GENERAL DESCRIPTION 11 



become a great warrior, valiant and famous, and that victory 

 would be his until the day that he planted his banner upon 

 Gocaru-go. As possessing the mightiest arm in Ireland 

 "a dh' aindeoin c6 theireadh e," he, in 1644, was chosen 

 leader of the Earl of Antrim's troops in support of Charles I. 

 Alastair's successes with Montrose are a matter of history. 

 One fine summer morning, while on the march through 

 Argyll's country to chastise the Campbells, he halted for 

 the morning meal. He asked the name of the green knoll 

 over which his banner had been raised. " Gocam-g6 " was 

 the reply. Alastair remembered his nurse's warning, and the 

 heart of the warrior who never yet turned his face from the 

 foe (nor even scrupled to cut the head off an old friend if he 

 happened to oppose his party) now became that of a child. 

 After planting garrisons in Dunaverty and Dun Naomhaig, 

 Alastair crossed over to Ireland, where soon afterwards he 

 fell in battle. 



Coll Ciotach took a leading part with Sir James M'Donald 

 against the Campbells in 1615. He afterwards returned, 

 unmolested, to Colonsay. "While M'Phee occupied his 

 stronghold of Dun Eibhinn, Coll resided in Kiloran. A 

 feud for supremacy was carried on between these two hardy 

 chiefs for the next six or seven years, until the murder of 

 M'Phee. For many years after this event, Coll, with his 

 family, lived on the island, and there is nothing in tradition 

 to show that he was disliked by the people. The Campbells 

 came down in force in 1639, and carried off everything that 

 they could lay hands upon. From this date Coil's connection 

 with the island became severed. He, along with his sons 

 Gilleasbuig and Angus, is said to have supported Alastair at 

 Inverlochy. He was afterwards treacherously entrapped by 

 General Leslie outside the castle of Dun Naomhaig, and con- 

 fined in Dunstaffnage. The old man was hung from his 

 own galley mast over a rocky gully behind the castle. 



After Coll Ciotach had been cleared out in 1639, Colonsay 



