says - "So dreadful indeed was now the state of those portions of
his (the King's) dominions, that, to prevent an utter dissevering
from the Scottish crown, something must be done, and many were
the projects suggested. At one time the King resolved to proceed
to the disturbed districts in person, and fix his headquarters
in Kentire; at another, a deputy was to be sent, armed with regal
powers; and twice the Duke of Lennox was nominated to this arduous
office. The old plan, too, might have been repeated, of granting
a Royal Commission to one or other of the northern "Reguli," who
were ever prepared, under the plea of loyalty, to strengthen their
own hands, and exterminate their brethren; but this, as had been
often felt before, was to abandon the country to utter devastation;
and a more pacific and singular policy was now adopted. One
association of Lowland barons, chiefly from Fife, took a lease
from the Crown of the Isle of Lewis, for which they agreed, after
seven years' possession, to give the King an annual rent of one
hundred and forty chalders of victual; and came under an obligation
to conquer their farm at their own charges. Another company of
noble-men and gentlemen in Lothian offered, under a similar agreement,
to subdue Skye. And this kind of feudal joint-stock company actually
commenced their operations with a force of six hundred soldiers, and a
motley multitude of farmers, ploughmen, artificers, and pedlars. But
the Celtic population and their haughty chiefs could not consent to be
handed over, in this wholesale fashion, to the tender mercies and
agricultural lectures of a set of Saxon adventurers. The Lowland
barons arrived, only to be attacked with the utmost fury, and to have
the leases of their farms, in the old Douglas phrase, written on their
own skins with steel pens and bloody ink. For a time, however, they
continued the struggle and having entered into alliance with some
of the native chiefs, fought the Celts with their own weapons, and
more than their own ferocity. Instead of agricultural and pastoral
produce, importations of wool, or samples of grain, from the infant
colony, there was sent to the Scottish Court a ghastly cargo of
twelve human heads in sacks; and it was hoped that, after such an
example of severity, matters might succeed better. But the settlers
were deceived. After a feeble and protracted struggle for a few
years, sickness and famine, perils by land and perils by water,
incessant war, and frequent assassinations, destroyed the colony;
and the three great western chiefs, Macdonald of Sleat, Macleod of
Harris, and Mackenzie of Kintail, enjoyed the delight of seeing
the principal gentlemen adventurers made captive by Tormod Macleod;
who, after extorting from them a renunciation of their titles,
and an oath never to return to the Lewis, dismissed them to carry
to the Scottish Court the melancholy reflection that a Celtic
population, and the islands on which it was scattered, were not
yet the materials or the field for the further operations of the
economists of Fife and Mid-Lothian."
In 1610 his Lordship returned to the Lewis with 700 men, and
finally brought the whole island to submission, with the exception
of Neil Macleod and a few of his followers, who retired to the rock
of Berissay, and took possession of it. At this period religion
must have been at a very low ebb - almost extinct among the
inhabitants; and, to revive Christianity among them, his Lordship
selected and took along with him the Rev. Farquhar Macrae, a native
of Kintail and minister of Gairloch, [He brought with him Mr
Farquhar Macrae, who was then a young man and minister of Gairloch
and appointed by the Bishop of Ross (Lesley) to stay with Sir George
Hay and the Englishmen that were with him in Letterewe, being
a peaceful and eloquent preacher. - "Ardintoul MS."] who had been
recommended to the latter charge by the bishop of Ross. Mr Macrae
found quite enough to do on his arrival in the island, but he appears
to have been very successful among the uncivilised natives; for
he reports having gained many over to Christianity; baptised a
large number in the fortieth year of their age; and, to legitimise
their children, marrying many others to those women with whom they
had been for years cohabiting. Leaving the reverend gentleman in
the prosecution of his mission, his Lordship returned home, having
established good order in the island, and promising to return
again the following year, to the great satisfaction of the people.
