The following account is given in the Ancient MS. of how it was
taken from them: "In the spring of the following year, Lord Kintail
gathered together considerable forces and besieged the castle of
Strone in Lochcarron, which at first held out very manfully, and
would not surrender, though several terms were offered, which he
(Mackenzie) finding not willing to lose his men, resolved to raise
the siege for a time; but the defenders were so unfortunate as to
have their powder damaged by the women they had within. Having
sent them out by silence of night to draw in water, out of a well
that lay just at the entrance of the castle, the silly women were
in such fear, and the room they brought the water into being so
dark for want of light, when they came in they poured the water
into a vat, missing the right one, wherein the few barrels of
powder they had lay. And in the morning, when the men came for
more powder, having exhausted the supply of the previous day, they
found the barrels of powder floating in the vat; so they began
to rail and abuse the poor women, which the fore-mentioned Duncan
Mac Ian Mhic Gilliechallum, still a prisoner in the castle, hearing,
as he was at liberty through the house, having promised and made
solemn oath that he would never come out of the door until he was
ransomed or otherwise relieved.
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