History of the Macleods

402 THE HISTORY OF THE MACLEODS.
broken remnant of his followers, escaped, but he was not
so fortunate in a subsequent expedition, for, soon after,
having landed again at Fernaig, he was encountered by
Matheson and his followers, at Sail Fearna, when he was
overpowered and killed.
The origin of the first church erected in the district,
at Kirkton, at the head of Loch Assynt, is ascribed " to
Angus Macleod, Laird of Assynt, between 1436 and 1443,
who, we are informed, travelled into France and Italy,
and having received favours from the Pope, vowed that
he would build and endow a church at Assynt."* As
late as between 1780 and 1793 there remained of the
original building an arched vault, " the burying place of
the Macleods of Assynt," with an apartment above it
supposed to be a place of private devotion. The earliest
record found of this church is in 1455. f
It is curious to find that in 1386 Robert II. granted
in heritage for his service, to " Fearchair Lighich," or
Farquhar the Healer, described in the charter as " Fer-
charde Leche," along with numerous other isles, all the
islands lying between " Rowestornastynge " — Stoer Point,
in Assynt, and " Rowearmedale " — Armadale Point, on the
north coast of the county of Sutherland, in the parish of
Farr. The famous Farquhar is said to have cured the
King, during a tour to the Western Isles, of some serious
complaint, and this is the handsome manner in which he
was rewarded for his services to a grateful Majesty. It
does not, however, appear that Farquhar ever received
much benefit from the Royal grant.
In the beginning of the fifteenth century the lands of
Assynt were held by Roderick Macleod, V. of the Lewis.
In 1502 James IV. granted a commission in favour of
Alexander, Earl of Huntly, Thomas, Lord Fraser of Lovat,
and William Munro of Fowlis, or two of the three, Huntly
being always one of the two, to lease the lands of Coig-
each, Assynt, and all the ferme lands that belonged to
* Origines Parochiales Scotiae, p. 693.
t Register of the Great Seal, Book VIII. No. 123.