The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

3o6 T H E H I G H L A N D E R S [part ii
can fix with certainty, is Gilchrist Macnachtan, who obtained
from Alexander III. the keeping of the royal castle of Frechelan
in Lochawe, and this castle was for some time the residence of
the family. In the reign of Robert Bruce, the baron Macnach-
tan is mentioned as having activel}' supported the cause of
Baliol along with the lord of Lorn, and on that occasion the
Campbells probably obtained a grant of a lands.
great part of their
In the reign of Robert III. there is a charter by Colin, earl of
Arg}'le, to Maurice Macnachtan, of sundry lands in Over Lochaw,
and at the same period Morice Macnachtan occurs in the
genealogy previously alluded to. After this we know very little
of the family until the reign of Charles I., when Sir Alexander
Macnachtan appears to have distinguished himself very much in
the numerous civil wars of that era. On the restoration of
Charles II., Macnachtan is said to have ]:)roved an exception to
the generality of the royalists, and to have been rewarded with a
large pension as well as the honour of knighthood. He did not,
however, escape the fate of the neighbouring clans, and found
himself as little in a condition to offer any obstacle to. the rapid
advancement of the Argyll family as the others. The}- accord-
ingly soon joined the ranks of the dependents of that great
family, and the loss of their estate some time afterwards, through
the operation of legal diligence, reduced them still lower, until
there was little left to them but the recollection of former greatness,
which the ruins of various of their strongholds, and the
general tradition of the country, would shew not to be visionar}-.
Arms.
Quarterly. First and fourth— Argent, a hand fess-ways, coupee, proper,
holding a cross crosslet, fitchee, azure. Second and third— Argent, a
tower embattled gules.
Principal Seat.
Dundurraw on Lochfine.
Chief.
Extinct.
Clan Gille-eou.
This clan is one of those to which a Norman origin has for
a considerable length of time been assigned, and it is said that