The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

322 THE HIGHLANDERS [part ii
being soon succeeded by the Macdonalds themselves, had the
usual effect of bringing the subordinate clans into notice ; and
the first of these to which we have to direct our attention is
the clan Anrias,
or the Rosses.
Cla}i Aiirias.
On the death of William, the last of the old earls of Ross,
it is unquestionable that the chiefship of the clan devolved
upon Paul Mac Tire, who in the MS. of 1450 is given as
chief of the clan Anrias. Paul appears from that manuscript
to have descended from a brother of Ferchard, first earl of
Ross of this family, who bore the same name of Paul, and
to have been a person of no ordinary consequence in his
"
time. Paul Mactire," says Sir Robert Gordon, " was a man
of great power and possessions. In hys tyme he possessed
the lands of Creich, in Sutherland, and built a house there
called Douncriech,' with such a kynd of hard mortar that at
this day it cannot be known whereof it was made. As he
was building this house and fortefieing it, he had intelligence
that his onlie son was slayen in Catteness, in company with
one Murthow Reawich, ane outlaw and valiante captaine in
these days, which made him desist from further building, when
he had almost finished the same. There are manie things
fabulouslie reported of this Paul Mactire among the vulgar
people, which I do omit to relate." Sir Robert is perfectly
correct in calling Paul a man of great power and possessions,
for he held the whole of Strath Carron, Strath Oikill, Scrivater,
and Glenbeg, in Ross, besides the extensive district of Braechatt
including Lairg' Criech and Slischilish, or Ferrincoskie. He had
also a charter of the lands of Gerloch from the earl of Ross ,
but his title to be considered as the inventor of vitrified
forts, Duncriech being one of the most remarkable specimens
remaining of these curious objects of antiquity, although
admitted, strangely enough, by the sceptical Pinkerton, may by
some be considered doubtful.
"
Paul Mactyre," says an ancien
historian of Highland families, " was a valiant man, and caused
Caithness to pay him blackmail. It is reported that he got
nyn score of covves yearly out of Caithness for blackmail so long
as he was able to travel." On this chief, whose actions seem to