122 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



appears to have rendered valuable assistance in the re- 

 duction of Lewis. On arrival at Stornoway, Huntly 

 bombarded the castle, which, after a prolonged siege, was 

 captured. Donald Dubh who, after Maclean's submission, 

 had again taken refuge in Stornoway, was carried South 

 in triumph, and imprisoned in Edinburgh and subsequently 

 in Stirling Castle. Torquil Macleod's fate is uncertain, 

 but he seems to have escaped and to have lived until 

 about 1511. 



This Torquil was perhaps the most remarkable chief of 

 the Lewis Macleods. The Dean of Lismore quotes the 

 eulogy of a contemporary bard, from which, after making 

 due allowance for the usual extravagance of language, it 

 is evident that Torquil was a man of whom Lewis was 

 proud. Thus the bard (who was probably attached to the 

 chiefs household) : " I say of him and say in truth since I 

 have come so well to know him, that never was there of 

 his age better king who ruled in Lewis." And again : 

 " Not braver of his age was Cuchullin nor hardier was he 

 than Torquil him of the ready vigorous arm, who boldly 

 breaks through any breach." And so on in the same 

 strain.* 



The Earl of Huntly now became the most powerful 

 nobleman in the North, and the Northern Hebrides were 

 placed under his jurisdiction, while the South Isles were 

 handed over to the lieutenancy of the Earl of Argyll. 

 And thus ended the insurrection of Donald Dubh. It 

 was not without beneficial results to the Hebrides, for it 

 convinced the Government that their scheme of displacing 

 the Islesmen in a wholesale fashion was bound to fail, 

 and it was accordingly abandoned. A century later, the 

 plan was re-introduced in a more insidious form, but, as 

 we shall see, the attempt again proved a disastrous 

 failure. 



Mackay of Strathnaver was rewarded for his services in 

 Lewis by a charter dated 6th March, 1508, which granted 



* The eulogy is given in full in the Dean of Lism ore's book ; it is 

 interesting specimen of its kind. 



