The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. IX] OF SCOTLAND 367
north-western corner of Scotland. And in the latter the
appellation Ness appears to have been preserved. There seems
therefore little reason to doubt that there was an ancient
maormorship or earldom, comprehending these districts of
Assint Edderachylis and Diurnes, and that that earldom was
known to the Norwegians under the designation of the Riki
of Ness.
The most ancient Gaelic clan which can be traced as
inhabiting these districts, is the clan Nicail or Macnicols.
'fc>
Clan Nicail.
" Tradition, and even documents declare," says the Reverend
Mr. William Mackenzie, in his statistical account of the parish
"
of Assint, that it was a forest of the ancient Thanes of Sutherland."
"
One of these Prince Thanes gave it in vassalage to one
Mackrycul^ who in ancient times held the coast of Coygach, that
part of it at the place presently called Ullapool. The noble
Thane made Assint over in the above manner, as Mackrycul had
recovered a great quantity of cattle carried off from the county of
Sutherland by foreign invaders. Mackrycul's family, by the fate
of war in those days of old, being reduced to one heir female, she
was given in marriage to a younger son of Macleod, laird of
also
Lewis, the thane of Sutherland consenting thereto ; and
making Assint over to the new-married couple, together with its
superiority. The result of this marriage was fourteen successive
lairds here of the name of Macleod." The same gentleman also
adds, in a note, "
Mackry-cul is reported by the people here to be
the potent man of whom are descended the Macnicols, Nicols,
and Nicolsons." With the exception of the part performed by the
Thane of Sutherland, which is disproved by the fact, that the
charter to Torquil Macleod, who married the heiress of Mackrycul,
of the lands of Assint was a crown charter, and does not
narrate any grant whatever ; this account is substantially con-
firmed by the manuscript of 1450, in which MS. the descent of
the clan Nicail is traced in a direct line from a certain Grcgall,
plainly the Kryciil of the reverend minister of Assint.
From a calculation of generations it appears that Gregall
must have flourished in the twelfth century, and as we have seen