Ossian Collection > Romance of the Highlands

i68 THE ROMANCE OE THE HIGHLANDS.
accept it, and passed the penalty of death on any one who
did.
The Kearnachs or Caterans (Kernes of the English)
were selected bands required when the operation of
foraying presented exceptional difficulties. It was an
association much favoured by the middle class because
their exploits were accomplished with a good deal of
danger, and it afforded very favourable opportunities of
training, Scott, however, uses the expression to show a
rather inferior sort of person "because a wretched Kern
ye slew." Many of the forays of the northern caterans
were directed at the south, and as they returned they were
often set upon by the clans of the central Highlands.
Bloody encounters frequently took place. Near Balmoral
is the Cairn of Remembrance {Cairn na cuimhue), which
is probably a memento of the ancient raiders. It was the
custom of the Farquharsons, who were the settled people
of the place, to set a stone on a particular spot, when and
where they were called to arms, and on their return each
picked out his stone again. The remaining stones
indicated the loss that had been sustained by the clan in
the encounter.
The Creach — a word signifying to impoverish — was
a foray into the Lowlands. As every Highlander looked
upon the Lowlanders as aliens, the lifting of their cattle
was considered a meritorious act. If resistance was offered
there might be considerable loss of life, but, as a rule,
hostilities were zealously avoided. It was the kind of
enterprise that the Highlander loved, for there was a spirit
of danger in it, yet it brought forth no reprisals. The
Lowlanders were too much afraid to carry retaliation into
the mountains of the wild tribesmen. In consequence of
this the part of the country bordering the Highland line
suffered very severely from their depredations.