AUTHOR’S NOTE
Most of the main characters in the novel are loosely based on actual historical figures. “Tor” was the first chief and progenitor of Clan MacLeod (and great grandfather six times over of Rory MacLeod from Highlander Untamed). In the early fourteenth century, however, the clans as we think of them today were in their infancy. Even the term “Highlander” is probably anachronistic—the Oxford English Dictionary’s first “highlandman” citation is c.1425—but both fiction (Nigel Tranter) and nonfiction (G.W.S. Barrow) authors use the term for the period. I assume they found, like I did, that there really isn’t a good alternative. Besides, what fun is it to read a Scottish romance without a “Highlander”?
The two branches of Clan MacLeod, the MacLeods of Harris and MacLeods of Lewis, are known as “Siol Thormoid” and “Siol Thorcuil,” respectively—literally the seed of Tormod and seed of Torquil. New work on MacLeod genealogy contravenes the previously accepted genealogy of Tormod and Torquil as brothers, instead suggesting Torquil might have been his grandson (the son of Murdoch). Seven hundred years after the fact, it is impossible to ascertain the genealogy for certain. I decided to use the traditional version, both for simplicity and because it’s the one still used by the current Chief of MacLeod on the Dunvegan website. Similarly, Tor’s patrilineage in Chapter One from the King of Norway and the King of Man is also greatly simplified and disputed.
Most genealogists agree that Tor was married twice and that his second wife was Christina Fraser, the sister of Alexander (a close cohort of Bruce, who later marries his sister Mary) and Simon, the first Lord Lovat. Christina’s father was a prisoner in England for a time, but unlike in the story his family accompanied him. Presumably, Christina and her brothers would have spent some time at the English court.
Tor’s marriage alliances are a perfect illustration of the shift that is taking place in the Western Isles during the period, from independent sea kingdom to Scottish fiefdom. His first marriage is with an important family on the western seaboard, his second with the daughter of a Scottish noble.
The raid on Skye by the Earl of Ross actually occurred a couple of decades earlier than I suggested, in 1262. It was as brutal as I described, including the killing of children. The death of Tor’s parents during the raid, however, is fiction.
According to some traditions, Torquil MacLeod received his lands in Lewis by killing all the male members of the Nicolson clan (by drowning them in the Minch) and then marrying the heiress daughter. I thought that was perhaps a little harsh for most readers’ taste and decided to put a more romantic spin on the story.
The politics surrounding the First War of Scottish Independence are, to put it mildly, extremely complicated. For those interested in delving deeper into the period, I highly recommend G.W.S. Barrow’s Robert Bruce (Edinburgh University Press, 2005). For an entertaining historical fiction account, Nigel Tranter’s The Bruce Trilogy (Hodder Headline, 1985) is a classic.
The relationship between Bruce and Wallace was much more complex than I’ve made it. They both wanted the English out of Scotland, but Wallace wanted the Balliol family restored to the crown while Bruce wanted the crown for himself. As suggested by Tor’s criticism of him in Chapter One, Bruce did flip-flop back and forth between the “patriot” side and the English. Bruce’s actions can usually be explained by looking at whom the Balliols/Comyns supported—usually you’ll find him on the other side.
I glossed over what is probably the low point of Bruce’s life: the murder of his rival Red Comyn before the altar at the Greyfriars church. The accounts of events leading up to the murder are greatly disputed. One of the “romantic” versions (now discredited) is of a pact with Comyn and intercepted messengers carrying evidence of Bruce’s treason to Edward. I decided to use the story, as it fit in nicely with my learned heroine, but also because I had the same problem as many early chroniclers of Bruce had: how to explain the decidedly unheroic act of a great hero. Clearly, Comyn stood between Bruce and the throne, but even if removing him was “necessary,” the murder of a rival just doesn’t play well. Killing him in a church and violating sanctuary made it much worse. For the act, Bruce was excommunicated for nearly twenty years. Scotland was placed under interdict for a time as well.
The attack on Dumfries Castle actually occurred immediately after Bruce killed Comyn, not before, as I have it. The taking of Dumfries was Bruce’s first act of rebellion against King Edward. The constable of the castle at the time was Sir Richard Siward, not Seagrave. But Seagrave did serve in Scotland for years.
One of the biggest holes in my knowledge of history in this period was of the importance of the descendants of King Somerled, namely the MacDonalds (Lords of Islay), the MacRuairis (Lords of Garmoran), and the MacDougalls (Lords of Argyll). “MacSorley” is the collective name for the descendents of Somerled. I knew about the importance of the MacDonalds (later the Lords of the Isles), but I was completely unaware of the MacRuairis and the MacDougalls. The MacDougalls were probably the most powerful clan at the time, but they would see their fortunes fall during the Wars of Independence. Our old friends the Campbells would be the principal beneficiaries of their demise. The MacRuairis would disappear a few decades later.
Did Bruce really have a “Special Forces” Highland guard as his personal army? The short answer is no, but there are some interesting parallels. The Special Forces aspect is fictional, but Bruce did have a “meinie” or personal retinue, which included Robert Boyd, and close cohorts like Christopher Seton, Alexander Fraser (Christina’s brother), Thomas Randolf, Edward Bruce, and Neil Campbell. Neil Campbell, Alexander Seton, and Thomas Hay signed a bond to defend and support Bruce to the end. And in one of those cool “serendipity” moments, I found a mention of “Donald,” son of Alistair (the inspiration for MacSorley), who led a chosen group of Highlanders (a “warband of Islemen;” see ) at the bequest of Angus Og to help and protect Bruce in 1306. How about that!
What is clear is that early on, Bruce recognized the importance of the West Highlands. At the seminal battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Bruce led a division of Highlanders and Islesmen against the English. Many of my “Highland Guard” were said to have fought alongside him (including Tor). And when Bruce was faced with the most desperate time in his quest for the crown, it was the Highlanders and Islanders who came to his rescue. But that is the next story.