Clan Traditions and Popular Tales of the Western Highlands and Islands

by Unknown

MACLEANS OF DOWART.

The first MacLeans, Wily Lachlan (Lachunn Lùbanach), and Punctilious Hector (Eachann Reanganach), came to Dunolly to MacDougall. He sent them provisions and made his men watch to see if they were gentlemen. It was inferred they were, from their paring cheese, or, throwing the remains of their food to the dogs. On leaving Dunolly they came to Aros in Mull. This word Aros is the one regularly used to denote a royal residence or palace, and the Lords of the Isles claiming an independent sovereignty, their residence in Mull came to be called Aros, a name which it still retains. Their residence in the north was Duntulm, and in the Sound of Mull, Aros and Ardtornish. The view from the old castle of Aros up and down the Sound is very commanding, and that from Ardtornish is equally so. The MacLeans on coming to Aros found Peddle Mòr (a south country ploughman to MacCónnuill of the Isles) who sent them food, but gave no knife and fork, telling them to put hen’s bills on (guib-chearc) to take it. On coming to him they found him bending to repair a failing in the plank board (fàillinn na fliuch-bhùird), or keel board, of a galley (birlinn) with which he was to go to meet his master.

The Lords of the Isles to make their estate appear greater employed, from the name, evidently a south countryman at agricultural work, hence the name Peddle which is not of Highland origin. They struck off his head and went themselves to meet MacCónnuill whom they took prisoner, and brought to MacDougall. He however would take nothing to do with the captive. At the advice of an old man they then returned with their prisoner to Aros, and got him pledged to give his daughter to one of them. Lachlan married the daughter and got Dowart.

It is said by some that Hector was the oldest of the two brothers, and that when MacCónnuill the Lord of the Isles was out pleasure-sailing with his daughter, the brothers overtook his galley and seizing him said “The omen of your capture has overtaken you” (“Tha manadh do ghlacaidh ort”). He had no ransom to offer but his daughter and lands. Lachlan took the daughter, and with her he got the lands of Dowart. The other got the lands of Lochbuy. MacCónnuill gave for food to the child born of the Dowart marriage Little Hernisker with its twenty-four islands (Earnasgeir bheag le ’cuid eileanan). Afterwards, at Ardtornish, the fourth or fifth descendant of Dowart asked the then Lord of the Isles for a livelihood (màthair bheathachaidh). He got the reply, “Jump the wall where it is lowest” (“Leum an gàradh far an ìsle e”) which led to Ardgour being taken from MacMaster, who was known at the time to be no favourite with the Lord of the Isles, and the attack made upon his land was readily commuted into a chartered possession. The tradition is as follows:

The Lord of the Isles was lying sick at Ardtornish. The MacCónnuill, now commonly called MacDonald, claimed a jurisdiction independent of the Scottish Crown till about 1493 A.D. or thereabouts, and many if not all the chiefs of the Western Highlands and Islands paid him court. Among others MacMaster, chief, or proprietor, of Ardgour, came to pay his respects at that time. Ventilation was not then so much regarded in the case of the sick as it is now, and MacMaster, being offended at some breath from the sick chamber, said Fùich, fùich, an expression of disgust and offence. Unfortunately for himself the inadvertent expression was made a handle of, and was never forgiven to MacMaster by the Lord of the Isles. In consequence, when the Laird of Dowart, who was married to a near relative of his, came to ask for a means of livelihood (màthair bheathachaidh) to the child born of his marriage with the kinswoman of the Lord of the Isles, the potentate said to him, “Jump the wall where it is lowest” (Leum an gàradh far an ìsle e). The youth or young man being now of age to shift for himself, a company of men and a boat was given him by his father, and he made for Ardgour. A battle was then fought and MacMaster was defeated. One of MacMaster’s sons, who was surnamed the Fox (An sionnach), possibly because weakness often seeks to protect itself by wiliness and deceit or any other artifice that will give protection. In these stormy days any such means were more excusable. The Fox made his way to go across at Corran to the mainland after the battle. His father’s fisherman was then fishing in the neighbourhood of the ferry at Red Bay (Port Dearg), and the Fox called to him to throw him across to the other side. The fisherman who rejoiced in the cacophonous name of Carrascally (Mac-a-Charrusglaich), was deaf to his cry, and he only said that the cuddie fish was taking well (“Gu ’n robh gabhail mhaith air na cudainnean”) or that he lost his oars, and the young MacMaster had to hide himself in the adjoining wood. When the MacLeans came to the place, Carrascally said that there was a fox of the MacMasters still hiding in the wood, and the MacLeans pursued him. The cairn, or heap of stones, is still shown where the Fox was overtaken and slain.

