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In days
gone by the boundary between the Cameron and Rannoch lands was roughly
where the West Highland Railway now makes its way from Rannoch Station to
Corrour. If you travel on the train you will get a fleeting glimpse of a
peat-stained lochan with a sandy shore a mile or two from Rannoch. This
is called Loch a’ Chlaidheimh (In English: the Loch of the Sword). The
story of how t got its name is an important one in Rannoch history, and
although the account of the incident which occurred there has no doubt
been ‘improved’ with the telling it is based on an old and persistent
tradition from the 17th century.
This
tradition states that there were frequent clashes between the Cameron and
Rannoch Clansmen because each claimed the valuable grazing lands of Beinn
a’ Bhric and the pastures around the Blackwater. (This was, of course,
hundreds of years before the area was flooded to make Blackwater
Reservoir). Ewen Cameron of Lochiel arranged to meet the Earl of Atholl on
the disputed ‘march’ and come to a decision, once and for all, about the
boundary between their lands. Each agreed to be accompanied by one man.
Hardly had Lochiel set off when he met the well-known with Gormusuil (The
Blue-eyed One). ‘Turn back,’ she said, ‘where are your men? If you go to
meet a wolf you need more hounds’. He decided it would be prudent to do
as she said. ‘Choose three score and five of your men’ she added.
Near the
loch--then nameless--he told his men to hide in the heather unless he gave
a signal. At ‘High Noon’ the two warriors strode toward one another
warily, hand on sword hilts. Soon a heated argument arose about the
boundary and swords flashed in the air. At a shrill whistle fifty hidden
Atholl warriors appeared behind their chief, who said triumphantly. ‘These
are my Atholl wedders come to graze on the Lochaber grass’. Instantly
Lochiel gave his own signal and sixty-five Cameron warriors sprang up
eager for the fray. ‘These are my Lochaber dogs and they are gey hungry
for the flesh of the Atholl wedders’.
Seeing
that he was outnumbered Atholl gave way to Lochiel and renounced for ever
his claim to the disputed grazings and to ratify the agreement a sword was
thrown into the loch. Thus the lochan got its name. And the sword
remained there for years until in 1812 it was found by a herd-boy when the
loch was low during a dry summer. The rusty and peat stained claymore was
taken to Fort William, to a Dr Thomas Ross. When the leading inhabitants
heard what had happened they decided it must be returned to the loch from
which it had been removed. It was carried with fitting solemnity by
twelve men back to the Loch of the Sword where it was thrown far out and
(in the words of Seton Gordon) ‘for an instant as it sped, its trusty
blade turned to glowing bronze in the sunlight, then, like Excalibur, it
sand for ever from sight’. The story illustrates the importance of
grazing land to the Highland Communities such as those of the Camerons and
those of Rannoch.
Agriculture was very primitive so that the peoples’ very existence
depended on cattle and adequate grazing.
It was
probably shortage of grazing and its subsequent consequences that brought
the firs Camerons to Rannoch, but this would be some time before the Loch
of the Sword incident. The early Camerons were not a rich clan. The
country lived in was difficult: most of it was over a thousand feet with
steep and narrow glens and not able to support a great number of people.
In additions they had frequent feuds with a rival clan, the Mackintoshes,
which continually drained their resources. When times were particularly
hard some had to find a living elsewhere and many came to Rannoch. They
lived on both sides of the loch, some them setting down peaceably, other
finding themselves very much at home with the many caterans already
occupying Rannoch; after all they were just as experienced at ‘lifting’
cattle as many others who had been brought up in a Highland glen.
The
largest body of Camerons who came to Rannoch were the McSorlies of Glen
Nevis. They were a tribe descended from the race of Somerled, hence the
name McSorlie. They settled in large numbers on Slios Garbh, the South
side of the loch, mainly at Camghouran. According to the present Chief
they were not faithful adherents of the Cameron chiefs although they were
of course part of the Clan and followed the Chief, Cameron of Lochiel, on
various occasions. There was an occasion when Lochiel had instructed some
of his men to go to Rannoch to raise the Camerson there for service in the
regiment in support of Prince Charlie in 1745. An account of this
recruiting was given by John MacDonald of Dalchosnie. He said; ‘Upon
Thursday, the 15th August Cameron of Kinlochleven, Cameron of
Blairchierr, Cameron of Blairmackalt, Cameron of Glennevis, Cameron (Alias
Macalonvie) of Strone, heads of the several tribes of the name of Cameron,
came from Lochiel’s country and entered Rannoch with a party of their
servants and followers to the number of 24, and went from house to house
on both sides of Loch Rannoch, the North side belonging to Sire Robert
Menzies, and the South side to Struan Robertson, and intimated to all the
Camerson, which are pretty numerous on both sides of the said loch, that
if they do not forthwith go along with them, they would that instant
proceed to burn all their houses and haugh their cattle. Whereupon they
carried off the Rannoch men about one hundred mostly of the name
Cameron’. From the same report of Keppoch warned him that a like fate
would befall him and his cattle if he did not his chief.
