141-626: Clan Forbes is a Highland Scottish clan from Aberdeenshire , Scotland . The name Forbes is most probably a location name assumed from the lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire , in possession of this family reputedly since the time of King William the Lion . While there are many legends surrounding the origin of this clan, historians write that the Forbes are descended from Kings of the Picts and
282-619: A Universal Service Obligation to charge a uniform tariff across the UK. This, however, applies only to mail items and not larger packages which are dealt with by its Parcelforce division. The Highlands lie to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault , which runs from Arran to Stonehaven . This part of Scotland is largely composed of ancient rocks from the Cambrian and Precambrian periods which were uplifted during
423-462: A brief replacement government with his brother Alexander, Duke of Albany, in place as acting lieutenant-general of the realm. He was eventually freed by late September 1482. After having been freed, James was able to regain power by buying off members of Albany's government, such that by December 1482, Albany's government was collapsing. From 1483, he was able to "steadily reduce any remaining support for Albany". In particular, Albany's attempt to claim
564-671: A cannon. The Master of Forbes was tried and sentenced to be executed; just days later, however, his conviction was reversed and the Forbes family was restored to favor. The Protestant Reformation added to the feud between the Clan Forbes and Clan Gordon in that the Gordons remained Catholic and the Forbeses became Protestant. The traditional enemies of the Forbeses, such as the Clan Leslie , Clan Irvine and Clan Seton , sided with
705-816: A challenge to their authority; the Highlands was seen by many as a lawless region. The Scots of the Lowlands viewed the Highlanders as backward and more "Irish". The Highlands were seen as the overspill of Gaelic Ireland. They made this distinction by separating Germanic "Scots" English and the Gaelic by renaming it "Erse" a play on Eire. Following the Union of the Crowns , James VI had the military strength to back up any attempts to impose some control. The result was, in 1609,
846-456: A charter for the lands of Edinbanchory and Craiglogy by Thomas, Earl of Mar granting them to John de Forbes. He was Sheriff of Aberdeen in 1374. In 1378, a charter was granted to John and his wife Margaret by the Bishop of Moray for the lands of Fynrossie on the loch of Spynie. At his death before 20 August 1387, he was described as "a gude man, wise, and mychty, and manly in his time." The son of
987-414: A complaint. On 19 December the following year, the magistrates served letters of law-burrows against Pitsligo, Tolquhon, Corsindae, Brux, Echt , and other gentlemen of the name of Forbes and Lord Pitsligo was obliged to find caution to the council at Perth for his own and friends good behaviour towards the town of Aberdeen. At that time a deadly feud subsisted between Clan Forbes and Clan Leslie ; and it
1128-564: A consequence of all this, eviction, as part of the Highland clearances , of many tenants and cottars. Some of those cleared found employment on the new, larger farms, others moved to the accessible towns of the Lowlands. In the West and North, evicted tenants were usually given tenancies in newly created crofting communities, while their former holdings were converted into large sheep farms. Sheep farmers could pay substantially higher rents than
1269-587: A coup to seize control of the government by gaining possession of the king during his minority. Gilbert Kennedy was then imprisoned in Stirling Castle for a period. The 14-year-old king was forced to declare before Parliament in October that he had not been offended by being taken from Linlithgow, and that it was his intention to appoint Lord Boyd as his governor, to serve until his twenty-first year. The Boyd faction made itself unpopular, especially with
1410-410: A court physician, before his rapid promotion as Archdeacon of St Andrews , dean of Dunkeld , and coadjutor of St Andrews , before being appointed as Archbishop of St Andrews . Other unpopular favourites included John Ramsay, 1st Lord Bothwell and Robert Cochrane . In 1479 conflict developed between the king and his two brothers John, Earl of Mar and Alexander, Duke of Albany . The Earl of Mar
1551-503: A full-scale invasion led by the Duke of Gloucester, the future Richard III . James's brother Alexander, styled "Alexander IV", was included as part of the invasion party. James, in attempting to lead his subjects against the invasion, was arrested by a group of disaffected nobles at Lauder Bridge in July 1482. It has been suggested that the nobles were already in league with Alexander. The king
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#17327808088181692-470: A grant of one-third of the lands of Skeith and Ardach by King Robert the Bruce in 1326, but doubt still remains he was a Forbes or of this family, even though in the charter he is named Christian Forbes. The next name found in records is that of John Forbes dominus ejusdem or Lord of Forbes. He witnessed two charters of Thomas, Earl of Mar in 1358 and 1359, and in 1364 King David II of Scotland confirmed
1833-508: A guarantee of his intention to carry through with the marriage of the Duke of Rothesay and Cecily of York. Richard, Duke of Gloucester was appointed lieutenant-general , and commissions for the defence of the border were issued in Yorkshire , Cumberland , and Northumberland . But during the summer of 1480, the Earl of Angus carried out a large-scale raid into Northumberland, culminating in
1974-413: A lucky escape in 1482, when he easily could have been murdered or executed in an attempt to bring his son to the throne, James did not reform his behaviour during the 1480s. Obsessive attempts to secure alliance with England continued, although they made little sense given the prevailing politics. He continued to favour a group of "familiars" unpopular with the more powerful magnates. He refused to travel for
2115-566: A period of seventeen years. On 20 February 1472, Parliament brought the negotiations , which had begun with the Treaty of Copenhagen, to an end by annexing and uniting the earldom of Orkney and the lordship of Shetland to the Scottish Crown. In theory, Christian I of Denmark or his successors could still redeem the islands by paying the balance of Queen Margaret's dowry; but in practice, with Christian's continuing financial difficulties and
2256-485: A reliable tradition tells that the "Braes o’ Forbes" were once uninhabitable because of bears living in the area. Oconachar, founder of the clan, killed the bears and claimed the land as "first occupier". The present chief still holds part of the Lordship of these Forbes lands. The first person on record was Duncan Forbes who in 1271–2 received a grant of lands from Alexander III of Scotland . Cited by William Forbes Skene
2397-560: A separate whisky producing region.) This massive area has over 30 distilleries, or 47 when the Islands sub-region is included in the count. According to one source, the top five are Macallan , Glenfiddich , Aberlour , Glenfarclas , and Balvenie . While Speyside is geographically within the Highlands, that region is specified as distinct in terms of whisky productions. Speyside single malt whiskies are produced by about 50 distilleries. According to Visit Scotland , Highlands whisky
