The Death of Sir Lauchlan
Maclean in 1598
Sir Lauchlan Maclean's ambition, together with his desire of
revenge, thrust him on to claim the inheritance of the whole Isle of Isla, being always
the possession and ancient inheritance of the Clan Donald, all which Maclean thought
easily now to compass, Sir James Macdonald (the just inheritor thereof) being young, and
his father, Angus Macdonald, aged. Sir Lauchlan assembled his whole forces, and, in
warlike manner, invaded Isla, to take possession thereof by virtue of a new right which he
had then lately obtained, which Sir James Macdonald (Maclean's sister's son)
understanding, he convened his friends, and went likewise into the same island (being his
own and his forebears' possession) to interrupt, if it were possible, the proceedings of
his unkind uncle, Maclean. Being both arrived in the island, such as did love them and
desired peace, did mediate a long time betwixt them, and took great pains in essaying to
agree them.
Sir James (being the more reasonable of the two) was content
to let his uncle have the half of the island during his lifetime, although he had no just
title thereto, providing he would take it in the same fashion as his predecessors, the
Clan Lean, had it even before his time, to wit, holden of the Clan Donald; and, moreover,
he offered to submit the controversy to the King's Majesty's arbitrament, thereby to
eschew all debate with his uncle. But Maclean, running headlong to his own mischief, much
against the opinion of his friends, who advised him to the contrary, did refuse all offers
of peace, unless his nephew would then presently resign unto him the title and possession
of the whole island. Whereupon they do resolve and prepare to fight, Sir James being far
inferior in number of men, but some of these he had with him were lately before trained in
the wars of Ireland. Thus there ensued a cruel and sharp battle, at the head of
Loch-Gruinart, in Isla, courageously fought a long time on either side.
Sir James, in the beginning, caused his vanguard to make a
compass in fashion of a retreat, thereby to get the sun at his back, and the advantage of
a hill which was hard by. In the end, Sir James having repulsed the enemies' vanguard, and
forcing their main battle, Maclean was slain, courageously fighting, together with 80 of
the most principal men of his kin, and 200 common soldiers lying dead about him. His son,
Lauchlan Barrach Maclean (being sore wounded) was chased with the rest of his men even to
their boats and vessels.
Sir James Macdonald was dangerously wounded, whereof he
hardly recovered afterward, for he was shot with an arrow through the body, and was left
the most part of the ensuing night for dead amongst the slain bodies. There were slain of
the Clan Donald about 30 in all, and above 60 wounded, which happened in the year of God,
a598. And thus the war began by Maclean, without reason, the year of God, 1585, ended now,
this year, by his death.
Maclean had three responses from a witch before he undertook
his journey into Isla; first, desiring him not to land there upon Thursday; the next was
forbidding him to drink of the water of the well beside Gruinart; and thirdly, she told
him that one called Maclean would be slain at Gruinart. The first he transgressed
unwillingly, bring driven into that island by a tempest on a Thursday. The second he
transgressed negligently, and drank of that water before he knew the name of the place,
and so he died at Gruinart, as was foretold him, but doubtfully, and as commonly all such
responses be.
These broils and uproars did so move the King against the
Macdonalds, that His Majesty afterwards finding the inheritance both of Kintyre and Isla
to beat his own disposition, he gave all these lands to the Earl of Argyll and the
Campbells; whereupon proceeded the troubles that arose since betwixt the Campbells and the
Clan Donald in Kintyre and Isla, after Her Majesty's coming to the Crown of England, which
I omit to relate; only thus far, that Sir James Macdonald was, by Argyll's means, warded
in the Castle of Edinburgh, and was kept there a long time; from whence he escaped by the
means and diligence of his cousin, MacRanald, who fled with Sir James into Spain and
Flanders, where they were entertained by the Spaniards; from whence they are now (upon the
Earl of Argyll's flight thither to the King of Spain) both recalled home by His Majesty,
the year of God, 1620, and are now in England, at this time [1748], with the King, who
hath given Sir James a yearly pension of 1000 merks sterling, and a yearly pension of 200
merks sterling to MacRanald, together with a pardon for all their bye-gone offences. |
