258 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



In a letter dated ?th April, 1613, written by Sir Thomas 

 Hamilton to the King, it is stated that Neil died at his 

 execution " verie Christianlie." And why not, it has been 

 asked, seeing his only offence was the defence of his 

 family's property against outside aggression ? If this 

 argument were true in fact, there would be nothing but 

 praise for a man who so gallantly and persistently 

 defended his native island against a gang of land-grabbers. 

 But no one who examines impartially the record of Neil 

 Macleod can resist the conclusion that he was a truculent 

 and treacherous ruffian, the only redeeming feature in his 

 character being his undoubted bravery, and his deter- 

 mination, at all costs, to retain unimpaired his own 

 independence, and that of his fellow Lewismen, from 

 foreign domination. It may be urged that his actions 

 were only a reflection of the spirit of the times in which 

 he lived, and that the circumstances of his environment 

 furnish a sufficient excuse for his crimes. Judged, how- 

 ever, even by that low standard, it is impossible to gloss 

 over the perfidy which betrayed a brother to his enemies 

 and an ally to his doom, for the sake, in each case, of 

 material advantages; or the cold-blooded massacre of 

 inoffensive fishermen ; or other incidents in his career 

 which have been noticed. It can only be regretted that 

 the most notable figure in the struggle for independence 

 against the chartered instruments of King James's ruth- 

 less scheme of extirpation, should be so bloodstained as 

 to vitiate any claim to hero-worship, or even to whole- 

 hearted respect. Otherwise, a monument might well be 

 erected in Stornoway to the memory of Neil Macleod, 

 the patriot. 



Neil's associates on Birsay seem to have taken refuge 

 in South Uist with Donald MacAllan, Captain of Clan 

 Ranald. On 4th March, 1613, a complaint was made at 

 the instance of Sir William Oliphant of Newton, the 

 King's Advocate, setting forth that all the chieftains and 

 principal men of the Isles had made submission to the 

 Crown, with the exception of Neil Macleod and his 



