Ossian Collection > History of the Highlands and of the Highland clans > Volume 1

204 HISTOHY OF THE HIGHLANDS.
they would thereby be placed in, so that they might consider that it
was to him they owed their safety, and tlius lay them under fresh obli-
gations to him. But the deceitful part he acted proved very disastrous
to his people, and the result so exasperated him against the Clan Gim,
that he hanged Jolin-IMac-Iain-IMac-Rob, chieftain of the Clan Gun,
in Caithness, whom he had kept captive for some time.
At the time the affair of Aldgown took place, Houcheon Mackay was
on a visit to the earl of Caithness, whose paternal aunt he had married.
But when the inhabitants of Caithness understood that William Mackay,
liis brother, had been with the Clan Gun at Aldgown, they attempted to
murder Houclieon, who was, in consequence of this attempt upon his life,
obliged to flee privately into Strathnaver.*
The result of all these proceedings was another meeting between the
earls of Sutherland and Caithness at the hill of Bingrime in Sutherland,
which was brought about by the mediation of Sir Patrick Gordon of
Auchindoun, who was sent into the north by his nephew, the carl
of Huntly, for that purpose. Here again a new confederacy was
formed against the Clan Gun in Caithness, who were now maintained
and harboured by Mackay. The earl of Sutherland, on account of
the recent defeat of the Caithness men, undertook to attack the clan
first. He accordingly directed two bodies to march witli all haste
against the clan, one of wliich was commanded liy James Tilack-Rory
and Neill Mac-Iain-Mac-William, chief of the Sliochd-Iain-Abaraich,
who were now under the protection of the earl of Sutherland ; and the
other b}' William Sutherland Johnson, George Gordon in Marie, and
William Murray in Kinnald, brother of Hugh Murray of Aberscors.
Houcheon Mackay seeing no hopes of maintaining the Clan Gun any
longer without danger to himself, discharged them from his country,
whereupon they made preparations for seeking an asylum in the wes-
tern isles. But, on their journey thither, they were met near Loch
Broom, at a place called Leckmelnie, by James Mac-Rory and Neill
Mac-Iain-Mac-William, where, after a sharp skirmish, they were
overthrown, and the greater part of them killed. Their commander,
George Mac-Iain-Mac-Rob, brother of John Mac-Iain-Mac-Rob,
who was hanged by the earl of Caithness, was severely Mounded, and
was taken prisoner after an unsuccessful attempt to escape by swimming
across a loch close by. After being carried to Dunrobin castle, and
j)resented to the earl of Sutherland, George Gun was sent by him to
the earl of Caithness, who, though extremely grieved at the misfor-
tune which had happened to the Clan Gun, dissembled his vexation,
and received the prisoner as if he approved of tlie earl of Sutherland's
proceedings against him and his unfortunate people. Atter a short
confinement, George Gun was released from his captivity by the earl
of Caithnes.'i, at the entreaty of the carl of Sutherland, not from any fa-
• -Sir R. Oordor, [ip. ISl— 184.