ROMANCE OF BADENOCH

Evening Star, Issue 20586, 11 September 1930, Page 16

ROMANCE OF BADENOCH

HIGHLAND LORDSHIP FAMOUS IN HISTORY BAROHS WHO DEFIED KINGS In all the broad Highlands of Scotland, is there any district which retains within its borders such memories of loyalty and of chivarly, of romance and of bloodshed, as the Lordship of Badenoch (writes G. R. Francis, in ‘John o’ London’s Weekly’)? It is confined within a comparatively small area, but it contains some of tho wildest and finest scenery, and two of the most beautiful of Scotland’s lakes— Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan. It is traversed throughout its entire length from west to. east by the Spey, the swiftest river in Scotland, from its rise in a tiny “ lochan ” hard by tho Corryarrick Bass to Rothiemurchus, in the Grant country beyond the Kirk of Alvie—the last appointed meeting place of Lord George Murray witli Cluny Macpherson in “ tho ’45,” whence they successfully raided and captured thirty English garrisoned posts just prior to the Battle of Culloden. Through it also now runs, from south to north, the magnificent “ Highland Road ” from the “ Boar of Badenoch ’ (“An Tore,” 2,455 ft high), over the Drumochter Pass down to the little township of Dalwhinnie, thence through Glen Truim and on to Kingusic—the ancient “ Capital ” of the Lordship—and to Aviemore. Of other roads there are none, save General Wade’s old military road, from Dalwhinnie by Breakachy to Loch Laggan, and the “ Spur ” which links Glen Roy and Glen Spean with Glen Spey. GENERAL WADE’S ROAD. General Wade’s road is in itself a romance, because its construction was the beginning of tho end of the old Highland traditions which it was specially devised to break down, by tho easy passage of troops from Perth to Fort Augustus and Fort William. Its original making must have been a wonderful engineering feat, through tho trackless wastes that existed at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and its narrowness can be judged from one of the few remaining portions of it in its original condition—the bridge, a mile south of Dalwhinnie, over the little Truim River beside the Drumochter Pass. Now all is changed and splendid highways run for the most part over the site of Wade’s old roads, and are beloved of Sassenach motoring tourists passing from Perth to Inverness or Fort William. DEFIANT LAIRDS. But if the scenery between the borders which I have outlined is unrivalled in its varied magnificence, what shall we say of its history and traditions? Wo know that so-called “ Britons ” occupied a part of the area of Badenoch, and on Speyside, within a mile of Kingussie, are of Roman occupation in tho third century, probably of the Emperor Soverus, but of the Badenoch of these very early times we have no written record. Its known history begins in the reign of Alexander IJL, when the powerlul family of the Comyns were in possession of the entire Lordship, and from their stronghold at Ruthven, in concert with John Balliol, they defied the English Henry 111., who had married his daughter to the King of Scots. Walter Cornyn, Earl of Montieth, was of the ancient blood-royal; he was poisoned by his countess out of love for one of tho English plenipotentiaries, who she married in indecent haste after her first husband’s death—an event which resulted in tho loss ot their estates and banishment. Walter was succeeded by John Comyn—the first heritor to be styled “ Lord of Badenoch,” who at onco tested his power and influence by claiming the crown on tho death of Queen Margaret the “ Maid of Norway.” Ho was, however, obliged to withdraw his pretensions and be content with recognition as “ Premier Lord of Scotland,” and as such was to render homage to Edward 1., of England, and serve in his wars in Gascony. THE BLACK AND THE RED COMYNS. This powerful baron was known as “ The Black Comyn he was married to a sister of John de Balliol, and supported tho latter in his claim to tho Crown of Scotland as a vassal of the English King against Robert do Bruce. During BalhoTs turbulent reign, “ The Black Comyn ” died, to he succeeded by his son, Sir John, known as “ The Red Comyn,” to distinguish him from his father. The new Lord of Badenoch was obliged to vield to tho victorious English King Edward 1., who had already removed tho ancient Coronation Stono from Scono to Westminster, with tho Scottish regalia, as symbols of his feudal authority. STABBED AT THE ALTAR. Robert tho Bruco entered into a secret compact with tho Red Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, that they should mutually support each other’s claims to tho Throne of Scotland against the English King, but whilst Bruce was at the English Court ho was betrayed by Comyn, and the pact discovered to King Edward. Bruce fled to Scotland, and the treachery of Comyn being clearly proved, he charged the proud Baron with it, and upon Comyn giving him tho lie direct m the Convent of the Minorite Friars in Dumfries, Bruce stabbed him 1,0 tho heart with his dagger on the steps of the High Altar. _ , , ~ Tho title of “ Lord of Badenoch was revived by Robert 11., a son of Walter the Steward and Margery Bruce, who was a daughter of Robert the Bruce, in. favour of his fourth son, Alexander, and the ferocity and predatory character of this Baron soon earned for him the title of “ Tho Wolf of Badenoch.” He continued to reside in the Castle of Ruthven, a strong hold built by the Comyns on a hill south of the Spey, whence he exercised a despotic sway over the district, and spread terror and desolation around him. TOWN-BURNING. He ravaged the country to tho north as the result of a feud with the Bishop of Moray, burnt the towns of Elgin and Forres, and utterly destroyed the cathedral m the former place. For this he was excommunicated, and died in 1394. He lies buried in tho old Cathedral Church of Dunkeld. The “ Wolf of Badenoch ” was succeeded by a natural son, Duncan, and from him tho Lordship passed into the hands of the Earl of Huntley, being afterwards continued for several cen tunes under the feudal sway of the Dukes of Gordon. In 1.597 a deputa tion from tho Scottish General Assembly visited Badenoch, and one of their number, in reporting his obser-

