n6 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



and garrison Strome and Eilean Donain Castles, affirming 

 that the capture of these strongholds was necessary for the 

 " danting of the Isles." From this it is evident that 

 Mackenzie of Kintail was a supporter, either actively or 

 passively, of the Hebridean confederation. It is remark- 

 able that a proposal of this nature should have been made, 

 at the very time that the King was in friendly relations 

 with the chiefs of the Long Island. It seems to suggest 

 that a display of force may have been deemed necessary 

 to confirm their dubious loyalty. It was not until the end 

 of the year that Huntly's offer was accepted. A great 

 naval expedition to the Hebrides was, however, in contem- 

 plation, for all parts of the realm were ordered to prepare 

 ships to pass to the Isles. 



These proceedings synchronised with an Act of Parlia- 

 ment, dated nth March, 1503, having as its object the 

 more effective repression of lawlessness in the Northern 

 Highlands and Isles the latter, according to the Statutes, 

 to be ruled by " the King's own laws and the common 

 laws of the realm and by no other laws." This suggestive 

 statement doubtless refers to the administration of rough 

 and ready justice by the local judges under the Lords 

 of the Isles. The Sheriffdom of Inverness at this time 

 included Ross, Caithness, and Sutherland. It was now 

 proposed to appoint a Sheriff for Ross, and another for 

 Caithness (including Sutherland) because, as the Act puts 

 it, there had been " great lacke and fault of justice in the 

 north parts as Caithness and Ross, for fault of the division 

 of the Schirefedome of Innerness, quhilk is over greate, 

 and thay parts are sa far distant from the said burgh of 

 Innerness." There is nothing to show that the Isles were 

 included in any mainland Sheriffdoms before this period. 

 The Sheriffdom of Skye was erected in 1292 and em- 

 braced the whole of the Long Island. But the dispensa- 

 tion of justice by the native judges must, in the incessantly 

 disturbed state of those parts, have necessarily possessed 

 peculiar features foreign to the spirit of the common law. 

 It was decided to change all that. Concurrently with the 



