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Published: September 12th 2022
This is my third blog about my ancestral visitations to Scotland. I recommend reading my previous two blogs at
Scottish Ancestral Visitations in Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, and Ayrshire and
Scottish Ancestral Visitations in Sterlingshire, Fife, Perth and Kinrosshire, Angus, and Aberdeenshire before reading this one.
My destination today was Tain, Ross-shire, where my Ross ancestors lived. According to my DNA, I'm 36 percent Norwegian, 32 percent English and Northwestern European, 27 percent Scots and a bit of Welsh and Swedish. Linda is 16 percent Scots, but as mentioned before, we share many Scottish ancestors.
My grandmother, Anna Elizabeth Weaver's parents were James McGee Weaver and Anna Elizabeth Ross. The Weavers were from Germany with Johannes Weber (5th ggf), a Moravian who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 1700s to avoid religious persecution. In this line I found Anna Elizabeth Luther (12th ggm), the sister of the Reformer Martin Luther, making him my 12th great granduncle.
My Ross lineage is a bit more interesting. My 6th great grandfather, Rev. George Aeneas Ross, 5th Laird of Balblair, was sent by the Church of England as a missionary to New Castle, Delaware in Jul 1705. I recounted the descendants of Rev. George Ross to my great grandmother Anna Elizabeth Ross in my previous blog at
In Search of Colonial Ancestors in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Drawing upon the book
"The Rossiana; Papers and Documents Relating to the History and Genealogy of the Ancient and Noble House of Ross, of Ross-shire, Scotland, and its Descent From the Ancient Earls of Ross..." written in 1850, I was able to track Rev. George's direct ancestors to the four Lairds of Balblair, five Lairds of Balmachy, a Laird of Shandwick, a Laird of Little Allen, four Lairds of Balnagowan (all of whom were the Chiefs of the Ross Clan), and four Mormaers (Earls) of Ross, to the progenitor Farquhar Mac an t-Sagairt Ó Beólláin (23rd ggf).
It was time to visit Ross-shire, just north of Inverness in the Highlands and home of the Ross Clan.
28 Aug 2022 Sunday. I left Alford for
Kildrummy Castle. Just days before I received an email informing me that Kildrummy Castle was closed. I drove there anyway, hoping that I could at least walk the grounds. I couldn't...the gate at the highway was closed. I could still see the castle, but what I saw wasn't worth a picture. The castle was built by Sir William de Mar, 5th Earl of Mar who was married to Lady Elizabeth Comyn (22nd ggps). Sir William I O'Beólláin de
Ross, 2nd Earl of Ross married Jean Comyn (21st ggps). As a consequence of these marriages, Sir William II, 3rd Earl of Ross who was married to Lady Euphemia de Berkeley (20th ggps) was a Comyn supporter, and was on the side of King Edward I, who was married to Queen Consort Eleanor de Castille (20th ggps), side in the War for Scottish Independence.
In his war with King Edward I of England. King Robert I the Bruce sent his wife Isabella of Mar (20th ggps) and family members to Killdrummy Castle. They were forced to flee Kildrummy Castle to Tain, Ross-shire. Here Sir William II, 3rd Earl of Ross captured the family, turning them over to King Edward I. King Edward I killed Bruce's brother Neil and treated the rest of the family most horribly. Isabella was kept in a iron cage hanging from the walls of Berwick Castle, exposed to the elements. This is all portrayed in the movie "The Outlaw King." King Robert I the Bruce won their release in a hostage exchange for Sir Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford who was married to Princess Elizabeth Plantagenet of Rhuddlan (19th ggps), daughter of King
Edward I. But instead of wreaking vengeance on Sir William II, King Robert pardoned him, and even gave his sister Maud (Matilda) in marriage to William II's son, Sir Hugh, 4th Earl of Ross (19th ggps). Their daughter Euphemia would marry, King Robert II (18th ggps), the first Stewart king of Scotland. In 1363 the castle became royal property. The castle was returned to the Earls of Mar in 1626. In 1654 Cromwell's forces attacked and dislodged the Royalist garrison and in 1690 the castle was damaged when Jacobite forces burnt the castle rather than risk it being occupied by Government troops.
My next stop was
Huntley Castle, originally an earth and timber mote-and-bailey fortification known as
Strathbogie Castle built by Sir Duncan McDuff, 5th Earl of Fife (25th ggf). In 1204 the castle was passed to his son Sir David of Strathbogie, 1st Earl of Atholl (24th ggf). His son, Sir John de Strathbogie, 2nd Earl of Atholl (23rd ggf) inherited the castle in 1270, but his support of Robert the Bruce in 1306 saw him arrested and executed by the English. He was followed by his son Sir David de Strathbogie, 3rd Earl of Atholl (22nd ggf)
who hosted Robert the Bruce in the castle in 1307. However, in early 1314 he changed sides to support the English. His timing could not have been worse as later that year the English army was routed at the Battle of Bannockburn, leaving King Robert I the Bruce in undisputed control of the country. He was stripped of his lands and died on 8 June 1278 at Carthage, Tunisia on the Eighth Crusade in the company of King Louis IX "The Saint" of France (22nd ggf). King Robert the Bruce granted the castle to Sir Adam Gordon, 7th Laird of Gordon (21st ggf), for his support in the Battle of Bannockburn. Sir Adam Gordon was killed at the Battle of Halidon Hill (1333) and was followed by his son Sir Alexander (20th ggf) who was killed at the Battle of Neville's Cross (1346), and his successor Sir John (19th ggf) who died at the Battle of Otterburn (1388) and he was followed by his son Sir Adam (18th ggf) who was killed at the Battle of Homildon Hill(1402). With such high fatalities it is perhaps not unsurprising the male line of the family failed in 1408.
