Publications of the Clan Lindsay Society - Electric Scotland

252 THF, LAIUDS OF DoWllIl.l,.
with an incident in the life of Queen I\rary. At the
end of June 1565 the Queen was at Perth accoiiij)anied
by Henry Lord Darnley, wlioin slie wan about to
marry. Tlie projected marriage was regarded with
great disfavour by the Protestant Lords ; and it was
alleged that they had entered into a plot to seize the
intended bridegroom and carry him off into England.
Whether in reality there was such a plot may be
doubted, but certain it is that suspicions and rumours
had got about of an attempt to be made to forcibly
prevent the marriage. Of those who were pointed to
as the conspirators, the Earl of Moray was then staying
at Lochlsven Castle, the home of his mother, Lady
Douglas ;
the Earl of Argyle w^as at Castle Camjjbell, on
and the Duke of Chatelherault
the brow of the Ochils ;
was at Kinneil, on the south of the Forth. Was it
without significance, it might have been asked, that
these places commanded at several points either of the
routes available to the royal party in travelling from
Perth via Queensferry to Callendar House, near
Falkirk, where the Queen had promised to be present
at the christeninfj of a child of Lord LiviujTstone.
Now, if there were indications of an unusual enter-
prise being afoot at Locldeven Castle, the laird of
Dowhill would be likely to note them. He lived in
the immediate neighbourhood, and was doubtless on
terms of intimacy within the castle, his wife being a
daughter of the house. And he was believed to be
not unfriendly to the Queen's cause. That we may
infer from the fact that within a few months from this
time he was accepted as a cautioner for Kobert Colvill
of Cleish, that the said Robert would be faithful to