The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. V] OF SCOTLAND 65
tribe. Now, it is remarkable that we can distinctly trace this
change in the relative position of these tribes at a very early
period in the Irish Annals. In the year 666 Tighernac mentions
the death of Eacha, King of the Midland Cruithne. The
Cruithne, we have seen, was the peculiar name of the northern
Picts, and as of all the tribes mentioned by Ptolemy that of the
Caledonii proper is the only one which could be called Midland,
it is plain that these kings of the Midland Cruithne were the
chiefs of that tribe. Now, we find a singular change in their
title within eighty years after this date, for in 739 Tighernac
mentions the death of Talorgan, King of Atholl. Atholl was
always a part of the territories of the Caledonians proper, and
consequently, when we find the chiefs of that tribe preserving
of Midland
their title of king, hut changing the designation
Cruithne for the less extended title of Atholl, we can have little
difficulty in inferring that they had between these two periods
been deprived of the northern portion of their territories, and
confined principally to that district. This change is confirmed
by our finding distinct evidence of the extension of the eastern
tribes towards the west in 668, for at that date Tighernac
mentions the departure of the Gens Gartnaidh with the people
of Skye for Ireland. The western position of the former tribe
is sufficiently indicated by that of the latter, and the coincidence
between the departure of that tribe for Ireland, and the loss
of their northern districts by the Caledonii, is sufficient to warrant
us in concluding that these events were connected, and that
the expulsion of the Gens Gartnaidh, and the death of Eacha,
the king of the Midland Cruithne, was probably effected by
the conquest of the latter together with the Vacomagi by the
Cantese, and the seizure by that tribe of the northern part of
their territories. In this way the V'acomagi would be confined
to the earldom of Marr, the Caledonii to that of Atholl, while
the Cantese would form the earldom of Moray and as ; Tighernac
mentions in 670 the return of the Gens Gartnaidh from Ireland,
they probably occupied the district previously possessed by the
Canteai, and which afterwards formed the earldom of Ross.
The same event will also account for the next variation in the
possession of these tribes. In Ptolemy's time the southern
division of modern Argyll was inhabited by the Epidii, the
E