"Glenmoriston of the Past"

Sir Duncan Grant of Freuchie took a Crown lease of Urquhart & Glenmoriston in the year 1488. In much earlier years his forebears had lived in Stratherrick before moving to Strathspey and according to tradition, the estate of Foyers had been their last possession on Loch Ness side. It is said that they lost this property to one Gruer Mor of Portclair who defeated them in a fight on Loch Ness near Foyers Bay. According to the story their chief, Laurence Grant, managed to escape across the Loch but was overtaken and slain at a spot since known as Ruidh Lauran, Laurence's slope above Ruiskich.

Sir Duncan was a man of great influence in the Central Highlands but an old man by 1488 and his only s on had died six years earlier so the responsibility of restoring order in Urquhart and Glenmoriston fell upon his grandson John, known as the Red Bard. As might be expected, the Macdonalds, Macleans and other natives of the two Glens made things as difficult as possible for this newcomer but by the year 1502 the Bard felt confident enough to take a further five years lease at a rent of £100 less a fee of £20 for maintaining Urquhart Castle. He also traded with his Majesty to whom he sold "Marts with skins" for use in the Royal household. In the year 1505, the Bard was appointed King's Chamberlain for the two Glens and in 1509 a Royal Charter was granted, under certain conditions and obligations to him and his two sons over the domain of Urquhart and Glenmoriston. The Red Bard had quelled disturbances in the surrounding country and even as far away as the wilds of Mar so no doubt the Wing was rewarding the services of a loyal subject.

Iain Mhor, the second and natural son of the Bard, was granted the lands of Glenmoriston under the Charter excepting the Forest of Cluny, which the Crown retained, probably as a Royal hunting ground. At the same time certain lands in Urquhart came under the Glenmoriston Charter, including half the lands of Clunemore, the other half of which were included in the Charter of Corriemony lands to his brother. It seems that the Royal intention in complicating the division of the land between the Bard and his sons was to ensure that they were jointly responsible at least to some degree, for the maintenance of peace over the whole area.

In coming to Glenmoriston lain Mhor found himself up against four different families of Macdonald who had been vassals of the Lord of the Isles for centuries back. However by living amongst them he and his successors in course of time broke down this local opposition but they could do nothing about the trouble that came from outside the Glen. Following -the terrible defeat of the Scots army at Flodden in the year 1513 when the King and most of the nobility including three Highland chiefs were among the thousands of dead, others more fortunate took advantage of the situation. Amongst this latter category was Sir Donald Macdonald of Lochalsh who marched north and occupied Urquhart stripping the inhabitants of their livestock and fodder. Glenmoriston appears to have been treated less harshly, perhaps because of the Macdonald ties but in any case it would have been worth less to the plunderers. Any reader must wonder why these clans from the West met with such little organized opposition on this and other occasions in time to come. The answer is that such chiefs as Lochiel and Clanranald could each raise fighting forces far superior in numbers to Glenmoriston.

The Bard found it impossible to claim compensation from the guilty parties for the losses suffered in such raids and so entered into a mutual defence pact, in the year 1523, with Cameron of Lochiel in the hope of preventing further raids by the Macdonalds of whom there were several formidable groups in the west.

Iain Mhor, according to an old account, was the child of a daughter of the Laird of Kincardine, whose father the Bard met at a hunting party at which there were considerable festivities. Iain Mhor's first marriage with Isabella Innes came to grief and he then married Agnes Fraser of Lovat, more about this later. Apart from his Glenmoriston lands he owned the Haugh in Inverness also the lands of Carron, Wester Alchies and Kinchurdie in Strathspey.

Apart from their hostile neighbours, the Grants had other troubles; under the charter of 1509, they were obliged to provide three horsemen and fencible followers for the King's service in time of war beyond Scotland, which presumably meant for military operations over the Border. In the year 1523, the Regent Albany made an unsuccessful invasion of England for which the Bard and his sons had failed to obey the call to arms. For this misconduct the Grants had to buy themselves out. The Red Bard, the father of our Glenmoriston, died in the year 1528. No sooner had his son James taken over, that he received a Royal Mandate commanding him with others to organize the complete extermination of Clan Chattan – that is with the exception of the priests, women and children. No definite instructions were given as regards the handling of the priests, but the others were to be sent, at the King's expense, "to Zealand, Jesland or Norway". James and other parties commissioned to undertake this gruesome assignment were slow to act and it appears that both he and Iain Mhor of Glenmoriston were in league with the Mackintoshes of Clan Chattan who had besieged Daviot Castle, belonging to the Ogilvies of Strathnairn killing 22 persons including women and children.           

