amgarvie　in　1187；　and　Kenneth　　Mac　Eth；　a　son　or　grandson　of　Malcolm　Mac　Eth；　with　the　son　of　one　of　　the　Irish　provincial　kings；　and　burst　into　the　Province　of　Moray　at　the　bead　　of　　a　large　band　of　malcontents。　　A　very　important　auxiliary；　however；　now　　joined　the　party　of　the　king。　This　was　Ferquhard　or　Fearchar　Macintagart；　　the　son　of　the　‘Sagart'　or　priest　who　was　the　lay　possessor　of　the　extensive　　possessions　of　the　old　monastery　founded　by　the　Irish　Saint　Maelrubba　at　Applecross　in　the　seventh　century。　　Its　possessions　lay　between　the　district　　of　Ross　and　the　Western　Sea　and　extended　from　Lochcarron　to　Loch　Ewe　　and　Loch　Maree；　and　Ferquhard　was　thus　in　reality　a　powerful　Highland　　chief　commanding　the　population　of　an　extensive　western　region。　　The　　insurgents　were　assailed　by　him　with　great　vigour；　entirely　crushed；　and　　their　leaders　taken；　who　be　at　once　beheaded　and　presented　their　heads　to　the　new　king　as　a　welcome　gift　on　the　15th　of　June；　when　he　was　knighted　　by　the　king　as　a　reward　for　his　prompt　assistance。〃
  The　district　then　known　as　North　Argyle　consisted　chiefly　of　the　possessions　of　this　ancient　monastery　of　Appercrossan　or　Applecross。　Its　inhabitants　had　hithertoalong　with　those　of　South　Argyle；　which　　extended　from　Lochcarron　to　the　Firth　of　Clydemaintained　a　kind　of　　semi…independence；　but　in　1222　they　were；　by　their　lay　possessor；　Ferchair　　Mac　an　t'Sagairt；　who　was　apparently　the　grandson　or　great…grandson　of　　Gillandres；　one　of　the　six　earls　who　besieged　Malcolm　IV。　at　Perth　in　　1160；　brought　into　closer　connection　with　the　crown。　　The　lay　Abbots　of　　which　Ferquhard　was　the　head　were　the　hereditary　possessors　of　all　the　　extensive　territories　which　had　for　centuries　been　ruled　and　owned　by　this　old　and　powerful　Celtic　monastery。　　As　a　reward　for　his　services　against　　the　men　of　Moray　in　1215　and　for　the　great　services　which；　in　1222；　he　　again　rendered　to　the　King　in　the　subjugation　of　the　whole　district　then　　known　as　Argyle；　extending　from　the　Clyde　to　Lochbroom；　he　received　　additional　honours。　　In　that　campaign　known　as　〃the　Conquest　of　Argyle；〃　　Ferquhard　led　most　of　the　western　tribes；　and　for　his　prowess；　the　Celtic　earldom；　which　was　then　finally　annexed　to　the　Crown　and　made　a　feudal　　appanage；　was　conferred　on　him　with　the　title　of　Earl　of　Ross；　and　he　is　so　　designated　in　a　charter　dated　1234。　　He　is　again　on　record；　under　the　same　　title；　in　1235　and　1236。　　Regarding　an　engagement　which　took　place　be…tween　Alexander　II。　and　the　Gallowegians；　in　1235；　the　Chronicle　of　Melrose　says；　that　〃at　the　beginning　of　the　battle　the　Earl　of　Ross；　called　　Macintagart；　came　up　and　attacked　the　enemies　（of　the　King）　in　the　rear；　　and　as　soon　as　they　perceived　this　they　took　to　flight　and　retreated　into　the　　woods　and　mountains；　but　they　were　followed　up　by　the　Earl　and　several　　others；　who　put　many　of　them　to　the　sword；　and　harassed　them　as　long　as　　daylight　lasted。〃　In　Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　II；　p。412；　it　is　stated　that　the　　hereditary　lay　priests　of　which　he　was　the　chief　〃according　to　tradition；　bore　the　name　of　O'Beollan〃；　and　MacVuirich；　in　the　Black　Book　of　Clanranald；　says　that　from　Ferquhard　was　descended　Gillapatrick　the　Red；　　son　of　Roderick；　and　known　traditionally　as　the　Red　Priest；　whose　　daughter；　at　a　later　date；　married　and　carried　the　monastery　lands　of　　Lochalsh　and　Lochcarron　to　the　Macdonalds　of　the　Isles。
