Mackenzie, already quoted, says that "the name Coinneach is common
to the Pictish and Scottish Gael," and that "Mackenzie, Baron of
Kintail, attached himself to the fortunes of the heroic Robert the
Bruce, notwithstanding MacDougall's (his father-in-law) tenacious
adherence to the cause of Baliol, as is believed, in resentment
for the murder of his cousin, the Red Comyn, at Dumfries"; while
the Earl of Cromartie says that he "not only sided with Robert
Bruce in his contest with the Cumins but that he was one of those
who sheltered him in his lurking and assisted him in his restitution;
'for in the Isles,' says Boethius 'he had supply from a friend;
and yet Donald of the Isles, who then commanded them, was on the
Cumin's side, and raised the Isles to their assistance, and was
beat at Deer by Edward Bruce, anno 1308.'" All this is indeed
highly probable.
After Bruce left the Island of Rachrin he was for a considerable
time lost sight of, many believing that he had perished during his
wanderings, from the great hardships which he necessarily endured
in his ultimately successful attempts to escape the vigilant
efforts and search of his enemies. That Bruce found shelter in
Ellandonnan Castle and was there protected for a considerable time
by the Baron of Kintail - until he found opportunity again to take
the field against his enemies - has ever since been the unbroken
tradition in the Highlands, and it has always been handed down
from one generation to another as a proud incident in the history
of the clan. The Laird of Applecross, who wrote his manuscript
history of the Mackenzies in 1669, follows the earlier family
historians. He says that this Baron of Kintail "did own the
other party, and was one of those who sheltered the Bruce, and
assisted in his recovery. I shall not say he was the only one,
but this stands for that assertion that all who were considerable
in the Hills and Isles were enemies to the Bruce, and so cannot be
presumed to be his friends. The Earl of Ross did most unhandsomely
and unhumanly apprehend his lady at Tain and delivered her to the
English, anno 1305. Donald of the Isles, or Rotholl, or rather
Ronald, with all the Hebrides, armed against the Bruce and were
beat by Edward Bruce in Buchan, anno 1308. Alexander of Argyll
partied (sided with) the Baliol; his country, therefore, was wasted
by Bruce, anno 1304, and himself taken by him, 1309. Macdougall
of Lorn fought against the Bruce, and took him prisoner, from whom
he notably escaped, so that there is none in the district left
so considerable as this chief (Mackenzie) who had an immediate
dependence on the Royal family and had this strong fort, which was
never commanded by the Bruce's enemies, either English or Scots;
and that his shelter and assistance was from a remote place and
friend is evident from all our stories. But all their neighbours
being stated on a different side from the Mackenzies engendered a
feud betwixt him and them, especially with the Earl of Ross and
Donald of the Isles, which never ended but with the end of the
Earl of Ross and lowering of the Lord of the Isles." That this
is true will be placed beyond question as we proceed.
It may, indeed, be assumed from subsequent events in the history
of these powerful families and the united testimony of all the
genealogists of the Mackenzies, that the chief of Kintail did
befriend Robert the Bruce against his enemies and protected him
in his castle of Ellandonnan, in spite of the commands of his
immediate superior, the Earl of Ross, and the united power of all
the other great families of the Western Isles and Argyle. And in
his independent stand at this important period in the history of
Scotland will be found the true grounds of the local rancour which
afterwards prevailed between Mackenzie and the Island Lord, and
which only terminated in the collapse of the Earls of Ross and
the Lords of the Isles, upon the ruins of which, as a reward for
proved loyalty to the reigning monarch, and as the result of the
characteristic prudence of the race of MacKenneth, the House of
Kintail gradually rose in power, subsequently absorbed the ancient
inheritance of all the original possessors of the district, and
ultimately extended their influence more widely over the whole
provinces of Wester and Central Ross.
The genealogists further say that this chief waited on the King
during his visit to Inverness in 1312. [The MS. histories of the
Mackenzies give the date of Robert Bruce's visit to Inverness as
1307, but from a copy of the "Annual of Norway," at the negotiation
and arrangement of which "the eminent Prince, Lord Robert, by the
like grace, noble King of Scors (attended) personally on the other
part," it will be seen that the date of the visit was 1312. - See
'Invernessiana,' by Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, F,S.A. Scot., pp.
