The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. Yii] OF SCOTLAND 301
revenge himself upon the Camerons, and attacked them with
fury. The clan was unable to withstand his attack, and the
chief was obliged to fl}' into Ireland, while the rest of the clan
took refuge among the most inaccessible parts of that mountain
country.
When the return of Alexander from captivit}- had restored
some decree of order to his wild dominions, the famil\- of Mac
Martin were probabl}' unable to resume their former station, and
the oldest cadet, who on the occurrence of such events, and
being generally the most powerful family of the clan, assumed
the chieftainship with the title of captain, was now placed at the
head of the clan. The name of this chief was Donald Du, and
from him the Camerons of Locheil take their patronymic of
Macconnel Du.
He appears to ha\e raised the Camerons from the depressed
state into which they had fallen by the vengeance of the lords
of the Isles, and to have re-acquired for the clan the estates
which they had formerly possessed. These estates had been
given by the lord of the Isles to John Garbh Maclean of Coll as
a reward for his services, but Donald Du soon drove him out of
Lochaber, and slew his son Ewen. Donald Du was succeeded
by his son Allan M'Coilduy, who acquired the estates of
Locharkaig and Locheil, from the latter of which his descendants
have taken their title. This property had formed part of
the possessions of the clan Ranald, and had been held by them
of Godfrey of the Isles, and his son Ale.xander, the eldest branch
of the family. After the death of Alexander, the Camerons
appeared to have acquired a feudal title to these lands, while the
chief of clan Ranald claimed them as male heir.
At this period the feuds of the Camerons with the Mac-
intoshes began, which, with various success on both sides,
continued down to a late period, and that alwa\\s with unabated
bitterness. Allan Mac Coildu\' was the most renowned of all
the chiefs of the Camerons, with the exception, perhaps, of
his descendant. Sir Ewen.
" This Allan Mac Coilduy," says
the manuscript histor>^ before quoted, " had the character of
being one of the bravest captains in his time. He is said to
have made thirty-two expeditions into his enemies' country,
for the thirt\--two \-ears that he lived, and three more for the