  In　one　of　the　Norse　Sagas　the　progenitor　of　Ferquhard　is　　designated　〃　King；〃　just　the　same　as　the　great　Somerled　and　some　of　his　descendants　had　been　called　at　a　later　date。　　Referring　to　Helgi；　son　of　　Ottar；　the　Landnamabok　Saga　records　that　〃he　made　war　upon　Scotland　　and　carried　off　prisoner　Nidbjorga；　the　daughter　of　King　Bjolan；　and　of　　Kadliner；　daughter　or　Ganga　Rolf；〃　or　Rollo；　who；　as　already　stated；　afterwards　became　the　celebrated　Earl　of　Normandy。　　Writing　of　Alexander；　third　Earl　of　Ross　and　Lord　of　the　Isles；　　Hugh　Macdonald；　the　Sleat　historian；　says　that
  〃He　was　a　man　born　to　much　trouble　all　his　life　time。　First　he　took　　to　him　the　concubine　daughter　of　Patrick　Obeolan；　surnamed　the　Red；　　who　was　a　very　beautiful　woman。　　This　surname　Obeolan　was　the　surname　　of　the　Earls　of　Ross；　till　Farquhar；　born　in　Ross；　was　created　earl　by　King　　Alexander；　and　so　carried　the　name　of　Ross　since；　as　best　answering　the　　English　tongue。　　This　Obeolan　had　its　descent　of　the　ancient　tribe　of　　Manapii；　of　this　tribe　is　also　St。　Rice　or　Ruffus。　Patrick　was　an　Abbot　and　　had　Carlebay　in　the　Lewis；　and　the　Church　lands　in　that　country；　with　18　　mark　lands　in　Lochbroom。　He　bad　two　sons　and　a　daughter。　　The　sons　were　called　Normand　and　Austin　More；　so　called　from　his　excessive　strength　and　corpulency。　　This　Normand　had　daughters　that　were　great　　beauties；　one　of　whom　was　married　to　Mackay　of　Strathnavern　one　to　　Dugall　MacRanald；　Laird　of　Mudort；　one　to　MacLeod　of　Assint；　one　to　　MacDuffie；　and　another；　the　first；　to　Maclean　of　Bororay。　Patrick's　　daughter　bore　a　son　to　Alexander；　Lord　of　the　Isles　and　Earl　of　Ross；　who　was　called　Austin　（Uisdean　or　Hugh）　or　as　others　say；　Augustine。　　She　was　twice　before　the　King；　as　Macdonald　could　not　be　induced　to　part　with　　her；　on　occasion　of　her　great　beauty。　The　King　said；　that　it　was　no　wonder　　that　such　a　fair　damsel　had　enticed　Macdonald。〃　＇Collectanea　de　Rebus　　Albanicis；　pp。　304…305。＇
  It　is　not　intended　here　to　discuss　whether　Hugh　of　Sleat　and　his　elder　brother　Celestine　of　Lochalsh　were　illegitimate　or　not。　They　were　so　　called　by　their　father；　Earl　Alexander；　and　by　their　brother；　Earl　John。　　The　　first　describes　Celestine　as　〃filius　naturalis〃　in　a　charter　preserved　in　the　　　Mackintosh　charter　chest；　dated　1447；　and　Earl　John　calls　his　brother　　Austin　or　Hugh　〃frater　carnalis〃　in　two　charters；　dated　respectively　1463　and　1470。　　This　goes　far　to　corroborate　the　Sleat　historian；　who　was　not　the　least　likely　to　introduce　illegitimacy　into　his　own　favourite　family　　unless　the　charge　was　really　true。　　It　is　instructive　to　find　that　Celestine　　succeeded　to　all　the　lands　of　the　monastery　of　Applecross　in　Lochalsh；　　Lochcarron；　and　Lochbroom。　