2538-535: A trade of black cattle into Lowland markets, and this was balanced by imports of meal into the area. There was a critical reliance on this trade to provide sufficient food, and it is seen as an essential prerequisite for the population growth that started in the 18th century. Most of the Highlands, particularly in the North and West, was short of the arable land that was essential for the mixed, run rig based, communal farming that existed before agricultural improvement
2679-723: A treaty which proposed that if Scotland was conquered by Edward, the kingdom would be partitioned, with the lands north of the Firth of Forth to be divided between the Lord of the Isles and the Earl of Douglas , and held from the English crown. The confrontation began in September 1475, when John was accused of a number of offences against the Crown, including treasonable dealings with England and
2820-608: A treaty which provided for an alliance between Scotland and Denmark, and James III's marriage to Margaret , the only daughter of King Christian I of Denmark and Norway . Margaret's dowry was 60,000 Rhenish guilders , 10,000 of which were to be paid before the Scottish embassy left Denmark. However, Christian I was unable to raise more than 2,000 of the promised 10,000 guilders, and in May 1469, Orkney and Shetland were pledged by him, as king of Norway, to James III as security until
2961-414: A truce with Edward IV of England which was intended to (but did not) last for forty-five years, and was to be accompanied by a marriage alliance between James's heir, the infant Duke of Rothesay , and Edward's daughter, Cecily of York , when both of them reached marriageable age. The prospective bride's dowry was 20,000 marks sterling, which would be paid in advance in annual instalment of 2,000 marks over
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#17327808088183102-490: A truce with England and the marriage of his second son, James, Marquess of Ormond , to Catherine of York , the sister-in-law of Henry VII of England . In April 1487 the Pope granted James III an indult which strengthened the power of the Scottish Crown over ecclesiastical appointments, allowing the king and his successors to effectively appoint their own candidates when vacancies occurred in cathedrals and monasteries. Despite
3243-598: Is "fruity, sweet, spicy, malty". Another review states that Northern Highlands single malt is "sweet and full-bodied", the Eastern Highlands and Southern Highlands whiskies tend to be "lighter in texture" while the distilleries in the Western Highlands produce single malts with a "much peatier influence". The Scottish Reformation achieved partial success in the Highlands. Roman Catholicism remained strong in some areas, owing to remote locations and
3384-409: Is confusion and consternation over the scale of the fees charged and the effectiveness of their communication, and the use of the word Mainland in their justification. Since the charges are often based on postcode areas, many far less remote areas, including some which are traditionally considered part of the lowlands, are also subject to these charges. Royal Mail is the only delivery network bound by
3525-689: Is formed along a transform fault which divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands . The entire region was covered by ice sheets during the Pleistocene ice ages, save perhaps for a few nunataks . The complex geomorphology includes incised valleys and lochs carved by the action of mountain streams and ice, and a topography of irregularly distributed mountains whose summits have similar heights above sea-level, but whose bases depend upon
3666-597: Is now one of the most sparsely populated in Europe. At 9.1/km (24/sq mi) in 2012, the population density in the Highlands and Islands is less than one seventh of Scotland's as a whole. The Highland Council is the administrative body for much of the Highlands, with its administrative centre at Inverness . However, the Highlands also includes parts of the council areas of Aberdeenshire , Angus , Argyll and Bute , Moray , North Ayrshire , Perth and Kinross , Stirling and West Dunbartonshire . The Scottish Highlands
3807-538: Is probable that some of the Aberdeen townsfolk had interfered in that quarrel, which furiously raged throughout Aberdeenshire , and was attended by mutual massacres and murders. Throughout the 16th century the Clan Forbes were involved in a long and bitter struggle against the Clan Gordon . In the 1520s there were murders by both sides, and one of the most prominent killed by the Forbeses was Seton of Meldrum who
3948-653: Is the only area in the British Isles to have the taiga biome as it features concentrated populations of Scots pine forest: see Caledonian Forest . It is the most mountainous part of the United Kingdom . Between the 15th century and the mid-20th century, the area differed from most of the Lowlands in terms of language. In Scottish Gaelic, the region is known as the Gàidhealtachd , because it
4089-957: Is used in elections to the Scottish Parliament : this area includes Orkney and Shetland , as well as the Highland Council local government area, the Western Isles and most of the Argyll and Bute and Moray local government areas. Highlands and Islands has, however, different meanings in different contexts. It means Highland (the local government area), Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles in Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service . Northern , as in Northern Constabulary , refers to
4230-476: The Anglo-Scottish border , in violation of the truce between Scotland and England. Albany fled by sea to Paris , where in September 1479 he was welcomed by King Louis XI , and received royal favour by his marriage to Anne de La Tour d'Auvergne . Since the treaty of October 1474, relations between Scotland and England had remained generally peaceful. Edward IV continued to pay the annual instalments of
4371-538: The Battle of Harlaw in 1411, in support of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar . Alexander had safe conduct from Henry V of England to visit his king, James I of Scotland at Rouen in 1421 and was allowed as his escort to bring forty Pikeman and other followers, up to one hundred men. He married Elizabeth, daughter of George Douglas, 1st Earl of Angus and his wife Mary, daughter of Robert III of Scotland . Together Alexander and Elizabeth had five children including James,
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4512-809: The Bishop of Glasgow , and the earls of Angus , Huntly , Argyll , and Orkney . Mary of Guelders emerged as an astute and capable ruler, pursuing a pragmatic foreign policy during the Wars of the Roses taking place in England . Following the defeat of the Lancastrians by the Yorkists at the Battle of Towton in March 1461, Henry VI of England , Margaret of Anjou , and Edward, Prince of Wales fled north across
4653-661: The Cairngorms and the Cuillin of Skye . A significant exception to the above are the fossil-bearing beds of Old Red Sandstone found principally along the Moray Firth coast and partially down the Highland Boundary Fault. The Jurassic beds found in isolated locations on Skye and Applecross reflect the complex underlying geology. They are the original source of much North Sea oil . The Great Glen
4794-569: The Chancellorship , for reasons which remain a mystery, and replacing him with William Elphinstone , the Bishop of Aberdeen . James III sought armed assistance from Henry VII of England and moved north from Edinburgh to Aberdeen in March, probably realising that his position in Edinburgh was becoming precarious, with the Duke of Rothesay and the rebel army nearby, either at Linlithgow or Stirling. The king failed to raise support for
