Historical Footnotes
I based this Clash of the Tartans on the feud between the MacDonalds of Sleat and the MacLeods of Dunvegan and Harris. As mentioned in the story, many clan feuds were the result of royal grants of land to loyal supporters. The gift of MacDonald lands on the Trotternish Peninsula to the MacLeods reignited an ancient feud. The title Jilted at the Altar was originally inspired by a failed hand-fasting arrangement arrived at as a means to end the feud. Darroch and Isabel’s tale ends happily; the true story precipitated the War of the One-Eyed Woman during which Chief Rory MacLeod devastated the Trotternish Peninsula and the MacDonalds retaliated by attacking Harris. The war ended with a victory for the MacDonalds at the Battle of Coire Na Creiche, reportedly the last great clan battle fought on Scottish soil. Peace was finally celebrated with six days of feasting and drinking.
DUNGAVIN is modeled on Dunvegan Castle, the magnificent MacLeod stronghold on Skye, which is still occupied by the MacLeod family today.
The ruined bridge that connected DUN SCAITH’s rock to the mainland can still be seen on Skye’s Sleat Peninsula, though most of the castle is long gone.
TUR CHLIAMAINN The church at Rodel (Roghadal) in Harris is dedicated to St Clement and is the second largest medieval church in the Hebrides. It was built in the 1520s by Alasdair (Crotach) MacLeod of Dunvegan, whose grandiose tomb occupies the southwest wall of the choir. The tomb is considered one of the finest medieval wall tombs in the world. It dominates the east end of the church and there are several other interesting gravestones in the north transept. Crotach is Gaelic for hunchback and it’s believed Alasdair’s shoulder was once broken by a blow from a weapon.
BIRLINN There is an engraving of one of these galley-style boats on the walled tomb of Alasdair Crotach. Developed from the Viking longship, the craft was the basis of all power in the Hebrides for centuries. These open boats had sails and oars for propulsion and were very well suited to the waters of the area whether for military, piracy, trade or fishing uses.
SLINGS, also known as shepherd’s slings were used as long ago as Neolithic times, and possibly even before that. It was a common weapon all over the world.
BLACKHOUSES are an example of a long tradition of house building which goes back to Viking times or earlier where people and domestic animals shared the same buildings. Blackhouses are so named because they had no chimneys, the smoke escaping through the thatched roof. Such houses were usually built from stone and turf on a stone foundation and were lined with wood. Many ruins of these dwellings may be seen all over the Western Isles. The roofs were formed from driftwood or whalebone which rested on the inner wall. The roof was then covered with slatted planks. A layer of heather turf was put in place and finally the roof was thatched with straw or grass, and tied down with heather ropes weighted with stones. There was a living room/kitchen and a sleeping room with box-beds. A cooking pot or kettle was suspended over an open peat fire in the middle of the floor. The peat reek (smoke) acted as a disinfectant and deodorant, and the sooty thatch made good manure.
BOX-BED If you search Google Images for Croft Box Bed you’ll see numerous examples of what I had in mind.
HEBRIDES is a good source of information about the history and culture of the Hebrides, including articles on the famous Harris Tweed, the Gaelic language and crofting.
BLUE After introducing a grey deerhound named Ruaidh (Red) in Kilty Secrets, I decided Isabel should also have a colorful dog. Danmhairgis is, of course, a Great Dane. Google Images has lots of pictures of the blue version of the breed.
ASSASSINATION OF KING JAMES My novel, , tells of the Robertson Clan’s pursuit and capture of the men responsible for the murder of King James I in 1437.
YWST Known today as North and South Uist, two of the islands that make up the Western Isles of the Outer Hebrides. They are separated by Benbecula, though a causeway now links the three islands. The Little Minch is the channel of the Sea of the Hebrides between the Western Isles and North Skye.
WEAVING YouTube has several good video clips showing the operation of older style looms. (This story predates the invention of the Flying Shuttle). You’ll get an idea of the rhythmic clickety-clack an experienced weaver is capable of generating by skillful manipulation of the foot pedals.
MACRAIN’S TABLES Legend has it that the chief of Clan MacLeod attended a banquet in Edinburgh as a guest of King James. He boasted he had a much grander table and later invited the king to the flat-topped hills on Skye and showed him “MacLeod’s Tables”.
MACRAIN’S CONTROVERSY The title of the piece played at the beginning of the six-day celebration was MacLeod’s Controversy. It was composed and played by the clan’s hereditary piper, Donald MacCrimmon. More on this famous family of pipers can be found at
MOUTH-SONGS are traditional pieces of music whose words are unimportant and often make no sense. It’s thought they were originally used for dancing on occasions when no musical instruments were available.
TWENTY TIMES DRUNK These actual words were attributed to the MacDonald bard, Neil MacVurich, after the six days of feasting to celebrate the end of the feud.