The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. Ill] OF SCOTLAND 227
to have been supported in this insurrection by the other parties
who had joined in the league with him, which occasioned his
reduction to become a matter of less difficulty to the
government.
A parliament was held at Edinburgh in the year 1475, in
which this fierce and insurgent noble was declared a traitor, and
his estates confiscated to the crown ; and, in order to carry this
forfeiture into effect, the earls of Crawford and Atholl were
directed to proceed against him with a large force. The extent
of these preparations, which comprehended a formidable fleet,
as well as a land army, now convinced the earl of Ross that the
proceedings of his rebellious son, which had already deprived
him of all authority, were likely also to cause the utter ruin and
destruction of his race, and he determined to make one effort to
regain his station,, and to preserve the possessions of his
ancestors. The only means now left for him to effect this was,
to obtain the assistance of the government, a matter by no
means easy, in consequence of the rebellion into which he had
been dragged by his son, and which had resulted in his for-
feiture. He was therefore obliged to submit to the necessary
sacrifice, and b}' means of a grant of lands in Knapdale, he
obtained the powerful influence of the earl of Argyll, and in
consequence, upon resigning his whole possessions into the
hands of the crown, he received a remission for his past offences,
and was reinstated in the royal favour, and in his former possessions,
with the exception of the earldom of Ross, lands of
Knapdale and Kintyre, and offices of sheriff of Inverness and
Nairne, which were retained by the crown, while he himself
was created a peer of parliament by the title of lord of the
Isles.
Soon after this, the earl of Atholl was despatched to the
north, for the purpose of reinstating the earl of Ross in his
and on entering the earldom, he was joined by the
possessions ;
Mackenzies, Mackays, Frasers, Rosses, and others, but being
met by Angus Og, who had hastened there at the head of the
clan, at a place called Lagebread, the earl of Atholl was defeated
with great slaughter, and with some difificulty made his escape.
The earls of Crawford and Huntly were then sent, the one by
but both expeditions were attended with
sea, the other by land ;