Some time before this Alexander MacGorrie and Ranald MacRory,
sons of Glengarry's uncles murdered in 1580 in Lochcarron, having
arrived at maturity, and being brave and intrepid fellows, determined
to revenge upon Mackenzie the death of their parents. With this
object they went to Appelcross, where lived one of the murderers,
John Og, son of Angus, MacEachainn, surrounded his house, and set
fire to it, burning to death himself and his whole family. Kintail
sought redress from Glengarry, who, while he did not absolutely
refuse, did not grant it or punish the wrong-doers; and encouraged
by Glengarry's eldest son, Angus, who had now attained his majority,
the cousins, taking advantage of the absence of Mackenzie, who
had gone on a visit to France, continued their depredations and
insolence wherever they found opportunity. Besides, they made
a complaint against him to the Privy Council, whereupon he was
charged at the pier of Leith to appear before the Council on an
appointed day under pain of forfeiture. In this emergency, Mr
John Mackenzie, minister of Dingwall, went privately to France in
search of his chief, whom he found and brought back in the most
secret manner to Edinburgh, fortunately in time to present himself
next day after his arrival before the Council, in terms of the
summons at Glengarry's instance; and, after consulting his legal
adviser and other friends, he appeared quite unexpectedly before
their Lordships.
Meantime, while the gentlemen were on their way from France,
Alexander MacGorrie and Alexander MacRory killed in his bed Donald
Mackenneth Mhic Alastair, a gentleman of the family of Davochmaluag,
who lived at Kishorn. The shirt, covered with his blood, had been
sent to Edinburgh to await the arrival of Mackenzie, who the same
day presented it before the Privy Council, as evidence of the foul
crime committed by his accusers. Glengarry was unable to prove
anything material against Kintail or his followers. On the
contrary, the Rev. John Mackenzie, of Dingwall, charged Glengarry
with being instrumental in the murder of John Og and his family at
Applecross, as also in that of Donald Mackenzie of Davochmaluag,
and undertook not only to prove this, but also that he was a
sorner, an oppressor of his own and of his neighbours' tenants, an
idolater, who had a man in Lochbroom making images, in testimony
of which he carried south the image of St. Coan, which Glengarry
worshipped, called in Edinburgh Glengarry's god, and which was,
by public order, burnt at the Town Cross that Glengarry was a man
who lived in constant adultery with the Captain of Clan Ranald's
daughter, after he had put away Grant of Grant's daughter, his
lawful wife; whereupon Glengarry was summoned there and then to
appear next day before the Council, and to lodge defences to this
unexpected charge. He naturally became alarmed, and fearing the
worst, fled from the city during the night, "took to his heels,"
and gave up further legal proceedings against Mackenzie. Being
afterwards repeatedly summoned, and failing to put in an appearance,
most of the charges were found proven against him; and in 1602,
[Records of Privy Council, 9th September, 1602; Sir Robert Gordon's
Earldom of Sutherland, p. 248; Letterfearn, Ardintoul, and other
MS. Histories of the Mackenzies.] he was declared outlaw and rebel;
a commission of fire and sword was granted to Mackenzie against
him and all his followers, with a decree of ransom for the loss
of those who were burnt and plundered by him, and for Kintail's
charges and expenses, making altogether a very large sum. But
while these legal matters were being arranged, Angus Macdonald,
younger of Glengarry, who was of a restless, daring disposition,
went along with some of his followers under silence of night to
Kintail, burnt the township of Cro, killed and burnt several men,
women, and children, and carried away a large spoil of cattle.
Mackenzie, hearing of this sudden raid, became much concerned
about the loss of his Kintail tenants, and decided to requite the
quarrel by at once executing his commission against the Macdonalds
of Glengarry, and immediately set out in pursuit, leaving a sufficient
number of men at home to secure the safety of his property. He
took along with him a force of seventeen hundred men, at the same
time taking three hundred cows from his farm of Strathbraan to
maintain his followers. Ross of Balnagowan sent a party of a hundred
and eighty men, under command of Alexander Ross of Invercharron, to
aid his neighbour of Kintail, while John Gordon of Embo commanded
a hundred and twenty men sent to his aid by the Earl of Sutherland,
in virtue of the long standing bond of manrent which existed
between the two families; but Sir John "retired at Monar, growing
faint-hearted before he saw the enemie". Andrew Munro of Novar also
accompanied Kintail on this, as on several previous expeditions.
The Macdonalds, hearing of Mackenzie's approach, drove all their
cattle to Monar, where they gathered in strong force to guard them.
Kintail, learning this, marched straight where they were; harried
and wasted all the country through which he had to pass; defeated
and routed the Macdonalds, and drove into Kintail the largest
booty ever heard of in the Highlands of Scotland, "both of cows,
horses, small bestial, duinuasals, and plenishing, which he most
generously distributed amongst his soldiers, and especially amongst
such strangers as were with him, so that John Gordon of Embo was at
his repentance for his return." Mackenzie had only two men killed
in this expedition, though a few of the Kintail men, whom he caused
to be carried home on litters, were wounded.
