The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. IX] OF SCOTLAND 365
in the peerage as their ancestor had been to be raised to it, Lord
Reay found it as much his interest to oppose the family of
Stewart, as Donald Mackay had to support that family in their
difficulties with all his interest, and accordingly throughout the
insurrections in favour of that royal house in the years 17 15 and
1745, the existing government found in Lord Reay a staunch
and active supporter;
while the Stewarts found that in rewarding
the loyalty of the chief of the Mackays with a peerage, they had
but changed a steady friend to a bitter enemy, and that Charles
Edward was to find one of his most powerful opponents in the
great-grandson of the person who had been most indebted to
his grandfather.
The lineal descendant of this ancient line of Highland chiefs
still remains in possession of the peerage, but having sold the
estates which had been the property of the family for so many
generations, the clan are left in reality without a chief of their
race.
A mis.
Azure, on a chevron, or, between three bears' heads couped, argent, and
muzzled, gules. A roebuck's head erased, of the last, between two
hands holding daggers, all proper.
Among
Badge.
Bulrush.
Principal Seat.
Strathnaver.
Oldest Cadet.
Mackay of Auchness.
Chief.
Erick Mackay, Lord Reay.
Force.
In M27, 4000. In 1745, Soo.
VI.— Ness.
the Rikis or districts in Scotland mentioned in the
Sagas, and which are exactly synonymous with Maormorship.'^,
as they may be called, or the earldoms of Scottish writers, the
name of Ness occurs frequently. This designation has generally
been supposed to be nothing more than a variation of the word
Kateness, and has accordingly been so translated in most of the