no HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



sions which he had previously held from John of the Isles* 

 the charter of confirmation was witnessed by Macleod of 

 Lewis and Macleod of Harris and his son and heir John 

 was now either deprived of those lands, or voluntarily 

 resigned them in order to exclude his brothers from the 

 succession. But notwithstanding the transfer to the Clan 

 Ranald, they do not appear to have ever obtained actual 

 possession of the lands in North Uist from the Sleat family, 

 thus showing how ineffective a Crown charter sometimes 

 proved, when applied to the distant and inaccessible islands 

 across the Minch. 



At length the Hebrides appeared to be permanently 

 pacified, but it was the calm which preceded the storm. 

 The last year of the fifteenth century was signalised by a 

 complete change in the policy of James IV. in relation to 

 the Isles ; a change from wise moderation to revolutionary 

 severity. His revocation of 1497-8 was, in effect, annulled 

 by the grants, during the following year, to those of the 

 chiefs who submitted to his authority. That his original 

 policy was first to cow the chiefs into obedience, and then 

 convert them into loyal subjects by timely grants of lands, 

 cannot well be doubted. But apparently his clemency 

 failed to have the desired effect. Otherwise, it is impos- 

 sible to understand the far-reaching measure of 1499. For 

 in that year, the King granted a commission to the Earl of 

 Argyll and others, to lease for a period of three years, the 

 properties embraced in the Lordship of the Isles, Islay, 

 North Uist, and South Kintyre alone excepted ; and 

 Argyll was simultaneously invested with a commission of 

 lieutenancy over the Hebrides. 



This proceeding could have but one result. The chiefs 

 of the Hebrides, recognising their danger, banded together 

 for their mutual defence, and awaited the blow which 

 threatened them. No immediate action appears to have 

 been taken by the King. The measure was that of a hot- 

 neaded youth, who, irritated by the failure of his clemency, 



* Reg. Mag. Sig. (1424-1513), No. 2,286. 