4935-811: The Church of Scotland . In contrast to the Catholic southern islands, the northern Outer Hebrides islands (Lewis, Harris and North Uist) have an exceptionally high proportion of their population belonging to the Protestant Free Church of Scotland or the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland . The Outer Hebrides have been described as the last bastion of Calvinism in Britain and the Sabbath remains widely observed. Inverness and
5076-541: The Irish Land War underway at the same time, where the Irish were intensely politicised through roots in Irish nationalism, while political dimensions were limited. In 1885 three Independent Crofter candidates were elected to Parliament, which listened to their pleas. The results included explicit security for the Scottish smallholders in the "crofting counties"; the legal right to bequeath tenancies to descendants; and
5217-530: The Jacobite risings the Jacobites laid siege to Culloden House, seat of Duncan Forbes, Lord Culloden , a staunch Whig , in both the Jacobite rising of 1715 and the Jacobite rising of 1745 . General Wade 's report on the Highlands in 1724 gives the number of men under of Forbes of Culloden as two hundred. In September 1745, he was given a commission to raise twenty Independent Highland Companies to oppose
5358-535: The Statutes of Iona which started the process of integrating clan leaders into Scottish society. The gradual changes continued into the 19th century, as clan chiefs thought of themselves less as patriarchal leaders of their people and more as commercial landlords. The first effect on the clansmen who were their tenants was the change to rents being payable in money rather than in kind. Later, rents were increased as Highland landowners sought to increase their income. This
5499-620: The clan system , including bans on the bearing of arms and the wearing of tartan , and limitations on the activities of the Scottish Episcopal Church . Most of this legislation was repealed by the end of the 18th century as the Jacobite threat subsided. There was soon a rehabilitation of Highland culture. Tartan was adopted for Highland regiments in the British Army, which poor Highlanders joined in large numbers in
5640-547: The "Highland line" distinguished the two Scottish cultures. While the Highland line broadly followed the geography of the Grampians in the south, it continued in the north, cutting off the north-eastern areas, that is Eastern Caithness , Orkney and Shetland , from the more Gaelic Highlands and Hebrides. Historically, the major social unit of the Highlands was the clan . Scottish kings, particularly James VI , saw clans as
5781-469: The 2nd Lord Forbes . Alexander Forbes was raised to the Peerage by James I as Baron Forbes between October 1444 and July 1445. Alexander Forbes, 1st Lord Forbes died in 1448. James, second Lord Forbes, married Egidia, daughter of William Keith, 1st Earl Marischal , and had three sons: William, the 3rd Lord Forbes, Duncan, ancestor of the Forbeses of Corsindae and Monymusk , and Patrick, ancestor of
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5922-517: The Bold , Duke of Burgundy , and Louis XI of France. The embassy would also seek a Burgundian or French marriage for the king's sister, Margaret . In February 1472, James's second continental scheme saw him ask Parliament to fund his plan to lead an army of 6,000 men to assert his tenuous claim to the Duchy of Brittany , which derived from his aunt, Isabella . Parliament granted a tax of £5,000 to fund
6063-591: The Crown, Kintyre , Knapdale , and the offices of sheriff of Inverness and Nairn were lost, and the Lord of the Isles was reduced to a mere Lord of Parliament . On the day of the forfeiture of the Lord of the Isles, James III had Parliament approve his act of revocation . The king stood at the height of his power, having removed the Boyds, annexed Orkney and Shetland, humbled the Archbishop of St Andrews, agreed to peace and an alliance with England, and forfeited
6204-405: The Crown. James III ascended the throne following the death of his father at the siege of Roxburgh Castle on 3 August 1460, and the new king was brought to Kelso from Edinburgh with his mother. It was not considered possible to have the king journey to Perthshire for a coronation at Scone Abbey , so James III was crowned at Kelso Abbey , a week after James II's death, and two days after
6345-478: The Duke of Albany, to seize Edinburgh Castle and free the king from the Boyds. The impending marriage of the now seventeen-year-old James III signalled an appropriate moment for him to bring his minority to an end, and the king began to plot his revenge against the Boyds in the summer of 1469, while Lord Boyd was on an embassy to the English court, and the earl of Arran was one of the ambassadors in Denmark. When
6486-427: The Duke of Rothesay and Anne de la Pole, Richard's niece. On Laetare Sunday , 5 March 1486, Pope Innocent VIII blessed a Golden Rose and sent it to James III. It was an annual custom to send the rose to a deserving prince. Giacomo Passarelli, Bishop of Imola , brought the rose to Scotland and returned to London to complete the dispensation for the marriage of Henry VII of England . In 1486 and 1487 James proposed
6627-595: The Earl of Arran, were all found guilty of treason and their peerages were forfeited. Sir Alexander was condemned to death and beheaded. James III married 13-year-old Margaret of Denmark in July 1469 at Holyrood Abbey , Edinburgh , in a service overseen by Archibald Crawford, the Abbot of Holyrood . The marriage produced three sons: James, Duke of Rothesay , James, Duke of Ross , and John, Earl of Mar . James III began his personal rule in 1469, yet his exercise of royal power
6768-465: The Earl of Douglas, and besieging Rothesay Castle . When John did not appear for trial before Parliament in December, he was declared forfeit. The earls of Lennox , Argyll , Atholl and Huntly were ordered to pursue John MacDonald and invade his territories. The Lord of the Isles appeared before the king in Edinburgh in July 1476 and the forfeiture was rescinded. The earldom of Ross was annexed to
6909-425: The Earls of Angus and Argyll , and the Home and Hepburn families. James's heir, the fifteen-year-old James, Duke of Rothesay , left Stirling Castle without his father's knowledge on 2 February 1488, marking the beginning of a four-month rebellion against James III. Prince James became, perhaps reluctantly, the figurehead of the rebels, whose aim seems to have been the establishment of a council of regency, with
7050-424: The Forbeses, Baronets of Craigievar , now Lord Sempill , and also of the Earls of Granard . Alexander, fourth Lord Forbes, was in arms with his clan to revenge the murder of James III , but after the defeat at Tillymoss he submitted to James IV . John, the sixth Lord , succeeded his brother Arthur, the 5th Lord Forbes, in 1493. In 1536 he was charged with treason and was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle , but
7191-482: The French province of Saintonge , a claim which dated back to the Treaty of Perth-Chinon between James I of Scotland and Charles VII of France when the province was offered to the Scottish king in return for an army of Scottish troops which were never sent. These unrealistic schemes resulted in parliamentary criticism, especially since the king was reluctant to deal with the more mundane business of administering justice at home. Parliament opposed James's plans to leave
