The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

308 THE HIGHLANDERS [part ii
chief, they left him and took refuge with the lord of the Isles.
The island lord was now rapidly acquiring the supremacy oyer
the other descendants of their great progenitor, Somerled, and
they were accordingly at once received b}' him with great
favour. But the usual consequence of a stranger entering into
the countr}' of another clan followed, and a bitter feud soon took
place between them and the chief of the Mackinnons, which led
to one of the most daring actions which has ever been recorded
of any Highland chief The lord of the Isles had set out on
some expedition to the mainland in a single galley, desiring the
Macleans and the Mackinnons to follow him, and the Macleans
resolved upon taking this opportunit}' of avenging many injuries
which they had received from Mackinnon, and killed him while
in the act of mounting into his galle}'.
Afraid of the vengeance
of the lord of the Isles for this deed of treachery, they proceeded
to follow up their act by one still more daring, and accordingly
set sail after him. No sooner had they overtaken his galley than
the two brothers at once boarded it, and succeeded in taking
the Macdonald himself prisoner in the very centre of his islands,
and within sight of many of his castles. The}- then carried their
captive to the small island of Garveloch, and thence to Icolmkill,.
where they detained him until the lord of the Isles, seeing no
prospect of speed}- relief from his degrading situation, agreed to
\-ow friendship to them "
upon certain stones where men were
used to make solemn vows in those superstitious times," and
granted them the lands t>
in Mull which the clan have ever since
possessed.
Lachlan Lubanich afterwards married the daughter of the
lord of the Isles, and was appointed by him his lieutenantgeneral
in time of war, an office for which this deed had shewn
him well fitted. The descendants of these brothers have
disputed among themselves the honour of the chieftainship of
the clan Gille-eon, but, although there are not data left from
which to ascertain with any degree of certainty in which family
the right lay, there seems little reason to doubt that the famil}of
Dowart was the principal branch of the clan. Both families
produce tradition in support of their claims ; but when we
consider that, upon the lord of the Isles being compelled when
in the power of both the brothers, to give his daughter to one of