Black Saturday (1621)

Black Saturday, April 3, 1621, refers to a significant defeat suffered by Scottish Covenanters at the hands of Royalist forces in Strathnaver, Sutherland, Scotland. The incident stemmed from ongoing religious and political tensions between supporters of Presbyterianism (the Covenanters) and those loyal to King James VI of Scotland (also James I of England), who favored episcopacy.

The conflict in Strathnaver was primarily driven by the ambitions of the Gordons, particularly the Earl of Sutherland and his half-brother Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun, who sought to consolidate their power and influence in the region. They used the guise of enforcing royal authority and suppressing religious dissent to attack their rivals, the Mackays of Strathnaver, who were known to sympathize with the Covenanters.

On Black Saturday, forces led by Sir Robert Gordon ambushed a group of Mackays and their allies as they were returning from a religious gathering. The Covenanters were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses. The event is remembered as a brutal and decisive victory for the Royalists in the area, effectively quashing Covenanting activity in Strathnaver for a period.

The aftermath of Black Saturday saw increased persecution of Covenanters and further consolidation of power by the Gordons. The event contributed to the growing religious and political divisions within Scotland that would eventually lead to the Wars of the Three Kingdoms later in the 17th century. Black Saturday remains a significant, if localized, event in the history of the Scottish Covenants and the struggles for religious freedom in Scotland.