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#17327808088187332-420: The Gordons, while Protestant families, such as the Clan Keith , Clan Fraser and Clan Crichton , sided with the Clan Forbes. Twenty Gordons were killed at a banquet held at the Forbeses' Druminnor Castle in 1571. Later in 1571 the feud climaxed with the Battle of Tillieangus , and the Battle of Craibstone , and Druminnor, then the seat of the chief of Clan Forbes, was plundered. The Gordons followed this with
7473-403: The Hebrides. In traditional Scottish geography , the Highlands refers to that part of Scotland north-west of the Highland Boundary Fault , which crosses mainland Scotland in a near-straight line from Helensburgh to Stonehaven . However the flat coastal lands that occupy parts of the counties of Nairnshire , Morayshire, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire are often excluded as they do not share
7614-445: The Highlands is geographically on the British mainland, it is somewhat less accessible than the rest of Britain; thus most UK couriers categorise it separately, alongside Northern Ireland , the Isle of Man , and other offshore islands. They thus charge additional fees for delivery to the Highlands, or exclude the area entirely. While the physical remoteness from the largest population centres inevitably leads to higher transit cost, there
7755-408: The Highlands, wiping out the essential subsistence crop for the overcrowded crofting communities. As the famine struck, the government made clear to landlords that it was their responsibility to provide famine relief for their tenants. The result of the economic downturn had been that a large proportion of Highland estates were sold in the first half of the 19th century. T M Devine points out that in
7896-434: The Jacobite rising of 1745. He succeeded in raising a total of eighteen Independent Highland Companies to fight against the Jacobites. The Lords Forbes of Pitsligo were descended from William, second son of Sir John Forbes of that Ilk, in the time of Robert II . Alexander, fourth Lord, was attainted after the battle of Culloden ; living long secretly in one of his own gate lodges, he died in 1762. Three families now claim
8037-479: The Lairds of Culloden . Sir Alexander Forbes of Tolquhon commanded a troop of cavalry in the Scots army at Worcester ; and when the King's horse was shot, mounted him on his own, put his buff coat and a bloody scarf about him, and saw him safe out of the field. The fortunes of this house were probably consumed in the fever of the Darien Scheme , in which Alexander Forbes of Tolquhon (like many other good old Scottish families) appears to have embarked beyond his means,
8178-690: The Lancastrians, while Mary initially wanted to continue playing off the warring parties in England against each other, before eventually supporting the Yorkists. Although the sources for the period are vague, it is believed that Kennedy and his supporters mounted a coup in the autumn of 1462 by taking possession of the 10-year-old James III following an armed confrontation with Mary's supporters in Edinburgh . Mary of Guelders died in December 1463, leaving Bishop Kennedy in undisputed control of government. Bishop Kennedy died at St Andrews in May 1465, and his elder brother, Gilbert Kennedy, Lord Kennedy , assumed custody of James III. Lord Kennedy's guardianship lacked
8319-472: The Lord of the Isles. His authority now extended from the Northern Isles to Berwick-upon-Tweed, and across the Lordship of the Isles. James III's pursuit of unpopular and arbitrary policies saw increasing opposition in Parliament, with the most criticism directed towards the king's failure to go out on Justice Ayres , his making money from granting remissions for serious crimes, and his frequent recourse to taxation. Complaints from Parliament that royal justice
8460-419: The Lowlands. This gave impetus to the learning of English, which was seen by many rural Gaelic speakers to be the essential "language of work". Older historiography attributes the collapse of the clan system to the aftermath of the Jacobite risings. This is now thought less influential by historians. Following the Jacobite rising of 1745 the British government enacted a series of laws to try to suppress
8601-433: The Lowlands. When the potato famine ceased in 1856, this established a pattern of more extensive working away from the Highlands. The unequal concentration of land ownership remained an emotional and controversial subject, of enormous importance to the Highland economy, and eventually became a cornerstone of liberal radicalism. The poor crofters were politically powerless, and many of them turned to religion. They embraced
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#17327808088188742-420: The Prince as its figurehead and the king in protective custody. The rebels claimed that they had removed Prince James from Stirling to protect him from his vindictive father, who had surrounded himself with wicked Anglophile counsellors. Like the Prince, many of the rebels also feared for their safety if James III continued to rule. The king made more enemies among his nobles by dismissing the Earl of Argyll from
8883-585: The amount of denudation to which the plateau has been subjected in various places. The region is much warmer than other areas at similar latitudes (such as Kamchatka in Russia , or Labrador in Canada ) because of the Gulf Stream making it cool, damp and temperate. The Köppen climate classification is " Cfb " at low elevations, then becoming " Cfc ", " Dfc " and " ET " at higher elevations. 57°07′N 4°43′W / 57.12°N 4.71°W / 57.12; -4.71 James III of Scotland James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488)
9024-492: The battle of succession for Guelders between James's grandfather, Arnold, Duke of Guelders , and his son Adolf , provided the king with another continental scheme. The deposition of Arnold by his son in 1465, and his reinstatement at the hands of Charles the Bold in 1471, had left Arnold wishing to alter the succession to prevent the duchy falling to either his son or the Duke of Burgundy, and in 1472 he asked James or one of his brothers to travel to Guelders and take possession of
9165-424: The border seeking refuge. They were received by Mary of Guelders and lodged at Linlithgow Palace and the Dominican friary in Edinburgh . The Lancastrians expected Mary to provide them with Scottish troops to help Henry VI recover the throne, but she had no intention of becoming involved in a war on their behalf. Mary sought to gain as much as she could from the Lancastrian fugitives while opening negotiations with
9306-550: The burning of Bamburgh Castle . By October, James III had written to Louis XI of France asking for guns and artillerymen to repulse further attacks. The spring and autumn of 1481 saw English ships raid the Forth , attacking Blackness Castle and harassing shipping. There does not seem to have been a land-based invasion of Scotland, but there were three raids into England by a Scottish army in that year. Edward IV had made invasion preparations and began to travel north, but went no further than Nottingham . In 1482, Edward IV launched
9447-409: The castle walls using a rope made of bedsheets has some circumstantial corroborating evidence. This was Albany's final incursion, after which he returned to France where accounts claim he was killed in a joust. James III, meanwhile, returned to his policies for the 1470s, above all of alliance with England. In August 1484 James III proposed a truce and alliance with Richard III and a marriage between
9588-443: The charter exists in the Forbes charter chest in tattered but quite legible condition. The next mention is a John Forbes, whose name dates from a 1306 roll containing a list of demands by English and Scottish loyalists to Edward I of England for the forfeited lands of Scotsmen, the lands of John Forbes being demanded or requested by both a William Comyn and a Robert Chival. The next name may be that of his son, Christian, who received
