A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

EXECUTION OF MACKINTOSH. 189
earls of Hmitly and Sutherland, who were in Edinburgh at the time,
Hearing of this refusal, appointed captain James Cullen, an experienced
naval and military otiiccr, to go before them into Sutherland, and ascer-
tain the exact state of matters. Tlie people of the country, who were
favourable to the bishop's claims, immediately assembled on the arrival
of Cullen at Dornoch, with a resolution to besiege the castle of Skibo
But the Strathnaver men, who kept possession, hearing of their approach,
were afraid to stand a siege, and withdrew privately from the castle,
and went home to Strathnaver ; but, being closely pursued, some of
them were cut off. On the return of the earls of Huntlj' and Suther-
land to the north, thej' summoned the earl of Caithness and Mackay to
appear before them at Helmsdale, to answer for their intromissions with
the bishop's rents, and for the wrongs they had done. The earl of
Caithness immediately obeyed the call, and although the river of
Helmsdale was greatly swollen by recent heavy rains, he, in order to
show his ready submission, crossed it on foot, to the great danger of his
life, as the water was as high as his breast. Having made a final and
satisfactory arrangement, the earl returned into Caithness. Mackay
was forced to appear with great unwillingness ; and, although he was
pardoned, the earls committed him a prisoner to the castle of Foulis.*
The great power conferred on the earl of Huntly, as Lieutenant
General in the north of Scotland, and the promptitude and severity with
which he put down the insurrections of some of the chiefs alluded to,
raised up many enemies against him. As he in company with the earl
of Sutherland was about to proceed to France for the purpose of convey-
ing the queen regent to that country, in the year fifteen hundred and
Rfty, a conspiracy was formed against him, at the head of which was
Mackintosh, chief of the Clan Chattan. This conspiracy being dis-
covered to the earl, he ordered Mackintosh to be immediately appre-
hended and brought to Strathbogie, where he was beheaded iu the
month of August of that year. His lands were also forfeited at the same
time. This summary proceeding excited the sympathy and roused the
indignation of the friends of the deceased chief, particularly of the earl
of Cassillis. A commotion was about to ensue, but matters were adjust-
ed, for a time, by the prudence of the queen regent, who recalled the
act of forfeiture and restored Mackintosh's heir to all his father's lands.
But the Clan Chattan was determined to avail themselves of the first
favourable opportunity of being revenged upon the earl, which they,
therefore, anxiously looked for. As Lauchlan Mackintosh, a near kinsman
of the chief, was suspected of having betrayed his chief to the
earl, the clan entered his castle of Pettie by stealth, slew him and ban-
ished all his dependants from the country of the elan.
About the same time the province of Sutherland again became tlie
scene of some commotions. The earl having occasion to leave home,
• Sir H. Gordon, p. IIS, U&