The castle passed
through marriage to Sir Alexander Seton, 1st Lord Gordon who married Lady Elizabeth Gordon (16th ggps). His son Sir Alexander (15th ggf), who took Gordon as his surname, was created Earl of Huntly in 1445 at which time the castle was named Huntly Castle. He and became the King's chief lieutenant in North East Scotland responsible for fighting the Black Douglases who I mention in previous blogs. This prompted an attack on Huntly Castle by Sir Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray (16th great great uncle) who burned the castle. However, by 1455 the Black Douglases were defeated leaving the Earl of Huntly as undisputed master of the north-east. He replaced the castle with a palace. The palace was reduced to its present condition by Covenantor forces in 1647.
The next stop was Elgin Cathedral, otherwise known as the "Lantern of the North." The initial cathedral was established in 1224. After a damaging fire in 1270, a rebuilding program greatly enlarged the building. It was unaffected by the Wars of Scottish Independence, but again suffered extensive fire damage in 1390 following an attack by King Robert III's brother Sir Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan( both 18th ggf), also known as
the Wolf of Badenoch. Apparently he didn't get along very well with the Bishop of Moray!
I passed through Inverness into Ross-shire, where I visited
Balnagowan Castle, the seat of the Lairds of Balnagown, Chiefs of the Ross Clan. When I first researched visiting Balnagowan a couple of years ago, the estate, which was owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, also owner of Harrods and the father of Didi Al Fayed who died in the car crash with Princess Diana, was private. However, recently I noted that the estate has a number of venues and cottages for rent, so I thought I would give it a try. I arrived at the office at the estate gate, and finding no one there, I rang all the buttons. Soon I heard someone on the intercom, and I explained the reason I was there. The estate agent arrived to escort me on a tour of the private portion of the estate which included the castle. He told me that Sir Al Fayed bought the castle in 1972 for 60,000 pounds, and since then bought tens of thousands of acres to expand the estate. He rarely visits anymore since he is in his 90's.
In 1372, King Robert II, who married Euphemia Ross (18th ggps), passed the title of the Earls of Ross to the Leslie family, with Euphemia's brother Sir Hugh Ross assuming the title of 1st Laird of Balnagowan (18th ggf). Perhaps this is the only retribution that the family suffered as a consequence of Hugh and Euphemia's father having turned over King Robert the Bruce's family to King Edward I. The present castle reflects improvements made in the 18th and 19th centuries.
I moved on to Mansfield Castle, a Victorian structure...not a medieval castle, in Tain, Ross-shire, where I spent the night.
29 Aug 2022 Monday. My first stop in the immediate area around Tain was the Balblair Distillery, as my ancestors were the Lairds of Balblair. I had reserved a place on the tour, and found myself being the only one, thus having a private tour of the distillery. I was amazed at how precise the process had to be, with constant temperature controls, to produce whisky. At the end I sampled some 10 and 12 year old whisky. The only difference affecting taste is that 12 year old whisky has two more years of
evaporation; thus is stronger. I preferred the 10 year old whisky and brought some drams home with me for future celebrations!
My ultimate destination for the day was Oban. Heading southwest, lies the Great Glen a geological fault line that divides the Scottish Highlands in half. Loch Ness fills the first half of the glen, with the River Oich and Caledonian Canal completing the second half. Loch Ness has plenty of room for sea monsters to hide from tourists. My next stop of the day was at
Urquhart Castle, built in about 1230. In 1275, King Alexander II granted the castle to Sir John "the Red" Comyn, Earl of Badenoch (20th ggf). King Edward I captures the castle in 1296 at the beginning of the Wars of Scottish Independence. Following his murder of the Red Comyn in 1306, Robert the Bruce completed his defeat of the Comyns when he marched through the Great Glen in 1307, taking the castles of Inverlochy, Urquhart and Inverness. After this time Urquhart became a royal castle, held for the crown by a series of constables. Linda and I had failed to spot the Loch Ness Monster in previous visits starting in 1974. Since
our last visit in 1980, a visitor center has been constructed which includes a display on the history of the site, including a series of replicas from the medieval period; a cinema; a restaurant; and shop. I started with the movie. At the end of the movie screen rises revealing the castle and loch. But again, no Nessie!
On the way to Oban, I passed
Castle Stalker, a keep located on an islet on Loch Laich, and made famous in "Monty Python' and the Holy Grail," where it appears in the final scene as "The Castle of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh." The original castle was a small fort, built around 1320 by Clan MacDougall who were then Lords of Lorn. Around 1388 the Stewarts took over the Lordship of Lorn, and it is believed that they built the castle in its present form around the 1440s. A drunken bet around 1620 resulted in the castle passing to Clan Campbell.