9729-404: The country and, in refusing to condone the king's requests, also attempted to persuade the king to turn to the administration of justice. The king's failure to take an active and personal role in the same, and his use of remissions and respites as a source of money, would prove one of the most frequently occurring themes in Parliament for the rest of the reign. In October 1474, James III concluded
9870-494: The creation of a Crofting Commission. The Crofters as a political movement faded away by 1892, and the Liberal Party gained their votes. Today, the Highlands are the largest of Scotland's whisky producing regions; the relevant area runs from Orkney to the Isle of Arran in the south and includes the northern isles and much of Inner and Outer Hebrides, Argyll, Stirlingshire, Arran, as well as sections of Perthshire and Aberdeenshire. (Other sources treat The Islands, except Islay , as
10011-517: The daughter of Arnold, Duke of Guelders , and a great-niece of Philip the Good , Duke of Burgundy . The exact date and place of James's birth have been a matter of debate. Claims have been made that he was born in May 1452, or on 10 or 20 July 1451. The place of birth was either Stirling Castle , or St Andrews Castle (the seat of the Bishop of St Andrews ), depending on the year. His most recent biographer, Norman Macdougall , argued strongly for late May 1452 at St Andrews. The infant Duke of Rothesay
10152-409: The dignity of Duke of Ross . Coming after the king's negotiations in 1486 and 1487 for a marriage alliance for his second son, it was clearly designed to enhance his status and make him a more attractive prospect as a bridegroom, and only furthered the perception amongst the king's opponents that he was favouring his second son at the expense of the heir to the throne. But opposition to James was led by
10293-466: The distinctive geographical and cultural features of the rest of the Highlands. The north-east of Caithness , as well as Orkney and Shetland , are also often excluded from the Highlands, although the Hebrides are usually included. The Highland area, as so defined, differed from the Lowlands in language and tradition, having preserved Gaelic speech and customs centuries after the anglicisation of
10434-504: The dowry for his daughter's future marriage to James III's heir, and both kingdoms avoided any significant breaches of the truce. In 1478 James proposed strengthening the alliance with England still further by offering his sister Margaret as a bride for Edward IV's brother-in-law, Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers . Soon afterwards, however, the truce began to break down, with several instances of Scottish cross-border raiding and pillaging. In 1480 Edward IV sent an envoy to Edinburgh with what
10575-464: The duchy. Duke Arnold died in February 1473, and with him, any serious likelihood of putting his succession plans into effect, but James III was undaunted and sent an ambassador to Charles the Bold to press his claim. James also sent ambassadors to France offering military aid to Louis XI against England in return for a pension of 60,000 crowns a year and to reassert the claim James's father had made to
10716-685: The east of this point. A much wider definition of the Highlands is that used by the Scotch whisky industry. Highland single malts are produced at distilleries north of an imaginary line between Dundee and Greenock , thus including all of Aberdeenshire and Angus . Inverness is regarded as the Capital of the Highlands, although less so in the Highland parts of Aberdeenshire , Angus , Perthshire and Stirlingshire which look more to Aberdeen , Dundee, Perth , and Stirling as their commercial centres. The Highland Council area, created as one of
10857-470: The east. The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands . The Scottish Gaelic name of A' Ghàidhealtachd literally means "the place of the Gaels" and traditionally, from a Gaelic-speaking point of view, includes both the Western Isles and the Highlands. The area is very sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes
10998-473: The efforts of Franciscan missionaries from Ireland, who regularly came to celebrate Mass . There remain significant Catholic strongholds within the Highlands and Islands such as Moidart and Morar on the mainland and South Uist and Barra in the southern Outer Hebrides. The remoteness of the region and the lack of a Gaelic-speaking clergy undermined the missionary efforts of the established church. The later 18th century saw somewhat greater success, owing to
11139-460: The efforts of the SSPCK missionaries and to the disruption of traditional society after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In the 19th century, the evangelical Free Churches, which were more accepting of Gaelic language and culture, grew rapidly, appealing much more strongly than did the established church. For the most part, however, the Highlands are considered predominantly Protestant, belonging to
11280-579: The era of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1790–1815). Tartan had largely been abandoned by the ordinary people of the region, but in the 1820s, tartan and the kilt were adopted by members of the social elite, not just in Scotland, but across Europe. The international craze for tartan, and for idealising a romanticised Highlands, was set off by the Ossian cycle, and further popularised by
11421-469: The fall of Roxburgh. During the early years of James III's reign, the government was led by the queen mother , Mary of Guelders, as regent , while James was educated by Archibald Whitelaw, the Secretary of State and a classical scholar who had taught at St Andrews and Cologne . In March 1461 the first parliament of the reign appointed a council of regency consisting of the Bishop of St Andrews ,
11562-454: The fishings of the Don . In July 1530 Arthur Forbes of Brux and his accomplices attacked Aberdeen. The citizens took arms and drove the invaders to Greyfriars Place. The street fights lasted twenty-four hours. One member of clan Forbes and some of the citizens were killed, a good many on both sides were wounded. Several of the inhabitants of Aberdeen, and commissioners were sent to the king to lodge
11703-533: The fleet bearing Margaret of Denmark and the Scottish ambassadors arrived in Leith , the king's sister, Mary, wife of the Earl of Arran, informed her husband that the king was planning to have him arrested, and the couple fled together to Denmark by sea, and then to Bruges , where they were soon joined by Lord Boyd, who fled there from England. At a Parliament held in November, Lord Boyd, his brother, Sir Alexander, and
11844-528: The former Northern Constabulary . These former bodies both covered the Highland council area and the island council areas of Orkney , Shetland and the Western Isles. Highland Council signs in the Pass of Drumochter , between Glen Garry and Dalwhinnie , say "Welcome to the Highlands". Much of the Highlands area overlaps the Highlands and Islands area. An electoral region called Highlands and Islands
11985-675: The high altar of Cambuskenneth Abbey . His son and successor, James IV, attended the ceremony and in atonement for his involvement in his father's death, from 1496 appointed a chaplain to sing for the salvation of their souls; records of this continued until the Scottish Reformation . The remains of James and Margaret were re-interred under a new stone monument at Queen Victoria 's expense in 1865. James married Margaret of Denmark at Holyrood Abbey , Edinburgh, in July 1469. They had three children: James III has been depicted in plays, historical novels and short stories. They include
