It was fought in a dispute between Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy and George Sinclair of Keiss over who had the right to the title and lands of the Earl of Caithness.

Campbell of Glenorchy won a decisive victory in the battle, but Sinclair of Keiss later turned to the law and was awarded the title of Earl of Caithness.

[1] According to James Tait Calder, George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness, had sometime before his death in 1675 (or 1676) sold his estates to John Campbell, Lord Glenorchy, who was one of his principal creditors.

[2] According to William Anderson, in 1672, debt forced George Sinclair, 6th Earl of Caithness, to resign his titles and estates in favour of Sir John Campbell.

However, Sinclair of Keiss paid no attention to that and not only retained possession of the lands, which he claimed by his own inheritance, but also annoyed Glenorchy's chamberlains so much that they found it extremely difficult to collect the rents.

The common people were also friendly towards Sinclair of Keiss, and Glenorchy was looked upon as an usurper who had taken advantage of the necessities of the late Earl and cheated him out of his title and property.

[2] The Privy Council passed an Act on 11 November 1679, charging "haill kin, friends and followers of John, Earl of Caithness, to concuurr and assist" in recovering the lands that were in dispute.

[1] However, according to David Stewart of Garth, Glenorchy's force consisted of 1100 men which included the immediate descendants of his family; the Campbells of Glenlyon, Glenfalloch, Glendochart and Achallader, together with those of his neighbor and brother-in-law, the Laird of Macnab.

[4] The two sides met near Stirkoke, but Glenorchy's men were fatigued with having marched nearly thirty miles and so he declined to enter into battle and withdrew to the hills of Yarrows.

[2] Major Sinclair of Thura had advised in deferring the engagement until the ensuing day when the men would have recovered from the effects of the drink and would have gone fresh and prepared into action, but he was overruled.

[4] Glenorchy had originally intended to march to Keiss, but seeing the Sinclairs advancing, he prepared for battle by drawing up 500 of his men 200 yards up the river, where it is joined by the burn of Altimarlach.

Glenorchy ordered the remainder of his men to lie down and conceal themselves in a deep gorge and not to move from that spot until their officers told them to.

[4] When the two forces were within a few yards of each other, Glenorchy ordered his men to attack, and the onset of the Campbells was so furious that the Sinclairs, enfeebled from the drink of the previous evening, instantly gave way and fled in the direction of the burn of Altimarlach.

[1] Through the influence of the Duke of York, afterwards King James VII of Scotland,[8] he took his place as Earl of Caithness on 15 July 1681, and his lands were restored on 23 September.

According to tradition, the piper of the clan in Caithness, Finlay MacIver, composed the Great Highland bagpipe tune, Bodach-na-briogais, which was inspired by the battle.