| The warlike operations in the north seem, for a time, to have drawn off the
attention of the clans from their own feuds; but in the year 1597 a tumult occurred at
Loggiewreid in Ross, which had almost put that province and the adjoining country into a
flame. The quarrel began between John Mac-Gille-Calum, brother of Gille-Calum, Laird of
Rasay, and Alexander Bane, brother of Duncan Bane of Tulloch, in Ross. The Monroes took
the side of the Banes, and the Mackenzies aided John Mac-Gille-Calum. In this tumult John
MacGille-Caluin and John Mac-Murthow-MacWilliam, a gentleman of the clan Kenzie, and three
persons of that surname, were killed on the one side, and on the other were slain John
Monroe of Culcraigie, his brother Houcheon Monroe, and John Monroe Robertson. This
occurrence renewed the ancient animosity between the clan Kenzie and the Monroes, and both
parties began to assemble their friends for the purpose of attacking one another; but
their differences were in some measure happily reconciled by the mediation of common
friends.
In the following year the ambition and avarice of Sir
Lauchlan Maclean, of whom notice has been already taken, brought him to an untimely end,
having been slain in Islay by Sir James Macdonald, his nephew, eldest son of Angus
Macdonald of Kintyre. Sir Lauchlan had long had an eye upon the possessions of the clan
Ronald in Islay; but having failed in extorting a conveyance thereof from Angus Macdonald
in the way before alluded to, he endeavoured, by his credit at court and by bribery or
other means, to obtain a grant of these lands from the crown in 1595. At this period Angus
Macdonald had become infirm from age, and his son, Sir James Macdonald was too young to
make any effectual resistance to the newly acquired claims of his covetous uncle. After
obtaining the gift, Sir Lauchlan collected his people and friends, and invaded Islay, for
the purpose of taking possession of the lands which belonged to the clan Donald. Sir James
Macdonald, on hearing of his uncle’s landing, collected his friends, and landed in
Islay to dispossess Sir Lauchlan of the property. To prevent the effusion of blood, some
common friends of the parties interposed, and endeavoured to bring about an adjustment of
their differences. They prevailed upon Sir James to agree to resign the half of the island
to his uncle during the life of the latter, provided he would acknowledge that he held the
same for personal service to the clan Donald in the same manner as Maclean’s
progenitors had always held the Rhinns of Islay; and he moreover offered to submit the
question to any impartial friends Maclean might choose, under this reasonable condition,
that in case they should not agree, his Majesty should decide. But Maclean, contrary to
the advice of his best friends, would listen to no proposals short of an absolute
surrender of the whole of the island. Sir James therefore resolved to vindicate his right
by an appeal to arms, though his force was far inferior to that of Sir Lauchlan. A
desperate struggle took place, in which great valour was displayed on both sides. Sir
Lauchlan was killed fighting at the head of his men, who were at length compelled to
retreat to their boats and vessels. Besides their chief, the Macleans left 80 of their
principal men and 200 common soldiers dead on the field of battle. Lauchlan
Barroch-Maclean, son of Sir Lauchlan, was dangerously wounded, but escaped. Sir James
Macdonald was also so severely wounded that he never fully recovered from his wounds.
About 30 of the clan Donald were killed and about 60 wounded. Sir Lauchlan, according to
Sir Robert Gordon, had consulted a witch before he undertook this journey into Islay, who
advised him, in the first place, not to land upon the island on a Thursday; secondly, that
he should not drink of the water of a well near Groynard; and lastly, she told him that
one Maclean should be slain at Groynard. "The first he transgressed
unwillingly," says Sir Robert, "being driven into the island of Ila by a tempest
upon a Thursday; the second he transgressed negligentlie, haveing drank of that water
befor he wes awair; and so he wes killed ther at Groinard, as wes foretold him, bet
doubtful]ie. Thus endeth all these that doe trust in such kynd of responces, or doe hunt
after them!"
On hearing of Maclean’s death and the
defeat of his men, the king became so highly incensed against the clan Donald that,
finding he had a right to dispose of their possessions both in Kintyre and Islay, he made
a grant of them to the Earl of Argyle and the Campbells. This gave rise to a number of
bloody conflicts between the Campbells and the clan Donald in the years 1614, -15, and
-16, which ended in the ruin of the latter.
