The chiefs of Grant - Electric Scotland

298 LUDOYICK Gli.WT. EICltTH 01' I'IMOlK'll IE AND OK (JKANT. [ICG;]-
jiayineiit nl" fou-dutie.s, sjuiilzies oi" teinds, etc., wliicli, tliouyli troiil)]esoiiie
to him, liavt' no interest for this liistory. He l)ad also some diiliculty
vrith the pro])rietors of Phiscardine, ajjparently as to llie titles of that
I'lopcrty, which was ]>nrchasod hy him in 1(J77. his i';ther in-law, how-
ever, paying- the p'trchase-money, the estate being provided to the
Laird's second son, and it was afterwards possessed by his second sur-
viving son, James.' The Laird at- this time also became olmoxious to the
Government, as a charge was made against him that he was the instigator
of a "ryot" or cpiarrel between Mr. Alexander Grant of Kirdells and
Dunbar of Newton,- so that his afiairs between ](J7l and 1G78 nuist
have been a source of considerable vexation.
It was probably, therefore, somewhat of a, lelief that in the latter
year, the Laird was called upon to give proof of his loyalty by contributing
men to the public service. He had previously received from the Marquis
of Huntly, on 22d December 1G77, a recpiest to have his men in readiness
on twenty-fmr hours' notice to march to Stirling or elsewhere," which,
four days later, seems to have been partly countermanded. An order from
the Privy Council informed the Laird that it had been resolved, for the
suppression of conventicles and "' othei- insolencies," to call out the
Higldanders, under the command of the Mai-rpiis of Athole and the
Earls of ]\Lir, iNIurray, Perth, and Caithness, and he was required to take
an effectual course to secure the peace of the Highlands imder his
command, and also within the bounds of those employed upon the special
service referred to, that no violence or injury should be done to their
country, or anv thefts of their goods by tliose under the Laird's
jurisdiction.^ The expedition on which the Highlanders were to be
employed was that knowni to history as the " Highland Host." The
muster of the clans did not, however, take place until 1G78, vhen, on
24th June, about 8000 men assembled at Stirling, Avhence they over-ran
the western shires of the Lowlands, eftectually overaAving the Covenanters
of that district. No man, however, lost his life at their hands, and after
remaining about eight months in the south, the Highkniders were
• Sh.iw's Moray, p. .'iOl.
- Ori'nnal Letter from law-ageuts, lltli Ueeembcr UJTT, at Castle Grant.
3 Vol. ii. of this work, 2:',. '
p. /lid. \,. '.M