12126-527: The highest mountain in the British Isles , Ben Nevis . During the 18th and early 19th centuries the population of the Highlands rose to around 300,000, but from c. 1841 and for the next 160 years, the natural increase in population was exceeded by emigration (mostly to Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and migration to the industrial cities of Scotland and England.) The area
12267-437: The implementation of justice and remained invariably resident in Edinburgh. He was also estranged from his wife, Margaret of Denmark , who lived at Stirling Castle with her sons. In January 1488, James III used a meeting of Parliament to publicly reward those who had been loyal to him in the past and tried to gain supporters by creating four new Lords of Parliament . He also raised his second son, James, Marquess of Ormond , to
12408-429: The king "happened to be slain" as a result of his own poor decisions. In effect, it argued, the king killed himself, a convenient conclusion for the new regime to reach. Yet Norman Macdougall's modern biography notes the indictment of John Ross of Montgrenan at the same parliament alleged the king left the field on Ross's advice and was then killed by unknown vile persons. James III was buried beside his queen in front of
12549-534: The king and James's unpopularity by 1479. James III turned to unfinished business from his father's reign in 1475: the destruction of John MacDonald , Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross . The greatest lord in Gaelic Scotland , John ruled over sprawling territories in the Hebrides , the western Highlands and the north-east. In 1462 John had agreed to the Treaty of Westminster with Edward IV of England,
12690-399: The king fled to Stirling, but was thrown from his horse and fainted near Milton mill, where he was cared for by the miller and his wife. As the retreat of the royal forces to Stirling was taking place, the king came to and called for a priest to make his confession. A priest (possibly a servant of Lord Gray, one of the rebel lords) who was passing by asked where the king was and, on being led to
12831-478: The king, stabbed him to death. George Buchanan says that James fell from his horse whilst fleeing to one of his ships, stationed in the Forth, rather than to Stirling. He took refuge in some mills but being overtaken, he was slain there, with a few attendants. There is no evidence available to corroborate any of the sixteenth century allegations of cowardly behaviour, and the subsequent parliamentary account stated only
12972-500: The king, through self-aggrandizement such as the creation of Lord Boyd's son, Thomas , as earl of Arran , and Arran's marriage to the king's 13-year-old sister, Mary in 1467, which antagonised the king and considerable sections of the three estates . The Boyds sought to maintain power by gaining diplomatic success, and in August 1468 an embassy was sent to Denmark to secure a royal marriage. The ambassadors' negotiations resulted in
13113-592: The landlords in the 1880s through the Highland Land League . Violence erupted, starting on the Isle of Skye , when Highland landlords cleared their lands for sheep and deer parks. It was quietened when the government stepped in, passing the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1886 to reduce rents, guarantee fixity of tenure, and break up large estates to provide crofts for the homeless. This contrasted with
13254-607: The later Caledonian Orogeny . Smaller formations of Lewisian gneiss in the northwest are up to 3 billion years old. The overlying rocks of the Torridon Sandstone form mountains in the Torridon Hills such as Liathach and Beinn Eighe in Wester Ross . These foundations are interspersed with many igneous intrusions of a more recent age, the remnants of which have formed mountain massifs such as
13395-607: The latter, Sir John de Forbes, Lord of Forbes, called "Sir John of the black lip" was Justiciary and Coroner of Aberdeenshire. He married Elizabeth Kennedy, daughter of Sir Gilbert Kennedy of Dunure and together they had four sons. From the three younger sons sprang several cadet lines. William was the progenitor of the Pitsligo line, John the ancestor of Tolquhonline while the houses of Skellater and Inverernan were founded by Alistair of Brux. Sir John died in 1406. Sir John Forbes's son, Alexander Forbes, 1st Lord Forbes fought at
13536-492: The latter; this led to a growing perception of a divide, with the cultural distinction between Highlander and Lowlander first noted towards the end of the 14th century. In Aberdeenshire , the boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands is not well defined. There is a stone beside the A93 road near the village of Dinnet on Royal Deeside which states 'You are now in the Highlands', although there are areas of Highland character to
13677-412: The local government regions of Scotland , has been a unitary council area since 1996. The council area excludes a large area of the southern and eastern Highlands, and the Western Isles , but includes Caithness . Highlands is sometimes used, however, as a name for the council area, as in the former Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service . Northern is also used to refer to the area, as in
13818-472: The long-exiled 9th Earl of Douglas. Following the Battle of Lochmaben , he was forced to flee back to England a second time. His titles and estates were forfeited to the crown. Following this, recent research has suggested he may have returned again to Scotland in 1485 but was caught and imprisoned in the same castle where James had been incarcerated. Chronicler Adam Abell's account of Albany escaping from Edinburgh castle after killing his guard and climbing down
13959-618: The massacre of twenty-seven Forbeses of Towie at Corgarff Castle . It took two Acts of Parliament for the clans to put down their arms. Alexander, the 10th Lord Forbes, was a Lieutenant general under Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years' War . On his return to Scotland he was given a commission and charged with suppressing uprisings in Ireland. He later retired to Germany and died on 20 April 1672 in Stockholm , Sweden. During
14100-514: The new ideas taught in Scottish universities. Highland landowners, many of whom were burdened with chronic debts, were generally receptive to the advice they offered and keen to increase the income from their land. In the East and South the resulting change was similar to that in the Lowlands, with the creation of larger farms with single tenants, enclosure of the old run rig fields, introduction of new crops (such as turnips ), land drainage and, as
14241-614: The outstanding amount of Margaret's dowry. However, James had no intention of allowing the Danes to redeem their rights in Orkney and Shetland, and would quickly acquire full sovereignty over the islands. The Boyds' misuse of power to enrich themselves with lands and offices had made them many enemies, and in April 1468 there was an attempt by the king's half-uncles, the Earl of Atholl and James Stewart of Auchterhouse , and his younger brother,
14382-580: The patronage of painters and musicians, coins that display realistic portraits of the king, the Trinity Altarpiece , and the King's Chapel at Restalrig . James III was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn, following a rebellion in which his heir was the figurehead of the rebels, and succeeded him as James IV . James was the first surviving son born to King James II and his wife, Mary of Guelders ,
