!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, "The MacLeods of Gairloch", THE MACLEODS: THE
GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section V, Edinburgh, The Associated Clan
MacLeod Societies, p. 10ff.
Allan MacLeod succeeded his father and must have been a person of
some consequence, when he aspired to the hand of a daughter of Alasdair
Ionraic VI, High Chief of the MacKenzies of Kintail. This marriage, at
first, no doubt, regarded as auspicious, turned out to be a disaster to the
MacLeods of Gairloch. It was fated to enable the ambitious MacKenzies
to get a foothold in Gairloch. According to Sir Robert Gordon, "When the
surnamed of Calnkenzie began first to prosper and ryse, one of them did
obtain the third part of Garlogh in mortgage or wedset from teh
Clan-wic-Billchollm. Thus the Clankenzie getting sitting therein, they
shortlie and spedelie purchased a pretended right to teh whole by some
pretence of law, which the lawful inheritor did neglect." That is one
point of view; the MacKenzie viewpoint on the occupation of Gairloch by
their clan we shall see later.
Allan MacLeod of Gairloch was of a peacful disposition and was much
addicted to the sport of fishing. He was twice married (1), as already
alluded to, to a daughter of Alexander Ionraic MacKenzie VI, High Chief
Kintail, with issue.
Allan married, secondly, a daughter of Roderick MacLeod VII of Lewis,
the aunt of Gillechaluim or Malcolm 1st of the MacLeods of Raasay, with
issue.
Allan MacLeod''s marriage to a MacKenzie and his partiality to her Clan
were deeply resented by his two brothers residing in Lewis. Accordingly,
they sailed to Gairloch and established themselves in teh old Tigh Dige
at the head of Gairloch Bay. They searched and found their brother Allan
Vth of Gairloch fast asleep in Cnoc na mi-Chomhairle on the bank of the
River Ewe. They "made him short by the head and, taking his boat, they
crossed Loch Tollie and arrived at his house at the ''Crannag''. They
informed his wife about their foul deed. Here they found the two younger
sons of Allan by his first wife, a MacKenzie. The eldest son, fortunately
for himself, was fostered by a faithful retainer. Despite the pleas of
their step-mother, the two younger sons were taken away and stabbed to
death at Creag Bhadan an Aisc. The murderers took the bloodstained
shirts with them to the Tigh Dige as incontrovertible evidence that the
two boys were dead. By means of a stratagem, the boys'' devoted
stepmother managed to get hold of the bloodstained shirts and took them
to Brahan Castle. Old Alasdair Ionraic MacKenzie was now too old or
infirm to take action. His son, Hector Roy, the murdered boys'' uncle,
immediately went to Edinburgh to report the crime to Kings IV. In
consequence, he was granted a Commission of Fire and Sword to deal
with the murderers whom he apprehended and slew in a hollow between
South Erradale and Point, opposite the Island of Raasay. In addition,
Hector Roy inflicted a severe defeat on Clan mhic Gillechaluim at
Bealach Glasleod, near Kintail, "where many of them were taken and
killed". After several skirmishes, the MacLeods were content to allow
Hecor Roy MacKenzie to hold two-thirds of Gairloch, while they held the
other third to the east and south east of the Crasg, a hill to the west of
the chirchyard in Gairloch. In 1494 Hector Roy got a Roay Charter of the
lands of Gairloch. The MacLeods fought hard to drive the MacKenzies out
of their lands and the desperate skirmishes between the two clans at
Glasleod, Loch an Fheidh, Leac an t-Saigheid, Kirkton or Clachan Bay
were favourite themes around the ceildh fires in Gairloch for hundreds
of years later.
Allan MacLeod V of Gairloch was succeeded by his only surviving son,
Alexander.
!NOTE: Morrison mistakenly calls Allan "V of Gairloch" in the last
paragraph. He was actually "IV of Gairloch."
!SOURCE: William Matheson, "The MacLeods of Lewis," TRANSACTIONS OF
THE GAELIC SOCIETY OF INVERNESS, Vol. LI (1978-1980), Inverness,
Scotland, 1981, pp. 320-337.
!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS: THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section V, Edinburgh, The Associated Clan MacLeod Societies, 1976, pp.
10-12.
Allan MacLeod succeeded his father and must have been a person of
some consequence, when he aspired to the hand of a daughter of Alasdair
Ionraic VI, High Chief of the MacKenzies of Kintail. This marriage, at
first, no doubt, regarded as auspicious, turned out to be a disaster to the
MacLeods of Gairloch. It was fated to enable the ambitious MacKinsies
to get a foothold in Giarloch. According to Sir Robert Gordon, "When the
surnamed of the Clankenzie began first to prosper andryse, one of them
did obtain the third part of Garlogh in mortgage or wedset from the
Clan-wic-Gillchollm. Thus the Clankenzie getting sitting therein, they
shortlie and spedelie purchased a pretended right to the whole by some
pretence of law, which the lawful inheritor did neglect." That is one
point of view, the MacKenzie viewpoint on the occupation of Gairloch by
their clan we shall see later.
Allan MacLeod of Gairloch was of a peaceful disposition and was much
addicted to the sport of fishing. He was twice married (1), as already
alluded to, to a daughter of Alexander Ionraic MacKenzie VI, High Chief
Kintail, with issue....
Allan married, secondly, a daughter of Roderick MacLeod VII of Lewis,
the aunt of Gillechaluim or Malcolm 1st of the MacLEods of Raasay, with
issue....
Allan MacLeod''s marriage to a MacKenzie and his partiality to her Clan were
deeply resented by his two brothers residing in Lewis. Accordingly, they
sailed to Gairloch and established themselves in the old Tigh Dige
at the head of Gairloch Bay. They searched and found their brother Alln Vth
of Gairloch fast asleep at Cnoc na mi-Chomhairle on the bank of the River
Ewe. They "made him short by the head and, taking his boat, they crossed
Loch Tollie and arrived at his house at the ''Crannag''. They informed his wife
about their foul deed. Here they found the two younger sons of Allan by his
first wife, a MacKenzie. The eldest son, fortunately for himself, was
fostered by a faithful retainer. Despite the pleas of
their step[mother, the two younger sons were taken away and stabbed to
death at Creag Bhadan an Aisc. The murderers took the bloddstained
shirts with them to the Tigh Dige as incontrovertible evidence that the
boys were dead. By means of a stratagem, the boys'' devoted stepmother
managed to get hold of the bloodstained shirts and took them to Brahan
Castle. Old Alasdair Ionraic MacKenzie was now too old of infirm to take
action. His son, Hector Roy, the murdered boys'' uncle, immediately went to
Edinburgh to report the crime to King James IV. In consequence, he
was granted a commission of Fire and Sword to deal with the murderers
whom he apprehended and slew in a hollow between South Erradaleand
Point, opposite the island of Raasay. In addition, Hector Roy inflicted a
severe defeat on Clann mhic Gillechaluim at Bealach Glasleod, near
Kintail, "where many of them were taken or killed". After several
skirmishes, the MacLeods were content to allow Hector Roy MacKenzie to
hold two-thirds of Gairloch, wheil they held the other third to the east
and south east of the Crasg, a hill to the west of the churchyard in
Gairloch. In 1494 Hector Roy got a Royal Charter of the lands of
Gairloch. The MacLeods fought hard to drive the MacKenzies out of their
lands and the desperate skirmishes between the two clans at Glasleod,
Loch an Fheidh, Leac an t-Saigheid, Kirkton or Clachan Bay were favorite
themes around the ceilidh fires in Gairloch for hundreds of years later.
Allan MacLeod V of Gairloch was succeeded by his only surviving son,
Alexander.