26 A HUNDRED YEARS 



the second baronet, called the Tighearna Crubach on 

 account of his being lame, did not turn out as did many 

 of his clan, and although a good many Gairloch, Poolewe, 

 and Kenlochewe men were at the battle of Culloden, 

 they were followers of the laird of Torridon and other 

 smaller lairds, and were not led there by my ancestor, 

 who succeeded to Gairloch on his coming of age in 1721, 

 and therefore must have been about forty -six and in his 

 prime at the time of Culloden. He had hardly finished 

 the building of his mansion, the new Tigh Dige, and 

 was doubtless proud of having accomplished the great 

 feat of covering it with leacan gorma (blue slabs), and 

 could not be bothered with such dangerous politics at 

 the time. Sir Alexander was a great improver of his 

 property, and was in all respects a careful and good man 

 of business, and, after Culloden, when John Mackenzie 

 of Meddat applied to him in favour of Lord Macleod, 

 son of the Earl of Cromartie who took so prominent a 

 part in the rising of 1745 and was in very tightened 

 circumstances, Sir Alexander replied in a letter dated 

 May, 1749, in the following somewhat unsympathetic 

 terms : " Sir, — I am favoured with your letter, and am 

 extremely sorry Lord Cromartie 's circumstances should 

 obliege him to solicit the aide of small gentlemen. I 

 much raither he hade dyed sword in hand even where 

 he was ingag'd then be necessitate to act such a pairt. 

 I have the honour to be nearly related to him, and to 

 have been his companion, but will not supply him at this 

 time, for which I believe I can give you the best reason 

 in the world, and the only one possible for me to give, 

 and that is that I cannot.*' 



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