vations on the manners and customs of the inhabitants of that wild and then inaccessible region, wrote:— “ Indeid I have ever sensyne regrated the Esteat of our Hielands, an am sure gif Chryst was pretched amang them they wald scham monio Lawland professours.” A wonderful tribute to the piety of the natives of the then remote mountain fastnesses! . ENTER CROMWELL. The seventeenth century was to find the romance and military importance of Badonoch enormously increased. The powerful Clan Chattan, under the chiefship of the Laird of Cluny on the banks of the Spey, had become possessors of the entire district, and in the troublous times of the Civil War it was loyal to King Charles until it was overrun, and the Castle of Ruthven captured, by the Covenanting troops under General David Leslie. Cromwell had his iron grip on the Royalist forces, and on January 12, 1648, Cluny and all his principal vassals and adherents were tried by the Synod of Moray at Forres as “ malicious bloody enemies of the State for their rebellione ”; they wore obliged to confess, and were ordered to “ tak on sackcloth and acknowledge their heartie sorrow upon their knees and in tymo coming to amend their former miscarriage.” KILLIECRANKIE. The next principal happening in the affairs of Badenoch was the rising of Grahame of Claverhouse (“ Bonnie Dundee ”) in his gallant attempt to secure the re-establishment of the selfexiled King James 11. against William 111, Dundee traversed Badenocji at least five times, either in pursuit of, or retreating before, the English general, Sir Hugh Maekie, of Scourie, who had placed a garrison of the Grants in Ruthven Castle under Captain John Forbes of Culloden. Claverhouse laid siege to the stronghold, captured it, and gave the building to the flames. The last letter ever written by the gallant Claverhouse is still preserved at Cluny Castle; in it he begs the “ Laird of Cluny ” to join the Royalist forces at once, but whilst Cluny was actually marching through his lands of Badenoch, Killiecrankie was fought and won, and the silver tongue and the facile pen of the Graeme were alike for ever stilled in the moment of victory. . Badenoch and Speyside were subsequently ravaged by the English troops in reprisal for Cluny’s loyalty to the Stuarts, but. nothing daunted, that Chief again declared for the Royal line in 1715 in Mar’s ill-fatod rising, and again Badonoch witnessed “ the marching of men ” as her best and bravest flocked to the Royal Standard. Her borders were not invaded on this occasion, but three years later the Government rebuilt the Castle of Ruthven as a barracks, by way of a threat in the event of further attempts, and garrisoned it with English soldiers. THE ANCESTOR OF THE BLACK WATCH. In Badenoch, too, was formed the far-famed Cluny’s Watch, which was the forerunner of Lord Loudoun’s Highland Companies, and of the Black Watch itself. Extant documents show that cattle-lifting was so prevalent that all the local landowners banded together to put down outlaws: Cluny Maopherson volunteered to police the district with his own clan, and did so with considerable success for a year or two, until the Government took the matter in hand, and gave the gallant young chief—Ewan Macpherson of Cluny—a commission in Lord Loudoun’s regiment early in 1745, on taking over his task. In a future article I purpose to continue this short story of the Lordship of Badenoch at the very acme of its romance in the stirring events of 1745, when twice _ it witnessed the passing of Prince Charles Edward’s Highland army in surely the maddest and probably the most thrilling challenge ever thrown out to the might of England!