36-40.] This may now be accepted as correct, as also that he
fought at the head of his followers at the battle of Inverury,
where Bruce defeated Mowbray and the Comyn in 1303. After this
important engagement, according to Fenton, "all the nobles, barons,
towns, cities, garrisons, and castles north of the Grampians submitted
to Robert the Bruce," when, with good reason, the second chief of
Clan Kenneth was further confirmed in the favour of his sovereign,
and in the government of Ellandonnan.
The Lord of the Isles had in the meantime, after his capture in
Argyle, died while confined in Dundonald Castle, when his brother
and successor, Angus Og, declared for Bruce. Argyll and Lorn left,
or were driven out of the country, and took up their residence
in England. With Angus Og of the Isles now on the side of Bruce,
and the territories of Argyll and Lorn at his mercy in the absence
of their respective chiefs, it was an easy matter for the King,
during the varied fortunes of his heroic struggle, defending
Scotland from the English, to draw largely upon the resources of
the West Highlands and Isles, flow unmolested, particularly after
the surprise at Perth in the winter of 1312, and the reduction of
all the strongholds in Scotland - except Stirling, Berwick, and
Dunbar - during the ensuing summer. The decisive blow, however, yet
to be struck by which the independence and liberties of Scotland
were to be for ever established and confirmed, and the time was
drawing nigh when every nerve would have to be strained for a final
effort to clear it, once for all, of the bated followers of the
tyrant Edwards, roll them back before an impetuous wave of Scottish
valour, and for ever put an end to England's claim to tyrannise
over a free-born people whom it was found impossible to crush or
cow. Nor, in the words of the Bennetsfield manuscript, "will we
affect a morbid indifference to the fact that on the 24th of June,
1314, Bruce's heroic band of thirty thousand warriors on the
glorious field of Bannockburn contained above ten thousand Western
Highlanders and men of the Isles," under Angus Og of the Isles,
Mackenzie of Kintail (who led five hundred of his vassals), and
other chiefs of the mainland, of whom Major specially says, that
"they made an incredible slaughter of their enemies, slaying heaps
of them around wherever they went, and running upon them with
their broadswords and daggers like wild bears without any regard
to their own lives." Alluding to the same event, Barbour says -
Angus of the Is'es and Bute alsae,
And of the plain lands he had mae
Of armed men a noble route,
His battle stalwart was and stout.
General Stewart of Garth, in a footnote, 'Sketches of the
Highlanders,' says that the eighteen Highland chiefs who fought at
Bannockburn were - Mackay, Mackintosh, Macpherson, Cameron, Sinclair,
Campbell, Menzies, Maclean, Sutherland, Robertson, Grant, Fraser,
Macfarlane, Ross, Macgregor, Munro, Mackenzie, and Macquarrie and
that "Cumming, Macdougall of Lorn, Macnab, and a few others were
unfortunately in opposition to Bruce, and suffered accordingly." In
due time the Western chiefs returned home, where on their arrival,
many of them found local feuds still smouldering - encouraged by the
absence of the natural protectors of the people - amidst the
surrounding blaze. John lived peaceably at home during the remainder
of his days. He married Margaret, daughter of David de Strathbogie,
XIth Earl of Atholl, by Joan, daughter of John, the Red Comyn, last
Earl of Badenoch, killed by Robert the Bruce in 1306. He died in
1328, and was succeeded by his only son,
III. KENNETH MACKENZIE,
Commonly called Coinneach na Sroine, or Kenneth of the Nose, from
the size of that organ. Very little is known of this chief. But
he does not appear to have been long in possession when he found
himself serious trouble and unable to cope successfully with the
Earl of Ross, who made determined efforts to re-establish the
original position of his house over the Barons of Kintail. Wyntoun
says that in 1331, Randolph, Earl of Moray, nephew of Robert the
Bruce, and at that time Warden of Scotland, sent his Crowner to
Ellandonnan, with orders to prepare the castle for his reception
and to arrest all "misdoaris" in the district, fifty of whom the
Crowner beheaded, and, according to the barbarous practice of even
much later times, exposed their heads for the edification of the
surrounding lieges high upon the castle walls. Randolph himself
soon after arrived and, says the same chronicler, was "right
blithe" to see the goodly show of heads "that flowered so weel
that wall" - a ghastly warning to all treacherous or plundering
"misdoaris." From what occurred on this occasion it is obvious
that Kenneth either did not attempt or was not able to govern
his people with a firm hand and to keep the district free from
plunderers and lawlessness.