14523-541: The place of the Gaels ' ) is a historical region of Scotland . Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period , when Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands. The term is also used for the area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault , although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to
14664-418: The politics of the reign. From the positive beginnings after his assumption of active control of government in 1469, James III's relationship with Parliament would lead to opposition, criticism, and outright confrontation over his foreign and domestic policies. The failure of the king to listen to the grievances raised by the three estates, or to abide by the concessions he made to them, were significant causes of
14805-449: The popularly oriented, fervently evangelical Presbyterian revival after 1800. Most joined the breakaway "Free Church" after 1843. This evangelical movement was led by lay preachers who themselves came from the lower strata, and whose preaching was implicitly critical of the established order. The religious change energised the crofters and separated them from the landlords; it helped prepare them for their successful and violent challenge to
14946-549: The processed product during the Napoleonic wars. When the Napoleonic wars finished in 1815, the Highland industries were affected by the return to a peacetime economy. The price of black cattle fell, nearly halving between 1810 and the 1830s. Kelp prices had peaked in 1810, but reduced from £9 a ton in 1823 to £3 13s 4d a ton in 1828. Wool prices were also badly affected. This worsened the financial problems of debt-encumbered landlords. Then, in 1846, potato blight arrived in
15087-493: The region most affected by the potato famine, by 1846, 70 per cent of the landowners were new purchasers who had not owned Highland property before 1800. More landlords were obliged to sell due to the cost of famine relief. Those who were protected from the worst of the crisis were those with extensive rental income from sheep farms. Government loans were made available for drainage works, road building and other improvements and many crofters became temporary migrants – taking work in
15228-488: The rest of his reign, although he also sought a marriage alliance with Mary of Burgundy for his brother Albany in 1477, and renewed the Franco-Scottish alliance with Charles VIII of France in 1484. However, the peace policy was unpopular in Scotland and went against the traditional enmity between the two kingdoms. Opposition was particularly associated with Albany and was one of the causes of his estrangement from
15369-560: The rift between James and Albany were the latter's opposition to the Anglo-Scottish alliance, his being responsible for serious violations of the truce, and his abuse of his position and challenge to royal authority by the ruthless enforcement of justice in the Marches . In May 1479, Albany was accused of treason for arming and provisioning Dunbar Castle against the king, assisting known rebels and deliberately causing trouble on
15510-438: The royal cause in the north-east and then made the mistake of agreeing to negotiate a settlement with the rebels, before promptly breaking his word and, on the advice of his half-uncle the Earl of Buchan , marching south from Aberdeen to settle the rebellion by force, which lost him the support of several more nobles. Following an inconclusive skirmish between the royal and rebel forces at Blackness Castle , James III retreated to
15651-400: The run rig farmers and were much less prone to falling into arrears. Each croft was limited in size so that the tenants would have to find work elsewhere. The major alternatives were fishing and the kelp industry. Landlords took control of the kelp shores, deducting the wages earned by their tenants from the rent due and retaining the large profits that could be earned at the high prices paid for
15792-476: The safety of Edinburgh Castle, where he rewarded his supporters and attempted to gain new ones by distributing cash, jewels and land. Matters came to a head in June 1488 when James III left Edinburgh Castle and led his army towards Stirling. The royal and rebel armies joined battle south of Stirling on 11 June 1488 at the Battle of Sauchieburn , on what contemporaries described as the "field of Stirling". James III
15933-632: The same area as that covered by the fire and rescue service. There have been trackways from the Lowlands to the Highlands since prehistoric times. Many traverse the Mounth , a spur of mountainous land that extends from the higher inland range to the North Sea slightly north of Stonehaven . The most well-known and historically important trackways are the Causey Mounth , Elsick Mounth , Cryne Corse Mounth and Cairnamounth . Although most of
16074-537: The sanction of Parliament, and his advancement of the Kennedy kin, such as the appointment of his half-brother, Patrick Graham , as the new bishop of St Andrews, made his regime increasingly unpopular. In July 1466, James III was seized while hunting at Linlithgow Palace by a large armed group led by Robert, Lord Boyd and his son, Thomas , and was taken to Edinburgh Castle as the Boyds and their supporters mounted
16215-412: The sending of this army to the continent as part of a Franco-Scottish invasion against Francis II, Duke of Brittany , though protests by the clergy about the king leading an army abroad while he had no issue to succeed him eventually led to James abandoning his plans for an invasion of Brittany. That same year James also acted as an intermediary in negotiations between Denmark and France. In April 1473,
16356-498: The stock he held (500) having been judicially attached. Sir William Forbes, eighth Baronet of Craigievar , in 1884 succeeded his kinswoman as Lord Sempill , Chief of Clan Sempill . Castles that have been owned by the Clan Forbes have included amongst many others: Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( Scots : the Hielands ; Scottish Gaelic : a' Ghàidhealtachd [ə ˈɣɛːəl̪ˠt̪ʰəxk] , lit. '
16497-492: The strong control the Scottish Crown exercised over Orkney and Shetland, this was highly unlikely. This Anglo-Scottish treaty, the first alliance between the two kingdoms in the fifteenth century, preserved the peace between Scotland and England and provided James III with a substantial financial gain. By 1479, he had amassed 8,000 marks in English dowry payments – roughly the equivalent of his annual income from regular sources. James would continue to press for English alliances for
16638-460: The surrounding area has a majority Protestant population, with most locals belonging to either The Kirk or the Free Church of Scotland . The church maintains a noticeable presence within the area, with church attendance notably higher than in other parts of Scotland. Religion continues to play an important role in Highland culture, with Sabbath observance still widely practised, particularly in
16779-416: The throne with the aid of an invading English army , which led to the loss of Berwick-upon-Tweed and a coup by a group of nobles which saw the king imprisoned for a time, before being restored to power. James's reputation as Scotland's first Renaissance monarch has sometimes been exaggerated. The artistic legacy of his reign was slight when compared to that of his two immediate successors, and consists of
16920-527: The title. The Forbeses, Baronets of Craigievar , a branch of the old House, Craigievar Castle , sprang from Patrick Forbes of Corse, armour-bearer to James III ; and the Stuart-Forbesses of Pitsligo, Baronets, from Duncan of Corsindae, second son of James, second Lord Forbes. The Edinglassie Forbeses are also a branch of the parent stock. The Forbeses of Tolquhon Castle , a very old branch, acquired that estate in 1420, and were progenitors of
