DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Duke University Libraries https://archive.org/details/mannerscustomshi01scot MANNERS, CUSTOMS, and HISTORY OF THE Highlanders of Scotland HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE Clan MacGregor * \ 4 MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND HISTORY OF THE Highlanders of Scotland HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE Clan MacGregor BOTH BY Sir WALTER SCOTT, Bart. GLASGOW: THOMAS D. MORISON LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO. 1893 1 °\ 14.115 S 4.SI Off M2 cr lS MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND HISTORY OF THE HIGHLANDERS OF SCOTLAND. CONTENTS. PAGE. CHAPTER I.,.13 Ignorance regarding the Highlands—The Pretender and the Highlanders—Battle of Prestonpans—Advance into England—Retreat—Battle of Culloden. CHAPTER II.,.22 Peculiarities of Clan government and Highland habits— Revengeful Disposition—The Muat and Cameron Feud —The Lesley and Leith fight—Characteristics of High¬ land Chiefs—Nature of the customs as conducive of tribal divisions—Distinctive Appelatives of the Chiefs. VI. Contents. PAGE. CHAPTER III., ------ 31 Obedience to the Chiefs—Three Classes—Chiefs Tacksmen, etc, and Common People—Succession and Inheritance —The difference between Chiefs and Chieftains—Pride of Lineage—Characteristics and Duties of the Tacks men—The Common Dependence—Over Population and its Consequences—The Younger Sons—Military Spirit and Eternal Feuds Among the Clans. CHAPTER IV., ------ 43 Highland artisans—Great hardihood among all classes— Over-population, want, and starvation—Disposition of the people—Story of MacDonald of Keppoch—Story of the Chief of Clanronald—Relationship of chiefs and commoners—The merging of clans and individuals with other clans—Highland independence of Parliamentary law. CHAPTER V.,.52 The Great Ruling Families—Historical Account of the Highlands—King James I.—The Lords of the Isles— Feuds in the Clan Colla—Numerous clans and their history and location—Early Statutes relating to High¬ land feuds—The Clan MacGregor—Their remarkable History and Career—Tragic occurrences. Contents. vii. PAGE. CHAPTER VI., ------ 66 The (Jampbells in the West Highlands—Conflicts between Highlanders and Lowlanders—The wars of Montrose— Cromwell and the Highlanders— The Highlanders at the Restoration—The MacDonalds of Keppoch and the Mac¬ intoshs—The House of Hanover and the Highlanders. CHAPTER VII.,.76 Lord President Forbes—The Story of Lord Lovat’s Life— The Tragic Story of his Marriage—Lord Lovat’s Intri¬ gues—Lord President Forbes’ Exertions on behalf of his Countrymen. CHAPTER VIII., -.89 The Highlands in 1715 and 1745—The forming of the Black Watch—Sir Alexander Murray of Stanhope—Rob Roy’s Haunts—The Craftiness of Lord Lovat—A Singular Story—Lady Lovat—Lord President Forbes labouring to dissuade the Highland Chiefs. CHAPTER IX.,.101 Prince Charles at Dounie Castle--Lord Lovat’s last days— Endeared Memory of President Forbes—Severities on the Highlanders after the 1745 Rising—The good and bad points in Clanship—Highland Romance. viii. Contents. HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE CLAN MACGREGOR. CONTENTS. PAGE. CHAPTER I., ------ 115 Rob Roy compared to Robin Hood—Peculiar History of the Clan MacGregor—Their descent and wrongs—Especial Statutes against the Clan—Feud between the Mac¬ Gregors and the Colquhouns—The Battle of Glenfruin. CHAPTER II.,.126 Results of the Battle of Glenfruin—The Chief surrenders to the Duke of Argyle—The Duke betrays him—Trial and Execution at Edinburgh—The MacGregors under King James I. and Charles I.—Later Times—Genealogy of Rob Roy. CHAPTER III.,.135 Rob Roy’s Birth and Early Years—His property of Craig Royston—Ruined by his partner—His wife—Predatory war against the Duke of Montrose—His general appear, ance and character. Contents. ix. PACK. CHAPTER IV., ------ 145 Wordsworth on Rob Roy—Rob Roy at Donne—Combat at Shilling Hill—Rob Roy’s lieutenant—A narrow escape— Rob Roy’s depredations—The MacGregors in the 1715 Rising—Tho affair of tho Boats. CHAPTER V.,.156 Rob Roy and the Professor—The MacGregors at the Battle of SherifFmuir—Rob turns the Battle to personal advan¬ tage—Resumes his warfare with Montrose—The Duke’s Factor—Rob lifts the rents. CHAPTER VI.,.166 The Garrison at Inversnaid—Rob Roy as a Black-Mailer— Description of Black-Mail—A Cattle-stealing story— Rob captured by the Duke—And his escape. CHAPTER VII., ------ 175 Rob Roy’s declaration to General Wade—Becomes more peaceable in his habits—Gives some attention to re¬ ligious matters—Dispute with the Stewarts of Appin— Rob’s combat with Alaster Stewart—Rob Roy’s death —Estimate of his life and character—Rob’s five sons— Renewal of quarrel with MacLarens and Stewarts. X. Contents. PAGE. CHAPTER VIII., ------ 187 The MacGregors in the Rising of 1845—At the Battle of Prestonpans—At the Battle of Culloden—Return home —The Matrimonial Tragedy—The Story of the Abduo- tion—Liberation of Jean Keay—Her Decease. CHAPTER IX.,.198 The Trial—James Mohr MacGregor’s imprisonment and romantic escape—Outlawed—A remarkable Highland Story—James’s later days and death—Robert Oig Mac¬ Gregor’s Trial and Execution. APPENDIX,.211 Advertisement for Apprehension of Rob Roy. Letters from and to the Duke of Montrose. Copy of Grahame of Killearn’s letter. The Duke of Montrose. Killearn’s release. Challenge by Rob Roy. From Robert Campbell to Field-Marshal Wade. On Highland Wooing—Ghlune Dhu. Advertisement.