Several instances are recorded of the prowess and intrepidity
of Alexander of Coul on this occasion. He was, excepting John
MacMhurchaidh Mhic Gillechriost, the fastest runner in the Mackenzie
country. On his way to Kintail, leading his men and driving the
creach before them, he met three or four hundred Camerons, who sent
Mackenzie a message demanding "a bounty of the booty" for passing
through their territory. This Kenneth was about to grant, and
ordered thirty cows and a few of the younger animals to be given,
saying that it "was fit that hungry dogs should get a collop;"
whereupon Alexander of Coul and his brave band of one hundred and
twenty followers started aside and swore with a great oath that if
the Camerons dared to take away a single head, they would, before
night, pay dearly for them, and have to light for their collop;
for he and his men, he said, had already nearly lost their lives
driving them through a wild and narrow pass where eighteen of
the enemy fell to their swords before they were able to get the
cattle through; but he would now let them pass in obedience to
his chief's commands. The messengers, hearing the ominous threat,
notwithstanding Kenneth's personal persuasion, declined on any
account to take the cattle, and marched away "empty as they came."
Before starting from home on this expedition Kintail drove every
one of Glengarry's followers out of their holdings in Lochalsh
and Lochcarron, except a few of the "Mathewsons and the Clann Jan
Uidhir," and any others who promised to submit to him and engaged
to prove their sincerity by "imbrowing their bands in the enemy's
blood." The Castle of Strome, however, still continued in possession
of the Macdonalds.
Mackenzie, after his return home, had not well dissolved his camp
when Alexander MacGorrie and Ranald MacRory made an incursion to the
district of Kenlochewe, and there meeting some women and children
who had fled from Lochcarron with their cattle, he attacked them
unexpectedly, killed several of the defenceless women, all the
male children, slaughtered and took away many of the cattle, and
"houghed" all they were not able to carry along with them.
In the following autumn, Alexander MacGorrie made a voyage to Applecross
in a great galley, contrary to the advice of all his friends, who
looked upon that place as a sanctuary which all Highlanders had
hitherto respected as the property of the Church. Notwithstanding
that many took refuge in it in the past, he was the first man who
ever pursued a fugitive to the place, "but," says our authority,
"it fared no better with him or he rested, but be being informed
that some Kintail men, whom he thought no sin to kill anywhere,"
bad taken refuge there with their cattle, he determined to kill
them, but on his arrival he found only two poor fellows, tending
their cows. These he murdered, slaughtered all the cows, and took
away as many of them as his boat would carry.
A few days after this, Glengarry combined with the Clann Alain of
Moydart (whose chief was at the time captain of Clan Ranald's men),
the Clann Ian Uidhir, and several others of the Macdonalds, who
gathered together amongst them thirty-seven birlinns with the
intention of sailing to Lochbroom, and on their return to burn and
harry the whole of the Mackenzie territories on the west coast.
Coming to an arm of the sea on the east side of Kyleakin called
Loch na Beist, opposite Lochalsh, they sent Alexander MacGorrie
forward with eighty men in a large galley to examine the coast in
advance of the main body. They first landed i Applecross, in the
same spot where MacGorrie had previously killed the two Kintail
men. Kenneth was at the time on a visit to Mackenzie of Gairloch,
at his house on Island Rory in Loch-Maree, and hearing of Glengarry's
approach and the object of his visit, he ordered all his coasts to
be placed in readiness, and sent Alexander Mackenzie of Achilty with
sixteen men and eight oarsmen, in an eight oared galley belonging
to John Tolmach Macleod, son of Rory, son of Allan Macleod, who
still possessed a small portion of Gairloch, to watch the enemy
and examine the coast as far as Kylerhea. John Tolmach himself
accompanied them, in charge of the galley. On their way south
they landed by the merest chance at Applecross, on the north side
of the point at which MacGorrie landed, where they noticed a woman
gathering shellfish on the shore, and who no sooner saw them than
she came forward and informed them that a great galley had landed
in the morning on the other side of the promontory. This they at
once suspected to contain an advanced scout of the enemy, and,
ordering their boat round the point, in charge of the oarsmen, they
took the shortest cut across the neck of land, and, when half way
along, they met one of Macdonald's sentries lying sound asleep on
the ground. He was soon sent to his long rest; and the Mackenzies
blowing up a set of bagpipes found lying beside him, rushed towards
the Macdonalds, who, suddenly surprised and alarmed by the sound of
the Piob mhor, and thinking a strong force was falling down upon them,
fled to their boat, except MacGorrie, who, when he left it, swore a
great oath that he would never return with his back to the enemy; but
finding it impossible single-handed to resist, he retired a little,
closely followed by the Mackenzies who furiously attacked him. He was
now forced to draw aside to a rock, against which he placed his back,
and fought right manfully, defending himself with extraordinary
intrepidity, receiving the enemy's arrows in his targe. He was
ultimately wounded by an arrow which struck him under the belt, yet no
one dared to approach him; but John Dubh Mac Choinnich Mhic Mhurchaidh
noticing his amazing agility, observing that his party had arrived
with the boat, and fearing they would lose Glengarry's galley unless
they at once pursued it, went round to the back of the rock against
which the brave Macdonald stood, carrying a great boulder, which he
dropped straight on to MacGorrie's head, instantly killing him. Thus
died the most skilful and best chieftain - had he possessed equal wisdom
and discretion - then alive among the Macdonalds of Glengarry.