The rival houses of Sutherland and Caithness
had now lived on friendly terms for some years. After spending about eighteen months at
court, and attending a convention of the estates at Edinburgh in July, 1598, John, sixth
Earl of Sutherland, went to the Continent, where he remained till the month of September,
1600. The Earl of Caithness, deeming the absence of the Earl of Sutherland a fit
opportunity for carrying into effect some designs against him, caused William Mackay to
obtain leave from his brother Houcheon Mackay to hunt in the policy of Durines belonging
to the Earl of Sutherland. The EarI of Caithness thereupon assembled all his vassals and
dependents, and, under the pretence of hunting, made demonstrations for entering
Sutherland or Strathnaver. As soon as Mackay was informed of his intentions, he sent a
message to the Earl of Caithness, intimating to him that he would not permit him to enter
either of these countries, or to cross the marches. The Earl of Caithness returned a
haughty answer; but he did not carry his threat of invasion into execution on account of
the arrival of the Earl of Sutherland from the Continent. As the Earl of Caithness still
continued to threaten an invasion, the Earl of Sutherland collected his forces, in the
month of July 1601, to oppose him. Mackay, with his countrymen, soon joined the Earl of
Sutherland at Lagan-Gaincaimhd in Dirichat, where he was soon also joined by the Monroes
under Robert Monroe of Contaligh, and the laird of Assynt with his countrymen.
While the Earl of Sutherland’s force was
thus assembling, the Earl of Caithness advanced towards Sutherland with his army. The two
armies encamped at the distance of about three miles asunder, near the hill of Bengrime.
In expectation of a battle on the morning after their encampment, the Sutherland men took
up a position in a plain which lay between the two armies, called Leathad Reidh, than
which a more convenient station could not have been selected. But the commodiousness of
the plain was not the only reason for making the selection. There had been long a
prophetic tradition in these countries that a battle was to be fought on this ground
between the inhabitants of Sutherland, assisted by the Strathnaver men, and the men of
Caithness; that although the Sutherland men were to be victorious their loss would be
great, and that the loss of the Strathnaver men should even be greater, but that the
Caithness men should be so completely overthrown that they should not be able, for a
considerable length of time, to recover the blow which they were to receive. This
superstitious idea made such an impression upon the minds of the men of Sutherland that it
was with great difficulty they could be restrained from immediately attacking their
enemies.
The Earl of Caithness, daunted by this circumstance, and
being diffident of the fidelity of some of his people, whom he had used with great
cruelty, sent messengers to the Earl of Sutherland expressing his regret at what had
happened, stating that he was provoked to his present measures by the insolence of Mackay
who had repeatedly dared him to the attack and that, if the Earl of Sutherland would pass
over the affair, he would permit him and his army to advance twice as far into Caithness
as he had marched into Sutherland. The Earl of Sutherland, on receipt of this offer,
called a council of his friends to deliberate upon it. Mackay and some others advised the
earl to decline the proposal, and attack the Earl of Caithness; while others of the
earl’s advisers thought it neither fit nor reasonable to risk as many lives when such
ample satisfaction was offered. A sort of middle course was, therefore, adopted by giving
the Earl of Caithness an opportunity to escape if he inclined. The messengers were
accordingly sent back with this answer, that if the Earl of Caithness and his army would
remain where they lay till sunrise next morning they might be assured of an attack.
When this answer was delivered in the Earl of
Caithness’ camp, his men got so alarmed that the earl, with great difficulty,
prevented them from running away immediately. He remained on the field all night watching
them in person, encouraging them to remain, and making great promises to them if they
stood firm. But his entreaties were quite unavailing, for as soon as the morning dawned,
on perceiving the approach of the Earl of Sutherland’s army, they fled from the field
in the utmost confusion, jostling and overthrowing one another in their flight, and
leaving their whole baggage behind them. The Earl of Sutherland resolved to pursue the
flying enemy; but, before proceeding on the pursuit, his army collected a quantity of
stones which they accumulated into a heap to commemorate the flight of the Caitbness men,
which heap was called Carn-Teiclie, that is, the Flight Cairn.
