Allan of Gairloch was himself related
to the Macleods of Lewis, but it is impossible to trace the exact
connection. Two brothers of Macleod of Lewis are said, traditionally,
to have resolved that no Mackenzie blood should flow in the veins of
the future head of the Gairloch Macleods, and determined to put
Allan's children by Hector Roy's sister to death, so that his son by
their own niece should succeed to Gairloch, and they proceeded across
the Minch to the mainland to put their murderous intent into execution.
Allan MacRuairidh, the then Macleod laird of Gairloch, was personally
a peacefully disposed man, and lived at the "Crannag," of which
traces are still to be found on Loch Tolly Island, along with his
second wife, two of his sons by the first marriage, and a daughter.
The brothers, having reached Gairloch, took up their abode at the
old "Tigh Dige," a wattled house, surrounded by a ditch, whose site
is still pointed out in one of the Flowerdale parks, a few hundred
yards above the stone bridge which crosses the Ceann-an-t-Sail river
at the head of Gairloch Bay. Next day the murderous barbarians
crossed over to Loch Tolly. On the way they learnt that Allan
was not then on the island, he having gone a-fishing on the Ewe.
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