Some say it was MacMaster himself, and not his son, who was flying after the defeat by the MacLeans, and was refused to be ferried by the fisherman, and that his son who was called the Fox, and had committed some fraud when abroad, was caught in Inverscaddel wood and was stabbed by MacLean.

The fisherman, who was rascally in more than name, came to MacLean and made claim to having done good service in having refused to help the fugitive; and in having pointed out that he was still in the wood. MacLean upon this put up three oars and made a gallows with them, on which he hanged the fisherman, or Carrascally, at the hangman’s cove (Port-a-chrochaire), saying if he had treated his master as he said he had done, it might be his turn another day, and the fisherman’s cunning recoiling upon himself has passed into a proverb “The officiousness, or discretionary power of MacCarrascally chasing MacMaster’s Fox,” (“Meachanus Mhic a’ Charrasglaich ruith Sionnach Mhic a’ Mhaighstir”). The MacLeans have ever since retained Ardgour, and have been esteemed for their position as Highland proprietors. Their title in Gaelic is Mac-’Ic-Eoghain (the son of the son of Hugh). The son of the son of, or grandson, (Mac-’Ic-) being the word used in the Highlands of Scotland as the patronymic of Chiefs, instead of the O, or Grandson, used in Ireland, as O’ Donnell, O’ Brian, O’ Meagher, &c. Thus, the son of the son of Patrick (Mac-’Ic-Phàdruig) denotes Grant of Glenmoriston; the son of the son of Alexander (Mac-’Ic-Alasdair), the Chief of Glengarry; son of the son of Hector (Mac-’Ic-Eachuinn), MacLean who had once Kingairloch. The title of some Chiefs is only son of (Mac); as, Lochiel is known as the son of Dark Donald (Mac Dho’uil Duibh). The leading Highland Chief is known as Mac Cailein (the son of Colin). The House of Argyll derives its Gaelic title from Colin, who was slain in a clan feud at the battle on the mountain known as the String of Lorn (An t-Sreang Lathurnach) when the ford, known as the Red Ford (Ath Dearg), ran red with blood.

DEATH OF BIG LACHLAN MACLEAN,
CHIEF OF DUART,—
(Lachunn Mòr Dhuart).

The Chiefs of Duart were among the most powerful and influential chiefs in the Highlands. Their power was absolute, bearing the control of neither King nor Parliament, and there are many stories shewing that they were very unsparing in visiting with their vengeance, and even taking the lives of those who offended them.

A very notorious sea-robber and land plunderer of whom there are many tales in the Isle of Skye raised a creach, or cattle-spoil, from MacDonald Lord of the Isles, who then occupied a fort on the site of the present manse of Kilchoman in Islay. He managed also to circulate a report that it was the MacLeans from Mull who were the depredators. At that time MacLean, Duart, was ambitious to be overlord of a great part of Islay, and Lachunn Mòr came with a band of followers to Gruinard beach in the neighbourhood of the fort.

It is said that before leaving Mull, he was standing on the roof of Aros Castle which overlooks the Sound of Mull and on its being pointed out that an expedition to Islay would be very dangerous to his men, he said, that he did not care though there should not be a MacLean in Mull except those descended from himself. Neither he himself nor his men came back from the ill-fated expedition. After landing at Gruinard beach (Tràigh Ghrunnard) he was met by the MacDonalds. A little man, known in tradition as the Black Elf (Dubh Sith) and (Ochd-rann bodaich), or eighth part of a man—[In Scotch the eighth part would be the lippie used for measuring grain and meal. According to the table to be found in old Reckoning Books a boll consists of two pecks and each peck of four lippies. This makes each lippie equal to an eighth part of a boll],—offered his services for the battle to MacLean, but the haughty Chief rejected the offer with disdain. The Black Elf then went to MacDonald, who accepted his offer; and during all the current of the heady fight the dwarf was observed to follow MacLean for an opportunity to kill him with an arrow. An opportunity having at last occurred by MacLean lifting his arm, an arrow was launched and MacLean was pierced on the side, and fell with a deadly wound. Having lost their Chief the MacLeans were routed with loss, and those who escaped from the battle, having taken refuge in a neighbouring church, were destroyed by the MacDonalds, who set the church on fire. The body of Lachunn Mòr was taken on a sledge, there being no wheeled vehicles in those days, to Kilchoman burying-ground. Some say that the person who took him was his wife, and others say it was his foster-mother. His head from the motion of the sledge nodded in a manner that made the boy who accompanied her laugh. She was so much offended at his ill-timed merriment that she took a sword and killed him on the spot. The site of this tragedy in Benviger is still pointed out and the place where Lachunn Mòr himself was buried is known to the people of the place although no headstone marks it.