The
MacGregors who lived on the Isle and on Slios Min had brought Rannoch into
bad repute and the Camerons did the same for the Slios Garbh with their
turbulent and unruly ways. They became as notorious as the MacGregors at
the ‘creach’, particulary after the ‘45. It is worth remembering at this
time that after the defeat of the Stewarts after the Battle of Culloden,
cattle thieving all over the Highlands had increased for a very good
reason….the reason being that all their own had been stolen by the
greatest thief of the lot, the notorious Duke of Cumberland, by whose
orders at least 40,000 head of cattle were collected and sold to southern
drovers, while the number of the horses were so great that most of the
private soldiers were given one each.
Of course
cattle were not the Duke of Cumberland’s main concern. He was determined
to break the spirit of the Highlanders so they at they would never rise
again in rebellion. So cruelly did he do his work that in Scotland he
was called ‘Butcher Cumberland’. The English later gave his name to the
flower, Sweet William, while the Scots called their noxious weed, the
Ragwort, after him, Stinking Willie. Troops were ordered to hunt down
Prince Charlie’s men wherever they were to be found. They were dragged
out of cottages where they had taken refuge and they were shot in cold
blood. Although the pursuit of them was pursued ruthlessly it was not
easy in Rannoch. One Cameron on the run, called Black Duncan, led the
soldiers a fine dance. He was remarkable for his agility and swiftness of
foot. When Bonnie Prince Charlie was besieging Stirling, Black Duncan was
sent upon some urgent business to Fort William. He did this journey of
foot, a distance of 88 miles, in a day. His strength and skill in the
mountains enabled him to avoid pursuit with ease. He used to rest up in
Meal Chomraidh on a rocky ledge now called Leaba Dhonnacha Dhuibh a
Mhonaidh, meaning The Bed of Black Duncan of the Mountains. This position
at the head of the Loch Rannoch is in a vast amphitheatre surrounded by
mountains, providing views of 20 to 40 miles distance. He could see the
Redcoats searching for his hiding place but he was concealed from view
even from someone approaching close to it.
An
incident in which he and another fugitive were concerned is said to have
given rise to a well-known story called ‘The Lone Highlander’. It
concerned a large troop of Redcoats who were on patrol from The Barracks
at the west end of Loch Rannoch to the Soldiers’ Trenches (still to be
seen on the West Highland Line between Gorton and Rannoch Station) when
they saw a lone Highlander on the top of Meall Chomraidh making rude
gestures and taunting the soldiers. A private and a corporal were sent up
to deal with him. They disappeared over the top following him and there
were sounds of battle. Then it was quiet. Not long after this the lone
Highlander appeared again but there was no sign of the private or the
corporal. He made further rude gestures at the soldiers so an officer was
detailed to lead a troop up to teach him a lesson. They disappeared over
the top from where there were sounds of shouting and yelling, then it was
quiet. Lo and behold the lone Highlander again appeared and again he
started mocking the troops. The Colonel in charge now ordered the bugler
to signal an all-out attack and the remainder of the unit charged up the
hill. As they were approaching the top a figure limped out signaling
frantically. It was the private, who was wounded. He yelled out, ‘ Get
back! Get back! It’s a trap. There are two of them!”
I do not
apolgise for this light-hearted diversion, for serious things are to
follow. Such fugitives were driven to lead the life of the outlaws for
subsistence, swelling the large numbers of caterans already in Rannoch.
The most famous of these was a Cameron whose daring and character mad him
a folk hero. His name was John Dubh Cameron, commonly called (Big)
Sergeant Mhor. He had fought with Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden and
he soon gathered round him a band of desperadoes, all armed and accustomed
to fighting. He led them on raid after raid, escaping to safety in
Rannoch. He got the reputation of being a sort of Robin Hood. He
plundered the Whigs and the Sassenachs and he gave to the poor. He also
controlled his men from committing senseless violence. Followers and
others worshipped him. It was said that although he extorted the usual
Black Mail over the Lowlands the protection money they paid him guaranteed
that if their cattle was stolen by others he would replace it.
Unfortunately one day on a raid in Braemar one of his men killed a man.
As soon as it happened the Sergeant stopped the raid, but deed had been
done. A larger price was put on his head and the search for him
intensified. A Lieutenant Munro was put in charge of the party to search
him out (he later became the famous General Sir Hector Munro).
The
Lieutenant marched with a strong force of soldiers through Rannoch. Here,
one of his own clansmen gave Big John away, whether from spite for the
reward is not known. He informed the Recoats where he was hiding. It was
in a house at Dunan and under cover of darkness they surrounded this
place. After a great struggle Big John was overpowered. He was taken to
Perth where he was tried. The reports of his trial show that he was
defiant to the end. He was executed and hanged in chains on 23rd
November, 1753.
It seems
that another leader took over after Sergeant Mhor’s capture called Donald
Dameron (known as Donald Bane Leane) but he was soon arrested for cattle
stealing and was executed at Rannoch as an example to the others. He
expresses surprise and indignation at his hard fate as he not had
committed murder or robbery, only taken cattle off those with whom he had
quarreled. He had merely had taken part in the Highland activity of
cattle ‘lifting’.
He was
said to be the last man to be hanged on the Gibbet Tree. A pardon had
arrived for him but the commanding officer of the troops concealed the
fact and allowed the execution to take place, considering that it would be
an example to the other wrongdoes in the district. He was right! |
