The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. VII] OF SCOTLAND ii;
We shall now conclude this short view of the gradation of
ranks among the Highlanders by an account of the personal
attendants of the chief, which we shall extract from the excellent
Letters of an Officer of Engineers in 17 16.
" When a chief goes a journey in the hills, or makes a formal
visit to an equal, he is said to be attended by all or most part
of the officers following, viz. :—
" The henchman.
" The bard or poet.
" The bladier or spokesman.
" The gillemore, bearer of the broadsword.
" The gillecasflue, to carry the chief when on foot over the
fords.
" The gille comstraine, to lead the chief home in dangerous
passes.
" The gille trusharnish or baggage-man.
" The piper, who, being a gentleman, I should have named
sooner. And lastly,
" The piper's gillie, who carries the bagpipe.
" There are likewise some gentlemen near of kin who bear
him company, and besides, a number of the common sort, who
have no particular employment, but follow him only to partake
of the cheer."