The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. VIII] OF SCOTLAND 327
is said to have been granted by David II. as early as the year
1362 ; and this is confirmed by the manuscript of 1450, the
last two generations given in which are " Murcha, the son of
Kenneth." After him we know nothing of the clan, until we
find the chief among those Highland barons who were arrested
by king James I., at his treacherous Parliament held at Inverness
in 1427 ; and the clan appears by this time to have become
one of very considerable strength and importance, for Kenneth
More, their chief, is ranked as leader of two thousand men.
It was during the life of his son Murdoch that the earl of
Ross and lord of the Isles was forfeited ; on that occasion
the chief of the Mackenzies did not neglect the opportunity
so eagerly seized by the other clans that were dependent on
the Macdonalds, but not connected bv descent with that clan,
to render himself altogether ; independent and therefore he
steadily opposed, to the utmost of his power, every attempt
on the part of the Macdonalds to resume possession of the
earldom which had been wrested from them. One of the
principal attempts of the Macdonalds for this purpose was
that of the rebellion under Alaster Mac Gillespie, the nephew
of the last lord, when, after having succeeded in regaining
possession of the Isles, he at length invaded Ross ; but the
Mackenzies were not willing to resign without a struggle their
exerted all
newly acquired independence. They accordingly
the interest the\' could command to excite opposition to the
attempt of Alaster Mac Gillespie upon Ross, and finally
attacked him at the head of his own clan, together with a
large body of the inhabitants of the country, near the river
Connan. A fierce and obstinate engagement between the
parties ensued, but the Macdonalds, being unable to cope with
the numbers opposed to them, were at length completely
overthrown with ver}- great slaughter. This battle is known
in history and in tradition by the name of the conflict of
Blairnapark ; after this, various other encounters took place
between the Macdonalds, which ended in the complete inde-
pendence of the former.
From this period the Mackenzies gradually increased, both
in power and extent of territories, until they finally established
themselves as one of the principal clans of the north, and in