104 THE DEER FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



while to this day the splendid sheet of water is 

 called Loch Nis or Loch Ness. 



Incredible as this story of course must be, it may 

 yet however be true that at one time Loch Ness did 

 not exist, for beneath the waters of Lochnell near 

 Oban, some thirty years ago, there could be seen 

 on still bright days the remains of a sunken village 

 some fifteen feet below the surface. Nothing is 

 known in the neighbourhood as to how this village 

 became submerged, but there is the fact for certain, 

 and that which has occurred on Lochnell may also 

 have happened on a large scale to Loch Ness. 



Early in the 13th century Castle Urquhart was 

 captured by King Edward and the English after a 

 protracted siege ; later on it became the chief strong- 

 hold of the Lords of the Isles, while after their 

 defeat at Harlaw to Sir Duncan Grant was entrusted 

 the command of the castle and the restoration of 

 order in those disturbed and out-of-the-way districts. 

 The Grants of Strathspey were originally a Strath 

 Enrick family, of whom tradition says that they lost 



