The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

302 THE HIGHLANDERS [part -ii
three-fourths of a \-ear that he was in his mother's womb "
XotwithstandiiiL;" his character of one of the bravest captains,
he was slain in one of his numerous conflicts with the Mac-
intoshes and Macdonalds of Keppoch. The possessions of
the famil}' were still farther increased, and feudal titles to
their whole property obtained by his son Ewen Allanson. He-
appears, in consequence of his feudal claims, to have acquired
almost the whole of the estates which belonged to the chief
of clan Ranald, and to have so effectually crushed that family
that their chiefship was soon after usurped by a branch of the
family.
It was during the life of Ewen that the last lord of the
Isles was forfeited, and as the crown readily gave charters to
all the independent clans of the lands then in their possession
Ewen Cameron easily obtained a feudal title to the whole of
his possessions, as well those which he inherited from his father
as those which he had wrested from the neighbouring clans ;
and at this period may be dated the establishment of the
Camerons in that station of importance and consideration which
they have ever since maintained.
of the lands
Ewen Cameron having acquired a great part
of the chief of Clanranald, and having been the cause of the
downfjill of that family, he supported the bastard John Muder-
tach in his usurpation of the chiefship, and in consequence
brought upon himself the resentment of Huntly, who was at
that time all-powerful in the north. After Huntly and Lovat
had by force dispossessed John Mudertach, they returned
separately and by different routes, and the consequence as
might have been expected was, that the Camerons and Macdonalds
pursued Lovat, against whom they were principally
irritated, and having overtaken him at the head of Loch Lochy,
they attacked and slew him together with his eldest son and
three hundred of his clan. Huntly, enraged at this, imme-
diately returned to Lochaber with a force which prevented all
opposition, seized Ewen Cameron and Ronald Macdonald of
Keppoch, and caused them to be beheaded at Elgin.
From this period the Camerons seem to have been engaged
in the usual feuds with the neighbouring clans, conducted after
the same fashion as usual in those matters, so that their history