These　lay　abbots　are　also　said　to　have　held；　　under　the　old　Earls　of　Ross；　the　Sleat　district　of　the　Isle　of　Skye；　which　　Hugh；　first　of　that　family；　is　alleged　to　have　inherited　　through　his　mother；　　daughter　of　the　Red　Priest　and　a　descendant　of　Farquhar　Mac　an　t'Sagairt；　Earl　of　Ross。　　It　will　be　observed　also　that　Austin；　Uisdean；　or　Hugh；　a　　common　name　among　the　Applecross　and　old　Earl　of　Ross　dynasty；　comes　　into　the　Macdonald　family　for　the　first　time　at　this　period；　after　Earl　　Alexander　of　the　Macdonald　line　had　formed　a　union　with　the　daughter　of　　the　last　lay　Abbot　of　Applecross。　　Skene　distinctly　affirms　that　Hugh　　Macdonald　of　Sleat　was　the　son　of　Earl　Alexander　by　a　daughter　of　this　　Gille…Padruig　（Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　III。　p。　298）　while　Gregory　suggests　　that　the　words　naturalis　and　carnalis　used　by　Hugh's　father　and　brother　in　　the　charters　already　quoted　〃were　used　to　designate　the　issue　of　those　　handfast　or　left…handed　marriages　which　appear　to　have　been　so　common　　in　the　Highlands　and　Isles。〃　＇Western　Highlands　and　Isles；　p。41＇　　Whether　the　Sleat　district　of　Skye　was　or　was　not　carried　for　the　first　time　to　the　Macdonald　Earls　of　Ross　and　Lords　of　the　Isles　by　this　union　with　a　　member　of　the　family　of　the　original　O'Beolan　Earls；　it　is　perfectly　clear　　that　the　latter　had　an　intimate　connection　with　the　Sleat　district　at　a　much　　earlier　period。
  Saint　Maelrubba；　who　is　first　heard　of　in　Britain　in　671；　two　years　later；　in　673；　founded　the　original　Church　of　Applecross　〃from　which　as　a　centre　he　evangelised　the　whole　of　the　western　districts　lying　between　　Loch　Carron　and　Loch　Broom；　as　well　as　the　south　and　west　parts　of　the　　Island　of　Skye；　and　planted　churches　in　Easter　Ross　and　elsewhere。〃　　＇Celtic　Scotland；　Vol。　II。　p。　166。＇　　It　is　at　least　interesting　to　find　these　　lands　going　to　and　afterwards　remaining　in　possession　of　the　two　sons　of　　Earl　Alexander　who　are　said　to　have　　been　　illegitimate；　when　all　their　　other　enormous　possessions　were　in　1493　finally　forfeited　to　the　Crown。　　　Hugh；　who　possessed　Sleat　during　the　life　of　his　father　and　brother；　receives　a　Crown　charter　of　these　lands　under　the　Great　Seal　two　years　　after；　in　1495；　although　his　brother　John；　fourth　and　last　Lord　of　the　Isles；　　was　still　alive；　his　death　not　having　occurred　until　1498；　three　years　later。　　Sir　Robert　Gordon　（Earldom　　of　Scotland；　p。　36）　shows　that　the　　Rosses　were　originally　designated　O'Beolan　and　Gillanders　　indiscriminately；　according　to　the　writer's　or　speaker's　fancy。　　He　says　　that
  〃From　the　second　son　of　the　Earl　of　Ross　the　lairds　of　Balnagowan　are　descended；　and　had　by　inheritance　the　lands　of　Rariechies　and　Coulleigh；　where　you　may　observe　that　the　laird　of　Balnagowan's　surname　　should　not　be　Ross；　seeing　that　there　was　never　any　Earl　of　Ross　of　that　　surname；　but　the　Earls　of　Ross　were　first　of　the　surname　of　Beolan；　then　　they　were　Leslies；　and　last　of　all　that　earldom　fell　by　inheritance　to　the　　Lords　of　the　Isles；　who　resigned　the　same　unto　king　James　the　Third's　　bands；　in　the　year　of　God　1477。　　So　I　do　think　that　the　lairds　of　　Balnagowan；　perceiving　the　Earls　of　Ross