The Mackenzies immediately took to their boat, pursuing Macdonald's
galley to Loch na Beist, where, noticing the enemy's whole fleet
coming out against them, John Tolmach Macleod recommended his men
to put out to sea; but finding the fleet gaining upon them, they
decided to land in Applecross, where they were nearly overtaken
by the enemy. They were obliged to leave their boat and run for
their lives, hotly pursued by the Macdonalds; and were it not that
one of Mackenzie's men - John Mac Rory Mhic Mhurchaidh Mathewson -
was so well acquainted with the ground, and led them to a ford on
the river between two rocks, which the Macdonalds missed, and the
night coming on, they would have been unable to escape with their
lives. The Macdonalds retraced their steps to their boats, and
on the way discovered the body of Alexander MacGorrie, whose death
"put their boasting to mourning," and conceiving his fate ominous
of additional misfortunes, they, carrying him along with them,
prudently returned home, and disbanded all their followers. In
the flight of the Mackenzies Alexander of Achilty, being so stout
that he fainted on the way, was nearly captured. John MacChoinnich,
who noticed him falling, threw some water on him, and, drawing
his sword, swore that he would kill him on the spot if he did not
get up at once rather than that the enemy should have the honour
of killing or capturing him. They soon arrived at Gairloch's
house in the island on Loch-Maree, and gave a full account of their
expedition, whereupon Kintail at once decided upon taking active
measures against the Macdonalds. In the meantime he was assured
that they had returned to their own country. He soon returned
home, and found that the people of Kintail and Glengarry, tiring
of those incessant slaughters and mutual injuries, agreed, during
his absence, in the month of May, to cease hostilities until
the following Lammas. Of this agreement Kintail knew nothing;
and young Glengarry, who was of an exceedingly bold and restless
disposition, against the earnest solicitations of his father, who
became a party to this agreement between his people and those of
Kintail, started with a strong force to Glenshiel and Letterfearn,
while Allan Macdonald of Lundy with another party went to Glenelchaig,
harried those places, took away a large number of cattle, and killed
some of the aged men, several women, and all the male children. They
found none of the principal and able-bodied men, who had withdrawn
some distance that they might with greater advantage gather together
in a body and defend themselves, except Duncan MacIan Mhic
Ghillechallum in Killichirtorn, whom the enemy apprehended, and would
have killed, had not one of the Macdonalds, formerly his friend and
acquaintance, prevailed upon young Glengarry to save his life, and
send him to the Castle of Strome, where he still had a garrison,
rather than kill him.
The successful result of this expedition encouraged Angus so much
that he began to think fortune had at last turned in his favour,
and he set out and called personally upon all the chief and leaders
of the various branches of the Macdonalds in the west, soliciting
their assistance against the Mackenzies, which they all agreed to
give him in the following spring.