As usually in those days a payment of fines to the King's Treasury, having been made, no further was taken to punish the failure to obey the Royal Command, action Clan feuds, fights, raids into rival territories and reprisals continued well into the seventeenth century. The writer would suggest that anyone who wishes to have a full account of these appalling times should read chapters 6 & 7 of Mackay's "Urquhart and Glenmoriston". Incidentally it is hoped that this may be available before long in paperback form. Clan Ranald of Moidart who had a long standing feud with Urquhart and Glenmoriston particularly the former, enlisted the aid of their fellow clansmen in Glengarry and sorry to say Young Cameron of Lochiel who disregarded the treaty of 1520 between his family and the Red Bard to which reference has already been made. Their combined forces made this great raid on our Glens in 1545. No doubt Glen Urquhart must have been regarded as a land flowing with milk and honey by these men from Lochaber and the west. They lifted 1180 head of "great cattle" and everything else in the way of livestock and personal possessions on which they could lay their hands. The Laird of Grant, in giving evidence later before the Constable of Inverness, calculated the Glen Urquhart losses at over £10,000, a big sum in those days.

As might be expected neither Lochiel nor Clan Ranald, the minor culprits took any notice of the summons to appear at the Inverness Tolbooth or to restore or pay compensation. On the 20th May 1547 the Sheriffs in their absence apprised certain of their lands to the Lairds of Glenmoriston, the formal transfer taking place before an assize of twenty one men who were solemnly "sworn in the holy evangels of God" the lands forfeited by the culprits included extensive tracts of Loch Alsh, Loch Carron, Lochbroom and Glengarry. Charters of these lands were granted subject to Lochiel and Clan Ranald's right as debtors to redeem the properties by paying the compensation due for the "Great Raid" within 7 years.

In those days Titles of land ownership in the Highlands were worthless unless the holders had sufficient men at arms to enforce them. Apart from the lands of Lochbroom, which were made over to Mackenzie of Kintail in 1570, all were returned to their de facto owners. Our two lairds did obtain discharge of three and a half years feu duty from the Crown on their lands since they had received no rents " since the burning of the same".

It seems that Lochiel rather worried about the legal proceedings taken against him and made a new treaty with the Lairds of Urquhart and Glenmoriston who were incidentally his uncles. He met them in the presence of Mackenzie of Kintail, Mackenzie of Brahan and Fairburn.

John Grant 1 st of Glenmoriston or of Culcabock died in the year 1548. He had his matrimonial problems but in the year 1544 received dispensation when he married his second wife Agnes, daughter of William Fraser, son of the fourth Lord Lovat. He was succeeded by his only legitimate son Patrick. His properties in Strathspey went to his two natural sons. As soon as the old Laird was buried, John Grant of Ballindalloch applied to the Queen for a grant of Glenmoriston on the grounds that Iain Mhor had died without lawful heirs and that the estate had therefore fallen to the Crown. Ballindalloch was, without enquiring into his allegations, granted a Royal Charter, but to cut a long story short, he was slain in the feud that had resulted from his actions. His claims were taken up by -his son but without success.

In the second half of the sixteenth century came the Reformation and when the old Church was overthrown in the year 1560 there was a widespread land grabbing. The Bishop of Moray had already in 1544 made over the Church lands of Abriachan in order to provide for his illegitimate children and after the Act of Abolition the Laird of Grant quietly appropriated the patrimony of the priest in Glen Urquhart, naming the lands of St. Michael and St. Cyril, St. Drostan, St. Andrews and St. Ninian. It seems that our Laird also appropriated Kirk lands in Glenmoriston of which there is record in Edinburgh.

About twenty years after the Great Raid the Laird of Grant got wind of another being planned by the same people in the wild west, he appealed to the Crown for support. Mary Queen of Scots was at the time a prisoner in Loch Leven but signet letters were issued in the name of her son, king James VI commanding the clans Mackintosh and Mackenzie to go to the aid of Grant of Freuchie if required. As a result of this timely precaution, the proposed raid was called off. Mackenzie of Kintail was duly rewarded when he received in marriage the Laird of Grant's daughter whose dowry was her father's territory in Loch Broom, previously mentioned. The forced abdication of Queen Mary caused considerable resentment in the Highlands, partly perhaps due to her half brother, the Earl of Moray being appointed Regent. An army was raised in 1568 by Huntly which included the various Grants and other Highland families "To defend the Queen's Majesty" but it seems that apart from making a nuisance of themselves by marching through the towns of Inverness and Aberdeen there was no fighting and by then the unfortunate Queen Mary had fled to England. Urquhart and Glenmoriston must have had a very soft spot for the lady as they sent £172 towards her expenses, while imprisoned at Loch Leven. This sum was part of their feu duties to the Crown. Patrick Grant of Glenmoriston had at this time, a dispute with Rose of Kilravock, which led to some bloodshed.

Patrick's illegitimate half brother John Roy of Carron had made over this land bequeathed to him by Iain Mhor to Kilravock. Patrick reckoned that, as his father's heir, he had a justifiable claim to Carron. Arbiters, Lord Lovat and John Gordon of Carnborrow gave judgement in favour of Kilravock.