Not wishing to encounter the Earl of
Sutherland under the adverse circumstances which had occurred, the Earl of Caitlmess,
after entering his own territories, sent a message to his pursuer to the effect that
having complied with his request in withdrawing his army, he hoped hostile proceedings
would cease, and that if the Earl of Sutherland should advance with his army into
Caithness, Earl George would not hinder him but he suggested to him the propriety of
appointing some gentlemen on both sides to see the respective armies dissolved. The Earl
of Sutherland acceded to this proposal, and sent George Gray of Cuttle, eldest son of
Gilbert Gray of Sordell, with a company of resolute men into Caithness to see the army of
the Earl of Caithness broken up. The Earl of Caithness, in his turn, despatched Alexander
Bane, chief of the Caithness Banes, who witnessed the dismissal of the Earl of
Sutherland’s army.
About the period in question, great commotions took place in
the north-west isles, in consequence of a quarrel between Donald Gorm Macdonald of Slate,
and Sir Roderick Macleod of Harris, arising out of the following circumstances. Donald
Gorm Macdonald, who had married the sister of Sir Roderick, instigated by jealousy, had
conceived displeasure at her and put her away. Having complained to her brother of the
treatment thus received, Sir Roderick sent a message to Macdonald requiring him to take
back his wife. Instead of complying with this request, Macdonald brought an action of
divorce against her, and having obtained decree therein, married the sister of Kenneth
Mackenzie, lord of Kintail. Sir Roderick, who considered himself disgraced and his family
dishonoured by such proceedings, assembled all his countrymen and his tribe, the
Siol-Thormaid, without delay, and invaded with fire and sword the lands of Macdonald in
the isle of Skye, to which he laid claim as his own. Macdonald retaliated by landing in
Harris with his forces, which he laid waste, and after killing some of the inhabitants
retired with a large booty in cattle. To make amends for this loss, Sir Roderick invaded
Uist, which belonged to Macdonald, and despatched his cousin, Donald Glas Macleod, vith 40
men, into the interior, to lay the island waste, and to carry off a quantity of goods and
cattle, which the inhabitants had placed within the precincts of the church of Killtrynard
as a sanctuary. This exploit turned out to be very serious, as Donald Macleod and his
party were most unexpectedly attacked in the act of carrying off their prey, by John
Mac-Iain-Mhic-Sheumais, a kimsman of Macdonald, at the head of a body of 12 men who had
remained in the island, by whom Donald Macleod and the greater part of his men were cut to
pieces, and the booty rescued. Sir Roderick, thinking that the force which had attacked
his cousin was much greater than it was, retired from the island intending to return on a
future day with greater force to revenge his loss.
This odious system of warfare continued till
the hostile parties had almost exterminated one another; and to such extremities were they
reduced by the ruin and desolation which followed, that they were compelled to eat horses
dogs, cats, and other animals, to preserve miserable existence. To put an end, if
possible, at once to this destructive contest, Macdonald collected all his remaining
forces, with the determination of striking a decisive blow at his opponent; and
accordingly, in the year 1601, he entered Sir Roderick’s territories with the design
of bringing him to battle. Sir Roderick was then in Argyle, soliciting aid and advice from
the Earl of Argyle against the clan Donald; but on hearing of the approach of Macdonald,
Alexander Macleod, brother of Sir Roderick, resolved to try the result of a battle.
Assembling, therefore, all the inhabitants of his brother’s lands, together with the
whole tribe of the Siol-Thormaid, and some of the Siol-Thorquil, he encamped close by the
hill of Benquhillin, in Skye, resolved to give battle to the clan Donald next morning.
Accordingly, on the arrival of morning, an obstinate and deadly fight took place, which
lasted the whole day, each side contending with the utmost valour for victory; but at
length the clan Donald overthrew their opponents. Alexander Macleod was wounded and taken
prisoner, along with Neill-Mac-Alastair-Ruaidh, and 30 others of the choicest men of the
Siol-Thormaid. Iain-Mac-Thormaid and Thornaid-Mac-Thormaid, two near kinsmen of Sir
Roderick, and several others, were slain.
After this affair, a reconciliation took
place between Macdonald and Sir Roderick, at the solicitation of old Angus Macdonald of
Kintyre, the laird of Coil, and other friends, when Macdlonald delivered up to Sir
Roderick the prisoners he had taken at Benquhillin; but although these parties never again
showed any open hostility, they brought several actions against each other, the one
claiming from the other certain parts of his possessions. |
