152 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



mother was a Mackenzie, but on account of the enmity 

 which existed between them and the Gairloch branch of 

 the Siol Torquil an enmity which had recently been 

 strengthened by the atrocities of Ruari Macleod (" the 

 Venomous ") of Gairloch, who had murdered, among 

 others, the sons of Janet Mackenzie by Ian na Tuaighe 

 of Raasay. 



After a captivity of four years, Ruari Macleod was 

 induced to acknowledge in the most practical manner the 

 legitimacy of Torquil Conanach. Being brought as a 

 prisoner before the Earl of Mar, who succeeded the Earl 

 of Lennox as Regent (the latter having had but a short 

 tenure of office after the assassination of the Earl of 

 Moray), he was forced to resign his estates to the Crown. 

 Torquil Conanach then received by charter dated I4th 

 February, 1571-2, a grant of the whole property, com- 

 prising Lewis, Assynt, Coigeach, and Waternish, with 

 a life rent to Ruari, who formally resigned his interest to 

 Torquil. The latter is designated his lawful son and heir, 

 thus setting the Royal seal on his legitimacy, which how- 

 ever, it is unnecessary to say, was no proof of the correct- 

 ness of the designation. The charter provided, that failing 

 legal male heirs of Torquil, the estates were to go to 

 Malcolm Macleod of Raasay, failing whom, to the nearest 

 legitimate male heirs of Torquil, bearing the name and 

 arms of Macleod.* The charter was granted on condition 

 of Ruari and Torquil remaining good and obedient servants 

 of the Crown. Thus the quarrel between father and son 

 appeared to be satisfactorily settled, Mackenzie of Kintail 

 being probably instrumental in securing so favourable a 

 settlement for his protege. But the peace thus patched 

 up proved to be a hollow affair. No sooner was Ruari 

 released from prison, than by an instrument of revocation, 

 dated 2nd June, I572,t he withdrew all promises made 

 during his captivity, on the ground of coercion and the 

 unfilial conduct of Torquil. The plea of force majeure 



* Reg. Mag. Sig. (1546-1580), No. 2,019. 



t The document is in the Dunvegan Charter-Chest. 



