Series 5 > Campbell Letters 1559-1583

CLAN CAMPBELL LETTERS
87
30 ArgyU to Glenorchy GDI 12/39/3/17
1 February 1565, Garrick Castle
To our traist cousyng Colein Campbell off Glenwrquhay be this delyverit
Traist cousyng efter maist hairtlie commendatiounis. We haiff rasavit
your wryittyng and wnderstandis the saymin that ye are content that we
keip our awyn boundis fra the ressett of the rybellis the Clangregor quhilk
God willing salbe done. And gif ony off our freindis neclekis the saymin
ye sail se thaim pwnist to the regour.And fardare gif ye mister ony men ye
sail half thaim so that we maye be advertiissit thairof in dew tym. Fardare
ye sail rasaif ane wryittyng to Makranald to the effect that he sail mak
guid service to the Quennis Majesty against the saidis rybelHs.1 And fardare
as to the contenttis off your bill about the manuryng of Rannoche and
oderris contenttis thairin ye sail wit that we haif adwysit with certain off
our freindis that is heir with us instantlie. And namelie the Laird of
Achynbrek and hes thocht guid till contenew the anser thairof quhill our
awyn meittyng. For we haif causit Dougall to be content to pas to Ballyoch
be the heland gait and our self sail be thair on the xviij daye off this instant
be the Lauland gait2 quhilk daye Dougall promissis to keip. And to this
effect we thocht guid to pas wpe that we mycht dres and end all the
besines that is neidfull with your self and your awyn consent quhilkis
salbe referrit to your [sic] for your weill and honour. And in the mein tym
God willyng ye sail se guid service doune with all delegence againis the
saidis rybelHs. And this God willing we sail nocht faill to keip tryist wnles
your self mak us advertisment that we neid nocht to pas thair. For in deid
we think it maist neidfull to pas thair consideryng it salbe to your weill.
And thairfor advertiiss us in wryit agane gif ye will haif us cummand or
nocht.3 And this we commit yow to God. Off the Carrik the first day of
Fabruare 1564.Youris.
The contract between Grey Colin and Ranald MacDonald of Keppoch* was made
to pursue the MacGregors: 25 Apr. 1563, GDI 12/1/130; BBT, 206-8; MacGregor,
‘MacGregors’, 320,340. Subsequendy Grey Cohn had become cautioner for Ranald s
‘good rule’ before the privy council: 13, 27 Nov. 1564, GD112/23/1/11, RPC, i,
289-90.
A sixteenth-century version of taking the high road and the low road. Dougal would
probably have to travel via Glenfyne, Glenfalloch and the Drumalban passes into
Glen Lyon or down Glen Dochart on his way to Balloch Casde at the east end of
Loch Tay. The earl would come through the Ochils from Casde Campbell and either
via Perth or across Strathearn.
The earl was most anxious for a personal meeting with Grey Cohn to settle the
details of the offensive against the MacGregors and he was prepared to travel to
Balloch. Grey Cohn seemed to have been exceptionally reluctant to travel outside his
own bounds.