The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP.v] OF SCOTLAND 71
sisted, or what^was the nature of the claim which he made to it,
it is impossible now to determine ; but certain it is that he was
supported in his attempt by the whole inhabitants of the
northern part of Scotland, and in order to obtain the counte-
nance of a people so singularly tenacious of their ancient customs,
he must have^possessed a stronger claim than what mere power
or influence could give him, more especially as his descendants,
for many generations afterwards, constantly asserted their right
to the throne of Scotland, and as invariably received the
assistance of the Celtic portion of its inhabitants. In all proba-
bility the Highlanders were attempting to oppose the hereditary
succession in the family of Kenneth M'Alpin, and to introduce
the more ancient Pictish law. Be this as it may, however,
Malcolm, by the defeat and death of Kenneth M'Duff,
at Monievaird, became king of Scotland. Shortly
after he had mounted the throne, Malcolm effected a reconcilia-
tion with Sigurd, Earl of Orkney, who married his daughter,
and the fruit of this marriage was Thorfinn, who afterwards
became the most powerful earl which the Orkneys ever possessed.
On Malcolm's death, after a reign of twenty-six years, the
Scottish faction, as it may be termed, in opposition to the
Pictish or northern party, succeeded in placing a descendant of
Kenneth M'.A.lpin again upon the throne. His name
'
was also Malcolm ; he was the son of Kenneth,
whom his predecessor had defeated and slain, and is known in
the Norse Sagas by the name of Kali Hundason. The second
Malcolm had no sooner commenced his reign than he appears
to have directed his efforts towards reducing the power of the
Norwegians in Scotland ; but this was a task to which his
strength was by no means equal, for his opponent Thorfinn was
a person of no ordinary talents and energy.
On the death of Sigurd, his father, Thorfinn had received
from his maternal grandfather, Malcolm, king of Scotland, the
district of Caithness, which had so often been the subject of
contention between the Norwegians and the Scots, and during
Malcolm's life he had obtained every assistance from him in the
government of his dominions. Malcolm M'Kenneth therefore
determined to make this a pretext for going to war with Thor-
finn. With this intention he demanded tribute from him for