Campbell, merchant, Kingussie; Mr Alex. Mackenzie, C.E., do. ; Mr W. A. Martin, Beauclerc Road, London; Mr Alex. Mitchell, E.C. Railways, Inverness.

The Secretary submitted a communication from Professor Mackinnon, Edinburgh, regarding a proposed Highland memorial to the late Professor Blackie, in the form of a valuable scholarship in connection with the Celtic Chair, of which the meeting cordially approved.

Thereafter the Rev. Alex. Bisset, Nairn, read a paper on the "Topography and Folklore of Stratherrick."

2nd MAY, 1895.

At this meeting Mr Magnus Maclean, M.A., assistant professor, University, Glasgow; Mr J. G. Mackay, merchant, Portree; and Mr Duncan Macdonald, Culcabock Village, Inverness, were elected members of the Society. Thereafter Mr Charles Ferguson, Fairburn, read a paper, entitled "The Early History, Legends, and Traditions of Strathardle-No. 4." Mr Ferguson's paper was as follows:

SKETCHES OF THE EARLY HISTORY, LEGENDS, AND TRADITIONS OF STRATHARDLE AND ITS GLENS.

PART IV.

1560.-I ended my last paper at the troublous times of the Reformation, when all Scotland, and more particularly the Highlands, was in a very disturbed unsettled state; and to add to all the other troubles and hardships of the poor people, there came a succession of very bad seasons, and consequently very poor crops. The summers were either very cold and wet, or else so extremely hot and dry, as to burn up the crops; harvests, late and bad, followed by winters of extreme severity, with very deep snows and extra hard frost; so that the poor people of the Highlands were reduced to great straits by want and famine. This will be seen from the following extracts from the good old Dean of Lismore's "Chronicles of Fortingall":

:

"1559.-Evill symmyr, hairst, and vyntyr.

1560. The symmyr richt deyr, evyll haryst that evyr was seyn, mekil hungyr and darth.

"1561.-Mekill snaw, frost, and storms; the begynnyn of April evil frosts, snaw, and gret windis, in May rycht dry and het, and frosts, and vind.

"1562.-Mekill snaw in all partis, mony deyr and ray slain that yer (many deer and roe starved that year).

"1567-The symmyr rycht dry and het, that brynt and did kill corne, and grys, evyl haryst."

To anyone who really knows the state of the country at that time, when the people had to rely almost entirely upon the crops of their own respective districts, what a tale of hunger and starvation is revealed by these short accounts of so many bad harvests, especially as the whole country was likewise then in a state of war and turmoil.

1563. All over Perthshire and eastern Argyle there raged at this time fierce war and persecution against the gallant but unfortunate Clan Gregor, who were harried and hunted all over the country. I find the following quaint entry at this date in the Chronicle of Fortingall :-"The Lard of Glenvrquhay wryrth (wareth) against Clangregor." The Earl of Athole was also ordered by the Privy Council to hunt the Clan Gregor out of Athole, Strathardle, and Glenshee, where many of them had found a refuge, particularly with the Robertsons of Straloch and the Clan Fergusson, who often were in trouble, and fined for resetting and harbouring the Clan Gregor.

The following is a copy of the Order of the Privy Council to the Earl of Athole to hunt the Macgregors out of his bounds :

"22 Sept. 1563.—At Stirling. The Queene's Majestie understanding that the Clangregour, being Her Hienes rebellis, and at her horne for divers horrible attemptatis committat by thame selfis in greit cumpanyis, bot also hes drawn to thame the maist part of the broken men of the hale countre quhilks at their at their pleasour, birnis and slays the pour leiges of this relme, revis, and taks their gudis, &c. And knawing that

the saidis malefactours for the maist pairt hantis and reparis within the bounds following and that the nobleman underspecifut quha is principal of the boundis under mentioned, is maist able to expell the said evill doers, furth of his boundis. Thairfor ordains

the said Nobleman, John, Earl of Athole, to expell and hald the said broken men furth of his bounds of Athole, Strathardoll, Glensche and Dunkeld."

However, in spite of all the strict laws passed by the Government, and of the cruel way in which these were carried out by

their enemies, the unfortunate Macgregors always found a refuge in Strathardle, and though most of the proprietors were very often very heavily fined for doing so, they still continued to shelter Clan Gregor down to the end of the persecution in the days of Rob Roy, who often took refuge in Strathardle when hardest pressed, especially in Ashintully Castle, where the room which he used to occupy is still called Rob Roy's Room to this day.

The enemies of Clan Gregor carried their persecution to such an extreme length that they specially trained a fierce breed of dogs to hunt them to their hiding places amongst the hills and woods. This they did by bringing up the young puppies on the milk of Macgregor women, so that when they grew up they would know the scent of a Macgregor amongst crowds of other people, and follow them anywhere. These were the notorious "Coin Dhubh," or Black Dogs, about which so many traditions still linger in Perthshire. Only once did the Black Dogs come to Strathardle to hunt Clan Gregors, and the result of that hunting was so unsatisfactory that they never repeated the visit.