Next was
Dunstaffnage Castle, This castle existed from the time of Somerled, Lord of the Isles (1081-1164) (22
nd ggf). A hundred years later, it became the seat of the progenitor of the MacDougal clan, Duncan MacDougal, Lord of Lorn and King of
the Isles (20
th ggf). His son Ewen MacDougal (19
th ggf) expanded the MacDougall influence, styling himself "King of the Isles" though that title belonged to the MacDonalds. Following King Alexander III’s repulse of the Norse at the Battle of Largs, Ewan MacDougal switched allegiance from King Håkon IV of Norway (24th ggf) to the Scottish monarchy. In 1293 Ewen's son Alexander (18
th ggf) was made the 1st High Sheriff of Argyll. However, they supported the Balliol side during the Wars of Scottish Independence which broke out a few years later. King Robert the Bruce defeated the Clan MacDougall at the Battle of Brander Pass in 1308 or 1309, and after a brief siege, took control of Dunstaffnage Castle. In 1431 King James I (17
th ggf) seized the castle. In 1470 King James III (15th ggf) granted Dunstaffnage to Sir Collin Campbell, 1st Lord of Glen Orchy (15
th ggf). Dunstaffnage saw action during the Civil War, holding out against the Royalist army in 1644. Nearby
Dunollie Castle shares the same history Dunstaffnage Castle.
I ended the day in Oban, which serves as the "Gateway to the Hebrides Isles." From here I would take the Caledonia-MacBrayne ferry to the Isles
of Mull and Iona. I checked into the Premier Inn for two nights, and then walked around the town. I had delicious fish and chips for dinner and sat on the waterfront admiring a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, my smart phone/camera was back at the hotel being recharged.
30 Aug 2022 Tuesday. I took the tour to Iona, which included ferry and bus transportation to and from Mull and Iona. Iona is a holy isle described as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. St Columba and 12 companions came here from Ireland in AD 563. The monastery they founded was one of the most important and influential in the British Isles. It sent missionaries to northern Britain to convert people to Christianity. St Columba’s fame has brought pilgrims to Iona since the 7th century. I followed the Sràid nam Marbh (‘Street of the Dead’) in the footsteps of the pilgrims of old, ending at a 13th-century abbey, which stands on the site of St. Columba’s church. This would be one of my shorter pilgrimage walks...the one mile round trip distance from the harbor to the abbey. By now I had recovered from my fall on the first day. The only
visible remains of St Columba’s monastery is Tòrr an Aba (‘Hill of the Abbot’) where Columba is said to have had his writing hut. Viking raids in the 9th and 10th century had much to do with the destruction. The existing abbey, St. Oran's Chapel, was built in the mid 1100s AD. Many kings of Scotland were born or buried there, including King Kenneth I "The Conqueror" MacAlpine, 1st King of Scotland (33rd ggf) born on Iona in 810 AD; his son King Constantine I (32nd ggf) born on Iona in 836 AD; and King Kenneth II (29th ggf) born on Iona in 932 AD.
I caught the ferry back to Fionnphorte, Mull, and when boarding the bus was asked to show my ticket. That morning I dressed in layers believing that the ocean crossing would be cold. However, the day was perfect...blue skies and 71 degrees (as was every day of my 12 day visit to Scotland). I mentioned this to a Scot who replied that the day was too hot! So when I was asked for my ticket, I was carrying my windbreaker which had my ticket, several layers of fleece long sleeve shirts and my walking
stick. In the process of twisting and turning, I had a second episode of my legs collapsing, but this time I really hurt my left knee. Driving became even more difficult as I had to use that leg to depress the clutch at every blind curve and hill. (Upon returning home. this was a clue for my doctor who thought I might have a pinched nerve in my spinal column...but further tests are necessary.) The company was about to call for an ambulance, but I insisted that I would be OK if someone would just help me stand and climb the steps. A strong Italian tourist provided that support. When the bus arrived at Craignure I was met with a wheelchair, and was taken aboard the ferry. I had a nice conversation with some tourists from Georgia. Their daughter kept a dairy of her travels. I told her that I used Travelblog, which she found in her phone. I expect to welcome her as a blogger soon. I returned to Oban for second night. I had three scoops of real gelato for supper. This splurge was exceptional as I lost five pounds during the trip. The sky was too void
of clouds for an amazing sunset.
31 Aug 2022 Wednesday Before I left the Highlands I had one more castle to visit, the very photogenic
Kilchurn Castle. Kilchurn Castle was built before 1449 by Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Lord of Glenorchy (15th ggf). Thereafter his branch of the family became known as the Campbells of Glenorchy, the most powerful branch of Clan Campbell. Over two centuries from the 1430s came to dominate the central Highlands. The building of several castles, of which Kilchurn was the first, was a key part of their territorial expansion during this period. However, I couldn't find a place to stop, and besides, the castle was just a silhouette due to the sun angle...so no picture.
My visit to the castles of the Lothians can be found at my next blog.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Many Distilleries
So little time.