It is undoubted that at this time the Earl of Ross succeeded in
gaining a considerable hold in the district over which he had all
along claimed superiority; for in 1342 William, the fifth and last
O'Beolan Earl, is on record as granting a charter of the whole
ten davochs of Kintail to Reginald, son of Roderick of the Isles.
The charter was granted and dated at the Castle of Urquhart,
witnessed by the bishops of Ross and Moray, and confirmed by David
II. in 1344. ['Invernessiana,' p.56.] From all this it may fairly
be assumed that the line of Mac Kenneth was not far from the
breaking point during the reign of Kenneth of the Nose.
Some followers of the Earl of Ross about this time made a raid
to the district of Kenlochewe and carried away a great herschip.
Mackenzie pursued them, recovered a considerable portion of the
spoil, and killed many of the raiders. The Earl of Ross was greatly
incensed at Kenneth's conduct in this affair, and he determined
to have him apprehended and suitably punished for the murders and
other excesses committed by him.
In this he ultimately succeeded. Mackenzie was captured, chiefly
through the instrumentality of Leod Mac Gilleandrais - a desperate
character, and a vassal and relative of the Earl - and executed
at Inverness in 1346, when the lands of Kenlochewe, previously
possessed by Kintail, were given to Mac Gilleandrais as a reward
for Mackenzie's capture.
On this point the author of the Ardintoul manuscript says, that
the lands of Kenlochewe were held by Kenneth Mackenzie "and his
predecessors by tack, but not as heritage, for they had no real or
heritable right of them until Alexander of Kintail got heritable
possession of them from John, Earl of Ross," at a much later date.
Ellandonnan Castle, however, held out during the whole of this
disturbed and distracted period, and until Kenneth's heir, who
at his father's death was a mere boy, came of age, when he fully
avenged the death of his father, and succeeded to the inheritance
of his ancestors. The garrison meanwhile maintained themselves
on the spoil of the enemy. The brave defenders of the castle were
able to hold their own throughout and afterwards to hand over the
stronghold to their chief when he arrived at a proper age and
returned home.
The Earl of Cromarty, who gives a very similar account of this
period, concludes his notice of Kenneth in these terms - "Murdered
thus, his estate was possessed by the oppressor's followers; but
Island Donain keeped still out, maintaining themselves on the spoyle
of the enemie. All being trod under by insolince and oppression,
right had no place. This was during David Bruce's imprisonment
in England," when chaos and disorder ruled supreme, at least in
the Highlands.
Kenneth married Finguala, or Florence, daughter of Torquil Macleod,
II. of Lewis, by his wife Dorothea, daughter of William, second
O'Beolan Earl of Ross by his wife, Joan, daughter of John the first
Red Comyn, and sister of John the Black Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
and Earl of Buchan, with issue, an only son,
IV. MURDOCH MACKENZIE,
Usually called "Murchadh Dubh na h' Uagh," or Black Murdoch of the
Cave, from his habits of life, which shall be described presently.
Murdoch was very young when his father was executed at Inverness.
During Kenneth's absence on that occasion, and for some time
afterwards, Duncan Macaulay, a great friend, who then owned the
district of Lochbroom, had charge of Ellandonnan Castle. The
Earl of Ross was determined to secure possession of Murdoch, as he
previously did of his father, and Macaulay becoming apprehensive
as to his safety sent him, then quite young, accompanied by his
own son, for protection to Mackenzie's relative, Macdougall of
Lorn. While here the Earl of Ross succeeded in capturing young
Macaulay, and in revenge for his father's gallant defence at
Ellandonnan during Kenneth's absence, and more recently against
his own futile attempts to take that stronghold, he put Macaulay
to death, whereupon Murdoch, who barely escaped with his life,
left Lorn and sought the protection of his uncle, Macleod of Lewis.
