Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay

Donald Mackay, 1st Lord Reay (March 1591 – February 1649) was a Scottish soldier and member of Parliament. He played a prominent role in the Thirty Years' War, raising a regiment of 3,000 men, which served in both the Danish and Swedish forces. He was later an unwilling Covenanter.

Donald Mackay was the eldest son of Huistean Du Mackay, 13th of Strathnaver, chief of the Clan Mackay, and his wife Lady Jane Gordon, eldest daughter of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland.

Allan Cameron of Lochiel, chief of the Clan Cameron came into much trouble due to the claims of superiority made over him by the rival houses of the Earl of Argyll (chief of Clan Campbell) and the Earl of Huntly (chief of Clan Gordon). Cameron was initially a supporter of Huntly, but later transferred his allegiance over to Argyll. Huntly brought the matter before the Privy Council of Scotland who issued a commission to Fraser the Lord Lovat, Mackenzie of Gairloch, Mackenzie of Kintail and Mackay of Farr for the apprehension of Allan Cameron. Donald Mackay took part in the subsequent operations together with his uncle Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet, and with 300 men they proceeded as far as the town of Inverness in August, 1612 and again on 9 December, 1613. A levy of Mackays and Gordons having been summoned from the north by the Council to pursue Allan Cameron. In the second expedition Donald Mackay and Gordon of Embo marched with 450 men into the heart of Lochaber to co-operate with other troops. However, Allan Cameron, with the help of the Earl of Argyll, managed to hold his own.

Between the years 1612 and 1623 a feud was fought between Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet who was tutor to his nephew the Earl of Sutherland, against the Earl of Caithness (chief of Clan Sinclair). Gordon tried to get Donald Mackay to join him in his campaign against the Earl of Caithness, but Mackay took no part in it.

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