The

Campbell of Persie, knowing that there were many Macgregors then taking refuge in Strathardle, sent word to his relation Argyle, who at once sent a strong force of Campbells, under command of one of his chieftains, and with two of the Black Dogs; and with orders to go to Campbell of Persie, who was to organize a grand hunt against all the Macgregors lurking in the district. Argylemen came by Breadalbane and Moulin, and across the hill to Glen Brierachan, where the weather got so very stormy and bad that when they reached the Garaidh-riabhach, a quarter of a mile west from Kindrogan House, the Campbell chieftain decided not to go on to Persie that day, but to take up his quarters there for the night, as there were plenty houses there then to shelter his large force, though there are no houses there now, since my grand-father and granduncle left there over sixty years ago. Strathardle people had received warning that "the Campbells. were coming" from Fergusson of Balyoukan, a great friend of the Macgregors, and who was soon after very heavily fined, along with other five gentlemen of the Clan Fergusson, for harbouring Clan Gregors. The Campbells had stopped at the village of Moulin for refreshments, and Balyoukan, being in the neighbourhood, seeing such a large force, and the much-dreaded Black Dogs, knew they were on some evil errand bent; so, to try and find out their destination, he joined their officers, and, by supplying them with plenty drink, soon got on such friendly terms with them that the

The

leader confided to him where they were going and their purpose. there. As quickly, and as quietly as possible, Balyoukan managed to get a word with his servant, who at once slipped off unnoticed, and by the quickest route made his way to Strathardle, and warned the people of the approaching danger. The alarm soon spread, so that, shortly before the Argylemen reached the Garaidh-riabhach, the good people of that hamlet might be seen carrying several Macgregors, who were then living with them, on their backs, so as to leave no scent on the ground for the much-dreaded Black Dogs up the steep face of Kindrogan Rock, whose gigantic cliffs tower seven hundred feet overhead, and where from a snug retreat,. always ready for such sudden emergencies, they could in safety look down on their foes passing below, secure even from the keen scent of the Black Dogs.

When, owing to the severity of the storm, the Argylemen decided to remain overnight at Garaidh-riabhach, the good folk there were much alarmed and annoyed, but dare not show it. The leader and his officers took possession of the largest and best house, and safely kenneled the Black Dogs in an outhouse near the door, placing a sentry over them. The goodman of the house, a Robertson of the family of Straloch, was a very shrewd man, so, judging it best to keep the fair side of his dangerous guests, after he had first dispatched his wife and family to a neighbouring house, to be out of harm's way, he proceeded to entertain them as hospitably as he could, and so well did he succeed, that, with the aid of plenty good liquor, he had them all before midnight in a rather elevated condition, when the leader drank to his health, and complimented him on his hospitality, adding that if all the Strathaidle men were as hospitable, he did not wonder at the hungry Macgregors choosing it as their place of refuge. Old Robertson thanked him, and said that the only thing he regretted was, that he was very short of bed-clothes, but, to make up for that want, he had just sent a messenger round all his neighbours to collect all the plaids he conld get, so that if they now retired he would cover them up with these plaids when his messenger returned, to which they willingly agreed, and they lay down to rest in high glee.

Now old Robertson, besides being a very shrewd man, was also a bit of a wag, and having a bitter hatred against the Argylemen, his hereditary foes, which he dared not then show openly, he had devised a round-about scheme of revenge, which he now proceeded to carry out. So, instead of sending his messenger to his neighbours for plaids to cover his guests, he sent him up Kindrogan Rock, to the hiding-place of the Macgregors, and got all their

plaids from them. On his return, the Argylemen, overcome with fatigue and drink, were all sound asleep, so old Robertson took the Macgregor plaids and wrapt them tightly and snugly round the sleepers, then gathering all the bones and scraps of meat left, he made a heap of them behind the outer door, and extinguishing the light, went out to the sentry at the door, with whom he began a friendly chat about the dogs, pretending that he thought they were for hunting deer. After he had praised the dogs very highly, he then suggested that as the night was so cold, he thought the "bonnie beasties" would be more comfortable in the house beside the fire, adding that he had left a big supper for them on the floor. The unsuspecting sentry at once agreed, and letting the dogs out of the outhouse where they were confined, he opened the house door and let them in. Old Robertson now thought it prudent to get out of the way, so he told the man that he must now go to his family, but would return at daybreak, and departed. On entering the house the dogs smelt the bones left for them, and at once proceeded to devour them; then they began a tour of inspection, and coming near the sleepers they scented the Macgregor plaids, which at once aroused their most ferocious instincts, and with fearful howls they sprang on the slumbering Campbells, and began biting and tearing them savagely. Then began a scene of wild confusion, the ferocious dogs howling and barking, and the half-asleep, half-drunken Campbells cursing and swearing, and as they thought that old Satan himself was let loose upon them, they drew their dirks and stabbed and slashed right and left in the dark, with the result that when the alarmed sentry and guard rushed in with lights, they found the two dogs cut to pieces, and all the men more or less severely wounded. They never suspected the trick played on them, but put the blame of the whole affair on some of the famous Athole witches, whom they thought had by their spells set their dogs mad.

66

When old Robertson appeared before daybreak, he appeared very much surprised at what had happened, quite agreed with the witchcraft theory, and lamented very much the loss of the bonnie black beasties" of dogs; however, he took very good care that he very quietly gathered the Macgregor plaids, and slipped them into a dark corner, for fear that the Macgregor tartan might be noticed. I may here mention that the Robertson and Macgregor tartans are both very red, and somewhat similar in sett. After some breakfast, the Argylemen prepared to begin their onward march to Persie, but, before starting, the leader, who was sorely wounded, and in very bad humour, said that he must first