Red and white book of Menzies

196 THE "-RED 6- WHITE" BOOK OF MENZIES. [a.d. 1564.
escheitis of certaine personis of the Clangregour, duelland in the Rannoch, and be
that way sute ye the entres to thair stedingis ; and we ar informit that ye have
plasit Makrannald in the samin rowmes quhairof the heretage pertenis to ' James
Meingeis,' the Laird of Weym, and thairof Mackgregour had neuir takkis of him.
We are suirlie informit that the said Mackrannald is alreddy to big ane hous and
strenth within the He of Lochrannoch, and to laubour the grind of the lands
adicent ; quhilk hous wes castin doun and distroyit at command of our fader of
guid memory, as your self hes laithe done sen syne. And sen it hes allwayis bene
a receptacle and refuge to offendouris, we waitt nocht to quhat effect the biging of
it or any strenth in the Heland suld serve without our speciall command, and
that the causis wer of befoir considerit be ws and our counsale. For to output
the Glengregour and impute vther brokin men of the like condition, all wayis sic
as of any continewance wer neuir permanent in our obedience, we jugeit nocht
mete nor expedient to be done. And, thairfoir, our plesour is, that ye causs the
werk begun in the He within the said loch to ceiss ; and not that onlie, bot all
vther innouatioun quhairof your nychbouris may justelie complene, especiallie the
inbringing of strangeris of vther clannis and cuntres. Bot lat all thingis rest
without alteratioun our returning, and than mete was other at Sanct Johnstoun
or Dunde, as ye heir of our dyett, quhair we sail tak sik ordour in this behalf
as apertenis to your ressonable contentment. Subscriuit with our hand, at the
Lunkartis in Glentilth, the third day of August 1564.
Marie R."
— Contemporary Official Copy, in Charter Room of Castle Menzies.
On Her Majesty appending her name to the foregoing, she then proceeded to
attend the stag-hunt, accompanied by the Chief of the Menzies and other Highland
chiefs, the Highlanders having built for Queen Mary the hunting-house. This
building, on the conclusion of the hunt, was set on fire and burnt to the ground.
No trace of it can now be found within Glentilt.
Following up the letter of remonstrance to Colin Campbell, a summons was
issued by Queen Mary, in which she refers to her visit to the Chief " James Menzeis
of that Ilk ;" a contemporary copy of which is in Castle Menzies Charter Room,
and reads thus : —
" Summons in the name of Queen Mary and under the signet at Edinburgh,
29th September 1564, on the narrative that a complaint had been made by
James Menzeis of that Ilk, and that whereas he had the lands of Rannoch
and forestry thereof in few farm heritably ; and because Coline Campbell of
Glenurquhay, and Ranald M'Ranald M'Couilglas, under pretext of a gift of escheat
to the said Colin of the goods of the Laird M'Grigor, the Queen's rebel, and at the
horn had intruded themselves wrongously in the Isle of Lochrannoch, and the said
James's lands of Rannoch 'be-est the vatter of Erachtie,' and were bigging and