The actual murderer of Macaulay was the same desperate character,
Leod Macgilleandrais, a vassal of the Earl of Ross, who had in
1346 been mainly instrumental in the capture and consequent death
of Mackenzie's father at Inverness. The Earl of Cromarty describes
the assassin as "a depender of the Earl of Ross, and possessed
of several lands in Strathcarron (of Easter Ross) and some in
Strathoykell." When he killed Macaulay, Leod possessed himself
of his lands of Lochbroom and Coigach "whereby that family ended."
Macaulay's estates should have gone to Mackenzie in right of his
wife, Macaulay's daughter, but "holding of the Earl of Ross, the
earl disponed the samen in lyfrent by tack to Leod, albeit Murdo
Mackenzie acclaimed it in right of his wyfe."
Leod kept possession of Kenlochewe, which, lying as it did, exactly
between Kintail and Lochbroom, he found most convenient as a centre
of operations against both, and he repeatedly took advantage of it,
though invariably without success so far at least as his main object
was concerned - to get possession of the stronghold of Ellandonnan.
On the other hand, the brave garrison of the castle made several
desperate reprisals under their heroic commander, Macaulay, and
held out in spite of all the attempts made to subdue them, until
the restoration of David II., by which time Murdoch Mackenzie had
grown up a brave and intrepid youth, approaching majority.
The author of the Ardintoul MS. informs us that he was called Murdo
of the Cave; being perhaps not well tutored, he preferred sporting
and hunting in the hills and forests to going to the Ward School,
where the ward children, or the heirs of those who held their lands
and wards from the King, were wont or bound to go, and he resorted
to the dens and caves about Torridon and Kenlochewe, hoping to
get a hit at Leod Macgilleandrais, who was instrumental, under
the Earl of Ross, to apprehend and cut off his father. In the
meantime Leod hearing of Murdo's resorting to these bounds, that
he was kindly entertained by some of the inhabitants, and fearing
that he would withdraw the services and affections of the people
from himself, and connive some mischief against him for his ill-usage
of his father, he left no means untried to apprehend him, so that
Mackenzie was obliged to start privately to Lochbroom, from whence,
with only one companion, he went to his uncle, Macleod of Lewis,
by whom, after he had revealed himself to him alone, he was well
received, and both of them resolved to conceal his name until a
fit opportunity offered to make known his identity. He, however,
met with a certain man named Gille Riabhach who came to Stornoway
with twelve men, about the same time as himself, and he, in the
strictest confidence, told Gille Riabhach that he was Mackenzie of
Kintail, which secret the latter kept strictly inviolate. Macleod
entertained his nephew, keeping it an absolute secret from others
who he was, that his enemies might think that he was dead, and
so feel the greater security till such time as they would deem it
wise that he should act for himself and make an attempt to rescue
his possessions from Macgilleandrais, who now felt quite secure,
thinking that Mackenzie had perished, having for so long heard
nothing concerning him. When a suitable time arrived his uncle
gave Murdo two of his great galleys, with as many men (six score)
as he desired, to accompany him, his cousin german Macleod, the
Gille Riabhach and his twelve followers, all of whom determined
to seek their fortunes with young Kintail. They embarked at
Stornoway, and securing a favourable wind they soon arrived at
Sanachan, in Kishorn (some say at Poolewe), where they landed,
marched straight towards Kenlochewe, and arrived at a thick wood
near the place where Macgilleandrais had his residence. Mackenzie
commanded his followers to lie down and watch, while he and his
companion, Gille Riabhach, went about in search of intelligence.