Patrick Grant married Beatrice daughter of Archibald Campbell of Cawdor whom he apparently met while attending the school at Petty. Cawdor was so horrified at finding the young couple living in a turf and wicker habitation at Tom-an-t-Sabhaid on the riverside opposite Dundreggan that he built them a house with stone walls on the site of the present Invermoriston House.

When Patrick died in 1581, his son John, later known as Iain Mor a Chaistell took over. He appears to have been a strong character in more ways than one and was appointed as one of the justices by King James VI to suppress disorders among the Clan Ranald. In due course the Laird of Grant appointed him Chamberlain and Baron-Baillie of Urquhart, an office which made him virtual master of the whole parish. The writer feels bound to record the black spot in the Laird's career. In the year 1602 along with two other locals he waylaid and murdered a packman from Kintail. In due course Glenmoriston and his two associates were ordered to appear before the Justice Depute in Edinburgh. None of them obeyed the summons and Patrick Grant of Carron, their surety, was ordered to pay a fine of 700 merks, 500 in respect of Glenmoriston and 100 each for the other two culprits. Such was the state of the law in those days.

It was mentioned earlier that certain lands on the West Coast were taken in title from Clan Ranald on account of their part in the Great Raid. In due course part of these lands were made over to the Mackenzies who seized the local stronghold, the castle of Strome, from the Macdonalds. This resulted in a deadly feud. Ranald McRanald of Lundie invaded the Mackenzie country and

among other atrocities burnt the church at Kilchrist, near Redcastle on a Sunday morning, slaying all the congregation. However the Mackenzies with a superior force caught up with the raiding party on their return journey at a spot below Mealfourvonie – ever since know as Lon-na-Fala, the meadow of blood. Ranald was lucky to escape with his life by swimming out into Loch Ness where he was picked up by the Frasers of Foyers.

During the closing years of the sixteenth century the Grants of Urquhart and Glenmoriston made non-aggression pacts with the Macdonalds of Glengarry. As already mentioned, they had previously come to terms with the Camerons of Lochiel so it was now hoped that there would be no further raids by their neighbours from the west.

In the early seventeenth century Clan Grant were in trouble again but this time from a different quarter. Clan Gregor who had possessions in the Southern Highlands had been in constant strife with the Campbells, Colquhouns and the Grahams. The climax came in the year 1603 when the Macgregors swooped down on the Colquoun of Luss slaying 200 of his vassals "beside many gentlemen and burgesses of the borough of Dumbarton". Eleven score blood-stained shirts were produced before the King in evidence of the carnage. He ordered the utter destruction of the offending clan. As it happened, Clan Gregor had, from early times, been united with the Grants, their ties of Clanship branching from the ancient Clan Alpin. This old relationship was sacredly respected, the inhabitants of Strathspey, Urquhart and Glenmoriston giving willing shelter to these outlaws. As a result the Laird of Grant and others, including Glenmoriston, were heavily fined for harbouring the dispersed MacGregors. Furthermore these incomers from the South who were experts in thieving had a bad influence on our local population. One Dougald Grant of Glen Urquhart followed their example and in company with others made a barbarous raid on the lands of Campbell of Clunes, near Nairn. Nearer home some locals broke into Balmacaan House at that time occupied by Iain Mor a Chaisteil who was Baron-Ballie of Urquhart. Fourteen locked chests were opened and their contents stolen. When the accused were summoned to appear in Edinburgh to answer the charge, John Grant of Ballindalloch interested himself in their defence. It will be remembered that it was this branch of' our clan that had attempted to rob the young heir to Glenmoriston of his inheritance.

His natural brother John Roy of Carron had come to his aid as a result of which, as already mentioned, Ballindalloch had been slain. A murderous feud between these two branches of our clan resulted. In 1615 James Grant of Carron at Elgin Fair slew a Ballindalloch who had assaulted his brother. James having been outlawed, took to the hill with a gang of desperadoes, his main target being Ballindalloch. John Grant of Glenmoriston, remembering how much his own family owed to Carron, sheltered the outlaw and his gang. James known as the Seumas an Tuim (James of the Hill) was eventually seized by the Mackintoshes who had themselves been released from outlawry on undertaking to effect his capture. He was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle awaiting trial but with the assistance of his wife escaped and a few years later seized young Ballindalloch whom he held to ransome on the condition that his relations and friends including Glenmoriston who had befriended him should be given a free pardon. Ballindalloch escaped so James's plan fell through, but in the year 1639 he was pardoned by King Charles I and was then employed by the Earl of Huntly in hunting down fugitives, including Covenanters. This very brief account of the escapades of James of the Hill, will give the reader some idea of the lawlessness that still prevailed in the Highlands in the seventeenth century.

John Grant, third Laird of Glenmoriston died in the year 1637. In his old age he had been persecuted by the Earl of Moray who had been appointed Lieutenant of the North and was persistent in his demands for payment of a heavy fine for our Laird's part in sheltering his Carron relative. John journeyed to London and put his case before King Charles I who referred his complaint to the Scottish Privy Council. No trial resulted but the Earl ended his persecution.

Chapter 3