The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

368 THE HIGHLANDERS [part li
that this district was certainly at that time occupied by a GaeHc
tribe, it follows that the Macnicols must be of Gaelic origin. But
the clan Nicol are not connected by the manuscript of 1450 with
any of the four great tribes into which the clans contained in
that manuscript are divided, and which tribes have been shewn
to be synon}-mous with the ancient districts of Moray, Ros,
Garmoran, and the tribe of the Gallgael. It seems therefore
clear, that we must look upon the Macnicols as the descendants
of the ancient Gaelic tribe who formed the earliest inhabitants of
the district of Ness. This clan is now nearly extinct, and of its
historx', when in possession of these districts, we know nothing.
But these ancient possessions certainl}- comprehended Edder-
achylis and Duirnes as well as Assint and Coygach, as we find
these districts in the possession of the Macleods of Lewis, who
acquired their mainland territories by marriage with the only
daughter of the last Macnicol. The district of Assint remained
in the possession of Macleod for many generations until about
the year 1660, when it became the property of the earl of
Seaforth, by the usual mode in which the powerful barons
obtained possession of the properties of the chiefs in their neigh-
bourhood, whom circumstances had reduced into their power,
viz., by the fatal operation of the old system of wadset and
apprising.
it By purchase afterwards fell into the hands of the
Sutherland famih', in whose possession it has ever since
remained. The northern portion of this district continued for
some time to be held b\' the Macleods, until a feud between
Macleod of Edderachylis and the Morisons of Duirnes gave the
Mackays, who were then at the height of their power, an opportunity
of wresting these estates from both families, and accord-
ingly these districts have ever since formed a part
Mackays' possessions, or what is called Lord Reay's country.
\'II.—SUDRLAND.
of the
The ancient district of Sutherland or Sudrland, so termed by
the Norwegians, in consequence of its position in respect to
Caithness, which for a long time was their only possesion on the
mainland of Scotland, was of much less extent than the present
of the same name for the districts of Strathnaver,
country ;