History of the Frasers of Lovat

XIV. HUGH, NINTH LORD FRASER. 1 65
contract of marriage had already been settled and signed.
The Earl of Leven, the lady's father, undertook to give his
daughter a tocher of 50,000 merks Scots, and Sir James
became bound, in case his wife should survive the Master,
to pay her 10,000 merks yearly of jointure, at Leith, and
to infeft her in the baronies of Dalcross and Kinmylies.
The marriage was afterwards duly solemnised with great
splendour in the Palace of Holyrood, on the 30th of April,
1642. The young couple remained in Edinburgh during
the months of May and June, and in the beginning of
July they set out for the Highlands, accompanied by a
noble and imposing retinue, which included the Earls of
Wemyss and Leven, Lords Balgouny, Ruthven, Sinclair,
and others, who attended them all the way to Lovat.
Passing through Moray, they were joined by all the name
of Fraser then numerous in that county, who accompanied
the party to Inverness. Here they were entertained "in a
grand manner by Provost Forbes and the Magistrates, who
had several covered tables with a variety of wines at the
Cross, and the trained bands of the town were drawn up
in a line on each side to keep off the rabble. Having thus
entertained them on the streets and then in the Tavern, the
Magistrates conveyed them to the Green of Muirtown,
where 400 young gentlemen in full arms were ready to
conduct their chief and his retinue to Lovat. They got an
elegant entertainment at Bunchrew from Inverallochy, and
marched thence to Lovat, where they arrived in health and
spirits, and Lord Lovat himself, with twenty grave gentle-
men of his name, received them. Nothing could exceed
the grandeur and magnificence with which they were enter-
tained here. The south country noblemen admired the
orchards of Lovat and Beauly, the fishing of the river, the
plenitude of the game, and the variety of fruits of every
kind in season. They imagined they were to come
to wild rocks and deserts, but instead of that they
had come to Canaan." The Earl of Sutherland, Ross of
Balnagowan, and Munro of Fowlis came to meet the
young couple on their arrival at Lovat and remained until