He soon found a woman cutting rushes, at the same time lamenting
his own supposed death and Leod Macgillearidrais' succession to
the lands of Kenlochewe in consequence. He at once recognised
her as the woman's sister who nursed or fostered him, drew near,
spoke to her, sounded her, and discovering her unmistakeable
affection for him he felt that he could with perfect safety make
himself known to her. She was overjoyed to find that it was really
he, whose absence and loss she had so intensely and so long
lamented. He then requested her to go and procure him information
of Leod's situation and occupation that night. This she did with
great propriety and discretion. Having satisfied herself, she
returned at the appointed time and assured him that Macgilleandrais
felt perfectly secure, quite unprepared for an attack, and
bad just appointed to meet the adjacent people next morning at a
place called Ath-nan-Ceann (the Ford of the Heads), preparatory
to a hunting match, having instructed those who might arrive before
him to wait his arrival. Mackenzie considered this an excellent
opportunity for punishing Leod. He in good time went to the
ford accompanied by his followers. Those invited by Leod soon
after arrived, and, seeing Mackenzie before them, thought he was
Macgilleandrais with some of his men, but soon discovered their
mistake. Mackenzie killed all those whom he did not recognise as
soon as they appeared. The natives of the place, who were personally
known to him, he pardoned and dismissed. Leod soon turned up, and
seeing such a gathering awaiting him, naturally thought that they
were his own friends, and hastened towards them, but on approaching
nearer he found himself "in the fool's hose." Mackenzie and his
band fell upon them with their swords, and after a slight resistance
Macgilleandrais and his party fled, but they were soon overtaken
at a place called to this day Featha Leoid or Leod's Bog, where
they were all slain, except Leod's son Paul, who was taken prisoner
and kept in captivity for some time, but was afterwards released
upon plighting his faith that he would never again trouble Mackenzie
or resent against him his father's death. Murdoch Mackenzie being
thus re-possessed of Kenlochewe, "gave Leod Macgilleandrais' widow
to Gillereach to wife for his good services and fidelity, whose
posterity live at Kenlochewe and thereabout, and to this day some
of them live there." According to the Cromarty MS., Mackenzie
possessed himself of Lochbroom in right of his wife and disposed
of Coigach to his cousin Macleod, "for his notable assistance in
his distress; which lands they both retained but could obtain no
charters from the Earls of Ross, of whom they held, the Earls of
Ross pretending that they fell to themselves in default of male
heirs, the other retaining possession in right of his wife as heir
of line."
Paul Macgilleandrais some years after this repaired to the confines
of Sutherland and Caithness, prevailed upon Murdo Riabhach, Kintail's
illegitimate son, to join him, and, according to one authority,
became "a common depredator," while according to another, he became
what was perhaps not inconsistent in those days with the character
of a desperado - a person of considerable state and property.
They often "spoiled" Caithness. The Earl of Cromarty, referring
to this raid, says that Paul "desired to make a spoil on some
neighbouring country, a barbarous custom but most ordinary in those
days, as thinking thereby to acquire the repute of valour and to
become formidable as the greatest security amidst their unhappy
feuds. This, their prentice try or first exhibition, was called
in Irish (Gaelic) `Creach mhacain' the young man's herschip."
Ultimately Murdo Riabhach and Paul's only son were killed by Budge
of Toftingall. Paul was so mortified at the death of his young
depredator son that he gave up building the fortress of Duncreich,
which he was at the time erecting to strengthen still more
his position in the county. He gave his lands of Strathoykel,
Strathcarron, and Westray, with his daughter and heiress in marriage,
to Walter Ross, III. of Balnagown, on which condition he obtained
pardon from the Earl of Ross, the chief and superior of both.
Mackenzie, after disposing of Macgilleandrais, returned to his
own country, where he was received with open arms by the whole
population of the district. He then married the only daughter of
his gallant friend and defender, Duncan Macaulay - whose only son,
Murdoch, had been killed by Macgilleandrais - and through her his
son ultimately succeeded to the lands of Lochbroom and Coigeach
granted to Macaulay's predecessor by Alexander II. Mackenzie was
now engaged principally in preserving and improving his possessions,
until the return of David II. from England, 1357-8, when Murdoch
laid before the King a complaint against the Earl of Ross for the
murder of his father, and claimed redress but the only satisfaction he
ever obtained was a confirmation of his rights previously granted
by the King to "Murdo filius Kennethi de Kintaill, etc.," dated
"Edinburg 1362, et Regni Domini Regis VI., Testibus Waltero Senescollo
et allis." [MS. History of the Mackenzies.]
Of Murdoch Dubh's reign, the Laird of Applecross says: "During
this turbulent age, securities and writs, as well as laws, were
little regarded; each man's protection lay in his own strength."
Kintail regularly attended the first Parliament of Robert II.,
until it was decreed by that King and his Privy Council that the
services of the "lesser barons" should not be required in future
Parliaments or General Councils. He then returned home, and
spent most of his time in hunting and wild sports, of which he
was devotedly fond, living peaceably and undisturbed during the
remainder of his days.