M u c g a s t o t .
M o n a s t e r y *
A w e d d i n g .
a hill, and on the other fide defcend into the pariih of Kilmoren
the granary of Skis. Leave, on the left, Muggajlot, the principal]
houfe of Sir Alexander Mac-donald, lineally defcended from the]
lords of the ifles : all the eftates at prefent poffefied by that]
gentleman were bellowed by John, the laft Regulus, and Earl of Rofi\
on his brother Hugh, and confirmed by a charter dated at Ami
in the year 1449, and afterwards by James IV. at Sterling, ini
1495.
Beneath the-houfe was« the lake of St. Columha, now drained ; oncel
noted for-a monafiery of great antiquity, placed in an illand. The!
ruins evince its age, being built with great Hones, without mortarj
in the manner cuftomary in the times of Druidifin, The cells and!
feveral rooms.are Hill very diftinguifhable. The chapel.is of a lateil
date, and built with mortar, , as are all the other chapels in Skie, and!
in the little illands along its fliores : thefe chapels were ferved by the!
monks : the place they landed on, in order to difcharge the!«
religious duties, was called Pein-orah, or the land of prayer; foil
after folemnly recommending themfelves, and the object of theicl
journey, to the most high, they feparated,.and took their refpec-1
tive routes.
Purfue our journey. A miniiler,- who gave us the pleafure o£|
his company, obferved to us, that a .couple were in purfuit of him!
in order to have their nuptials celebrated : unwilling to be the camel
of deferring, their happinefs, I begged he would n o t 0 1 1 . m y account!
delay the ceremony : we took poffeffion of a cottage; the minifterj
laid before them the duties of the marriage ilate, aflted, whether they!
took each other willingly ?. joined their hands, and concluded withal
grayer. I. obferved that the bridegroom put. all the powers oil
nagic to defiance, for he was married with both fhoes tied with
their latchet. - .
Not many years have elapfed fince it was cuftomary in fome parts
ofthe N. of Scotland for the lairds to interfere in the marriages o f
•heir vaffals, and direft the pairing of their people. Thefe ftrange
tyrannies, thefe oppreffions of inclination, feem to have occafioned
¡the law of Alexander the Ift, to prevent fuch a foundation for do-
Leftic mifery.: it is indeed, the cafe of the widow only that he took
into confideration, Na widow, fays the ftatute, fould he compelled to
L rie g i f fihe pleafe to live without anehujband, but fihe fould give ficu-
L ti}at fihe fall not marie without confent of hir lord, g if Jche holds of
me other than the king. :
Take a repaft at the houfe of Sir Alexander Mac-donald’s piper,
»ho according to antient cuftdm, by virtue of his office, holds
I his lands free. His dwelling, like many others in this country,
Lfifts of feveral apartments ; the firft for his cattle during winter,
B U I! ! is his hall, the third for the reception of ftrangers, and
[the fourth for the lodging of his family; all the rooms within one
[¡mother. , ,
The owner was quite mailer of his ipftrument, and treated us
Lith fe v e ra l tunes. In feudal times the Mac-donalds had in this
¡Hand a college of pipers I and the Macleods had the like ; thefe had
| regular appointments in land, and received pupils from all the neighhorine
chieftains. The Mac-karters were chief pipers to the firft;
the Mac-krumens to the laft.
The bagpipe has been a favorite inftrument with the Scots, and
has two varieties; the one with ihort pipes, played on with the
!fingers; the other with long pipes and founded with the mouth:
Y y 2 *hls