Iye Du Mackay, 12th of Strathnaver

[3] 17th-century historian Sir Robert Gordon writes of Iye Du Mackay: "served divers tymes in wars upon the borders, against the English: in which service he behaved himself valiantly".

[5] Upon the death of his father Donald, Iye Du Mackay returned to Strathnaver to secure the estates, but for twenty years he had to fight against the combined power of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly and John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland, as he could get no legal title to his father's lands.

[6] In 1552 Mary of Guise held a court at Inverness and invited Mackay, John MacDonald of Moidart and the Earl of Caithness, but all refused to appear.

[6] The Earl of Sutherland was joined by Hugh Kennedy of Girvanmains who set sail from Leith in a hired ship called the Lion that was armed with cannon from Edinburgh Castle.

[7] On 5 October 1562 Mary, Queen of Scots granted full remission to Iye Du Mackay for having supported the English at Haddington in 1548.

[8] On 19 April 1567, Parliament ratified the gift from the queen to the newly restored George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly, Mackay's lands of Strathnaver.

[13] However, in the meantime Mackay and the Earl of Caithness swept into Sutherland taking and occupying Dunrobin Castle with many of the Earl of Sutherland's followers failing to oppose them: Murray of Aberscross fled to Strathbogie (Huntly), Gordon of Drummuie to Orkney and Gray of Skibo Castle to St Andrews.

They had two sons: Iye Du Mackay married secondly, Christian, daughter of John Sinclair of Duns, Caithness.

Map showing the territory of the Clan Mackay that was known as Strathnaver in relation to Sutherland and Caithness. The boundary is marked with a dashed line. (click to enlarge)