—These two little-known works of Sir Walter Scott’s were originally published in the Quarterly Review, and have seldom been re-published. Manners, Customs, and History OF THE Highlanders of Scotland. Manners, Customs, and History of THE Highlanders of Scotland. CHAPTER I. Ignorance regarding the Highlands—The Pretender and the High¬ landers—Battle of Prestonpans—Advance into England—Retreat —Battle of Culloden. Everything belonging to the Highlands of Scotland has of late become peculiarly interesting. It is not much above a half a century since it was otherwise. The inhabitants of the lowlands of Scotland were, in¬ deed, aware that there existed, in the extremity of the island, amid wilder mountains and broader lakes than their own, tribes of men called clans, living each under the rule of their own chief, wearing a peculiar dress, speaking an unknown language, and going armed even in the most ordinary and peaceful vocation. The more southern counties saw specimens of these men, following the droves of cattle which were the sole exportable commodity of their country, plaided, bonneted, belted and brogued, and driving their bullocks, as Virgil is said to have spread his manure, 14 HIGHLANDERS OF SCOTLAND. with an air of great dignity and consequence. To their nearer Lowland neighbours, they were known by more fierce and frequent causes of acquaintance; by the forays which they made upon the inhabitants of the plains, and the tribute, or protection-money, which they exacted from those whose possessions they spared. But in England, the knowledge of the very existence of the Highlanders was, prior to 1745, faint and for¬ gotten ; and not even the recollection of those civil wars which they had maintained in the years 1689, 1715, and 1719, had made much impression on the British public. The more intelligent, when they thought of them by any chance, considered them as complete barbarians; and the mass of the people cared no more about them than the merchants of New York about the Indians who dwell beyond the Alleghany mountains. Swift, in his Journal to Stella, mentions having dined in company with two gentlemen from the Highlands of Scotland, and expresses his surprise at finding them persons of ordinary decorum and civility. Such was the universal ignorance of the rest of the island respecting the inhabitants of this remote corner of Britain, when the events of the remarkable years 1745-6 roused them, “ like a rattling peal of thunder.” On the 25th of July, 1745, the eldest son of the Chevalier Saint George, usually called from that cir¬ cumstance the young Chevalier, landed in Moidart, in the West Highlands, with seven attendants only; and his presence was sufficient to summon about eighteen ADVANCE INTO ENGLAND. 15 hundred men to his standard, even before the news of his arrival could reach London. This little army was composed of a few country gentlemen, acting as com¬ manders of battalions raised from the peasants or commoners of their estates, and officered by the princi¬ pal farmers, or tacksmen. None of them pretended to knowledge of military affairs, and very few had ever seen an action. With such adequate forces, the adventurer marched forward, like the hero of romance, to prove his fortune. The most considerable part of the regular army moved to meet him at the pass of Corry-arrack; and, as we learn from the Culloden papers, the Chevalier called for his Highland dress, and, tying the latchet of a pair of Highland brogues, swore he would fight the army of the government before he unloosed them. But Sir John Cope, avoiding an action, marched to Inverness, leaving the low countries open to the Chevalier, who instantly rushed down on them ; and while one part of the government army retreated northward to avoid him, he chased before him the remainder, which fled to the south. He crossed the Forth on the 13th September, and in two days afterwards was master of the metro¬ polis of Scotland. The king’s forces having again united at Dunbar, and being about to advance upon Edinburgh, sustained at Prestonpaus one of the most complete defeats re¬ corded in history, their cavalry flying in irretrievable confusion, and all their infantry being killed or made prisoners. 16 HIGHLANDERS OF SCOTLAND. Under these auspices, the Highland army, now about five or six thousand strong, advanced into England although Marshal Wade lay at Newcastle with one army and the Duke of Cumberland was at the head of another in the centre of the kingdom.