearby and were led by the combined forces of Dungal MacDouall, Sir Ingram de Umfraville, and Sir Aymer de St John.

Battle

On June 29th, 1308, the two sides met on the banks of the River Dee, near Buittle, at a ford in the river. The rebel forces under MacDouall were routed and took heavy losses. A Gallovidian leader named Roland died during the battle.

There is some debate over the location of the battle and the identity of the rebel leader. The Scottish poem "The Brus" by John Barbour claims the battle was fought on the banks of the River Cree. However, the Chronicle "Gesta Annalia II" states that a certain "Donald of the Isles" led the Gallovidians to the River Dee, where they were defeated by Edward Brus, and the leader himself was captured.

It is also possible that the man mentioned refers to Donald of Islay, of the Clan Donald; another possibility is that it refers to Dungal MacDouall. Another source has Donald of Islay fighting on the side of Edward Brus, and the rebel leader was perhaps Donald MacCann, a Gallovidian who supported the English against Robert the Bruce and disappeared from history around the time of the battle.

Aftermath

The victory at the Battle of the River Dee marked a consolidation of Scottish Crown control in southwest Scotland in Robert the Bruce's campaign for freedom. It also weakened the influence of the MacDoualls and other Balliol-aligned families in the region.