EARLS OF ROSS AND LORDS OF THE ISLES. 105 



dians, it is evident that these raids were instigated by 

 the Lords of the Isles. The Earl of Caithness tried to 

 come to an arrangement with the Lord of the Isles to put 

 a stop to them, and well he might, for from all accounts 

 they were of a peculiarly savage character. It is suggested 

 that the Hebrideans burned, plundered, and ravaged the 

 country, massacred the inhabitants without respecting age 

 or sex, and carried off whatever cattle or other property 

 they could lay hands upon. Hugh Macdonald in his nar- 

 rative of the raid of 1460, states that John of the Isles 

 sent his son Hugh of Sleat " with all the young heritors of 

 land to harass the people of Orkney," thus confirming the 

 Orcadian accounts as to the complicity of the Earls of 

 Ross. William Macleod of Harris was one of the " heritors " 

 who accompanied Hugh of Sleat, and it appears from the 

 Orcadian tradition, that the invaders were mainly drawn 

 from the Long Island. According to the Sleat seanachie, 

 the Orcadians were prepared to give the raiders a warm 

 reception on landing, but the Hebrideans dis-embarked 

 elsewhere than expected, and were ready for the attack 

 when it came. The Orcadians were totally routed, among 

 the slain being the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by 

 Murdo MacCotter, one of the followers of Macleod of 

 Harris. Hugh of Sleat and his party then ravaged the 

 country, and returned home with the plunder. The " young 

 heritors " had a profitable and successful hership. 



John Bellenden (Jo Ben) writing in 1529, refers to one 

 of these fights between the Lewismen and the Orcadians, 

 which took place in a valley of Westray, known as the 

 " Bloody Tuacks," or the " Place of Tenure." The Lewis- 

 men were engaged upon one of their usual marauding 

 expeditions, but the men of Westray offered a stout 

 resistance, and routed the invaders, killing all of them. 

 According to Jo Ben, one of the Lewismen had both legs 

 cut off, but continued to fight on his stumps. The legless 

 man fighting on his stumps figures in the Chevy Chase 

 ballad, and in more than one Highland tradition. 



That the Long Islanders extended their unwelcome visits 



