90 SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



Such is the account sanctioned by the illustrious author of Waverley ; but, 

 in justice to the Stewarts of Ardshiel, we shall here beg leave to present our 

 readers with the authentic version of these anecdotes,, for which we are indebted 

 to Dr. Leonard Stewart, a gentleman nearly related to the family, and intimately 

 acquainted with every remarkable incident in its history. From this document 

 it will be seen, that, in the principal adventure recorded, the real hero was not 

 Stewart of Invernahyle, but Charles Stewart of Ardshiel ; but as the latter died 

 in exile at Sens, in 1757, long before the time of Paul Jones, the last-mentioned 

 anecdote may be fairly placed to the credit of Invernahyle. The first document 

 respecting the two claimants, and which appears to set the question at rest, 

 is a letter, dated January 8, 1830 written by the late Mr. Stewart of Glenbuckie, 

 who married a grand-daughter of Ardshiel and called forth by the perusal of a 

 new edition of Waverley, in which the mistake regarding the rencontre with 

 Rob Roy remained unrectified. The letter 'is addressed to the editor of the 

 Glasgow Courier. 



" In common," says the writer, " with the great proportion of the reading 

 public, I am a fervent admirer of the writings of Sir Walter Scott, and especially 

 of those historical romances, as they are called, in which he has so successfully 

 blended facts with fiction ; and, by detailing the traditionary stores of times 

 gone by, has shed at once light and lustre on the history and character of our 

 native land. I cannot but regret, however, that, of some of the anecdotes 

 which he has introduced and especially in some of those connected with the 

 Highlands, of which I regard myself as in some degree competent to judge, his 

 narratives in several instances are far from being correct. One instance among 

 others of this kind lately struck me in reperusing the spirited tale of Waverley, 

 which I think is worthy of being pointed out both to the author and his readers; 

 and of which, therefore, I hope the following notice may not be uninteresting, 

 considering the excitement lately produced in the public mind by the new and 

 improved edition of that novel. At page eighty-three of Vol. VII. mention is 

 made of a duel said to have been fought between Stewart of Invernahyle and the 

 celebrated Rob Roy Macgregor. But the fact is, that none of the family of Inver- 

 nahyle were ever so engaged ; and the true account of the meeting, which took 

 place at the clachan of Balquhidder, is as follows : Charles Stewart of Ardshiel, 

 who commanded the Stewarts and M' Colls of Appin in 1745, was, previously 

 to that period, desperately in love with one of the three daughters of Haldane 

 of Landrick. There being at that time no made road in the Highlands, the 

 shortest and most direct way from Appin to Landrick Castle was by Landgearn, 

 and the clachan of Balquhidder. Ardshiel paid several visits to Miss Haldane, 