This soon came to Mackenzie's knowledge, who was at the time
residing in Ellandonnan Castle; and fearing the consequences of such
a powerful combination against him, he went privately to Mull by
sea to consult his brother-in-law, Hector Og Maclean of Duart, to
whom he told that he had a commission of fire and sword against
"the rebels of Glengarry and such as would rise in arms to assist
them, and being informed that the Macdonalds near him (Maclean)
had combined to join them, and to put him to further trouble,
that, therefore, he would, not only as a good subject but as his
fast friend, divert these whenever they should rise in arms against
him." [Ardintoul MS.] Maclean undertook to prevent the assistance
of the Clan Ranald of Isla and the Macdonalds of Glencoe and
Ardnamurchan, by, if necessary, invading their territories, and
thus compelling them to protect their own interests at home. It
appears that old Glengarry was still anxious to arrange a permanent
peace with Mackenzie; but his son Angus, restless and turbulent
as ever, would not hear of any peaceful settlement, and determined
to start at once upon an expedition, from which his father told
him at the time he had little hopes of his ever returning alive - a
prediction which turned out only too true.
Angus, taking advantage of Mackenzie's absence in Mull, gathered,
in the latter end of November, as secretly as be could, all the
boats and great galleys within his reach, and, with this large fleet
loaded with his followers passed through the Kyles under silence
of night; and, coming to Lochcarron, he sent his marauders ashore
in the twilight. The inhabitants perceiving them, escaped to the
hills, but the Macdonalds cruelly slaughtered all the aged men
who could not escape, and many of the women and children seized
all the cattle, and drove them to the Island of Slumbay, where
their boats which they filled with the carcases lay. Before,
however, they had fully loaded, the alarm having gone through the
districts of Lochalsh and Kintail, some of the natives of those
districts were seen marching in the direction of Lochcarron. The
Macdonalds deemed it prudent to remain no longer, and set out to
sea pursued by a shower of arrows by way of farewell, which,
however, had little effect upon them, as they were already out of
range.
The Kintail men, by the shortest route, now returned to Ellandonnan,
sending twelve of the swiftest of their number across country to
Inverinate, where lay, newly built, a twelve-oared galley, which
had never been to sea, belonging to Gillecriost MacDhonnchaidh, one
of Inverinate's tenants. These heroes made such rapid progress
that they were back at the castle with the boat before many of
their companions arrived from Lochcarron. During the night they
set to work, superintended and encouraged by Lady Mackenzie in
person, to make arrangements to go out and meet the enemy. The
best men were quickly picked. The Lady supplied them with all
the materials and necessaries for the journey within her reach,
handed them the lead and powder with her own hands, and gave them
two small pieces of brass ordnance. She ordered Duncan MacGillechriost,
a powerful handsome fellow, to take command of the galley in his
father's absence, and in eloquent terms charged them all with the
honour of her house and her own protection in her husband's absence.
This was hardly necessary, for the Kintail men had not yet forgotten
the breach of faith which had been committed by Macdonald regarding
the recent agreement to cease hostilities for a stated time, and
other recent sores. Her ladyship having wished them God-speed,
they started on their way rejoicing and in the best of spirits.
She mounted the castle walls, and stood there encouraging them
until, by the darkness of the night, she could no longer see them.
On their way towards Kylerhea they met a boat from Lochalsh sent
out to inform them of the enemy's arrival at Kyleakin. Learning
this, they cautiously kept their course close to the south side of
the loch. It was a calm moonlight night, with occasional slight
showers of snow. The tide had already begun to flow, and, judging
that the Macdonalds would await the next turning of the tide to
enable them to get through Kylerhea, the Kintail men, longing for
their prey, resolved to advance and meet them. They had not
proceeded far, rowing very gently, after placing seaweed in the
rowlocks so as not to make a noise, when they noticed a boat, rowing
at the hardest, coming in their direction; but from its small size
they thought it must have been sent by the Macdonalds in advance to
test the passage of Kylerhea. They therefore allowed it to pass
unmolested, and proceeded northward, looking for Macdonald's own
galley. As they neared the Cailleach, a low rock midway between
both Kyles, it was observed in the distance covered with snow. The
night also favoured them, the sea, calm, appearing black and
mournful to the enemy. Here they met Macdonald's first galley,
and drawing up near it, they soon discovered it to be no other than
his own great birlinn, some distance ahead of the rest of the fleet.
Macdonald, as soon as he noticed them, called out "Who is there?"
twice in succession, but receiving no answer, and finding the
Kintail men drawing nearer, he called out the third time, when, in
reply, he received a full broadside from Mackenzie's cannon,
which disabled his galley and threw her on the Cailleach Rock.