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Ewen Cameron, XIII Captain and Chief of Clan Cameron,
along with a sizable body of Cameron men, joined Alexander of Lochalsh, Clan
Ranald of Garmoran and Lochaber and Clan Chattan, on the famous raid to
the county of Ross (clashing with the Mackenzies of Kintail) which ended
in the forfeiture of the Earldom of Ross and the Lordship of the Isles.
The counties of Inverness and Ross were targets for this raid, both being wasted
by the invading forces.
Advancing
from Lochaber to Badennoch, where the Mackintoshes joined them, the raiding
party then proceeded to Inverness, where they stormed the Royal Castle, with Mackintosh placing a garrison
in it. Afterwards they proceeded across Kessock Ferry and plundering the
lands of Sir Alexander Urquhart, Sheriff of Cromarty, from which they carried
away a large booty. The Lords of Lochalsh appear at this time to have had
strong claims upon the Camerons to follow them in the field. They were
superiors under the Lord of the Isles of the lands of Lochiel in Lochaber,
in addition to the claims of a close marriage alliance (Ewen married a daughter
of Celestine of Lochalsh). This would serve to explain the quite unusual
mutual participation under a common banner between the Camerons and Mackintoshes
in this raid.
Repeated attempts were made in the name of
John, Lord of the Isles, to recover the Earldom of Ross. Alexander of
Lochalsh, a natural brother of the Lord of the Isles, commanded a considerable
number of followers. This ongoing action finally came to an end when he
was defeated by the Mackenzies.
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