17061-518: The two major rebellions in 1482–1483 and 1488. James's policies during the early 1470s revolved primarily around ambitious continental schemes to emphasize the prestige of the king and the Stewart dynasty, expand the territory under James's rule, and agree to an alliance with England. The main business of the parliament James III called in 1471 was the granting of a tax to fund an embassy to the continent to allow him to act as arbitrator between Charles
17202-418: The vacant earldom of Mar led to the intervention of the powerful George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly , on the king's side. In January 1483, Albany fled to his estates at Dunbar . The death of his patron, Edward IV, on 9 April left Albany in an untenable position and he fled to England, letting an English garrison into his stronghold of Dunbar Castle . A year later he return for another attempted invasion with
17343-539: The victorious Yorkists to explore the possibility of a truce. In return for a year's refuge in Scotland and loans that Mary of Guelders granted them, the Lancastrians surrendered Berwick to the Scots in April 1461. This period also saw disputes between Mary and James Kennedy , Bishop of St Andrews over who had control over the person of James III, and over foreign policy, with the bishop favouring an alliance with
17484-408: The works of Walter Scott . His "staging" of the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 and the king's wearing of tartan resulted in a massive upsurge in demand for kilts and tartans that could not be met by the Scottish woollen industry. Individual clan tartans were largely designated in this period and they became a major symbol of Scottish identity. This "Highlandism", by which all of Scotland
17625-450: Was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II , at the siege of Roxburgh Castle . James III's reign began with a minority that lasted almost a decade, during which Scotland was governed by a series of regents and factions who struggled for possession of the young king before his personal rule began in 1469. James III
17766-472: Was a close connection of the Earl of Huntly , chief of Clan Gordon. The Earl of Huntly then became involved in a plot against the Master of Forbes , who was the son of the sixth Lord Forbes . The sixth Lord Forbes had been heavily implicated of the murder of Seton of Meldrum. The Master of Forbes was accused by the Earl of Huntly of conspiring to assassinate James V of Scotland in 1536 by shooting at him with
17907-476: Was accused of debasing the coinage , hoarding money, failing to resolve feuds and enforce criminal justice, and pursuing an unpopular policy of alliance with England . His preference for his own "low-born" favourites at court and in government alienated many of his bishops and nobles, as well as members of his own family, leading to tense relationships with his brothers, his wife, and his heir. In 1482, James's brother, Alexander, Duke of Albany , attempted to usurp
18048-406: Was affected by the fact that he was one of the few Stewart monarchs who had to contend with the problem of an adult, legitimate brother. In 1469 James had two surviving younger brothers, Alexander, Duke of Albany and John, Earl of Mar , then aged fourteen and about twelve, and three Stewart half-uncles (the earls of Atholl and Buchan , and the Bishop of Moray ), and each of them would complicate
18189-489: Was an unpopular and ineffective king and was confronted with two major rebellions during his reign. He was much criticised by contemporaries and later chroniclers for his promotion of unrealistic schemes to invade or take possession of Brittany , Guelders and Saintonge at the expense of his regular duties as king. While his reign saw Scotland reach its greatest territorial extent with the acquisition of Orkney and Shetland through his marriage to Margaret of Denmark , James
18330-585: Was born during the crisis which had seen his father stab William, Earl of Douglas to death in Stirling Castle . This murder did not end the power of the Douglases , but created a state of intermittent civil war until James II struck a decisive blow against the Douglases in 1455 at the Battle of Arkinholm and Parliament declared the extensive Douglas lands forfeit and permanently annexed them to
18471-453: Was essentially a declaration of war , informing James that the English king intended to wage war against the Scots unless his demands were met: that the Scots make reparations for breaches of the truce; that James return Berwick, Roxburgh and Coldingham to English dominion; and that James do homage to Edward for the Scottish Crown. However, Edward was prepared to maintain the peace if James would surrender Berwick and hand over his son and heir as
18612-574: Was followed, mostly in the period 1760–1850, by agricultural improvement that often (particularly in the Western Highlands) involved clearance of the population to make way for large scale sheep farms. Displaced tenants were set up in crofting communities in the process. The crofts were intended not to provide all the needs of their occupiers; they were expected to work in other industries such as kelping and fishing. Crofters came to rely substantially on seasonal migrant work, particularly in
18753-402: Was honourably acquitted after a long period of confinement. John Forbes, Master of Forbes, his eldest surviving son and heir designate was arrested with his father, also on charges of treason, and was condemned to be hanged, but due to his rank he was beheaded. In 1529, Clan Forbes was involved in a feud with the citizens of Aberdeen , who withheld a sort of blackmail , a yearly tun of wine for
18894-411: Was identified with the culture of the Highlands, was cemented by Queen Victoria's interest in the country, her adoption of Balmoral as a major royal retreat, and her interest in "tartenry". Recurrent famine affected the Highlands for much of its history, with significant instances as late as 1817 in the Eastern Highlands and the early 1850s in the West. Over the 18th century, the region had developed
19035-458: Was imprisoned at Craigmillar Castle for unspecified reasons, and died there in mysterious circumstances. The reasons behind James III's assault on Albany have been difficult to understand. Albany had helped James to power in 1469, and was an effective Warden of the Marches , having resisted an incursion by Richard, Duke of Gloucester in 1474. It has been suggested that the most likely causes of
19176-603: Was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle and a new regime, led by "lieutenant-general" Alexander, became established during the autumn of 1482. Meanwhile, the English army, unable to take Edinburgh Castle , ran out of money and returned to England, having taken Berwick-upon-Tweed for the last time. Whilst imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, James was politically sidelined from July 1482 to early 1483, and his two half-uncles (including Andrew Stewart ) managed to form
19317-401: Was introduced into the region. Between the 1760s and the 1830s there was a substantial trade in unlicensed whisky that had been distilled in the Highlands. Lowland distillers (who were not able to avoid the heavy taxation of this product) complained that Highland whisky made up more than half the market. The development of the cattle trade is taken as evidence that the pre-improvement Highlands
19458-573: Was killed at some stage during the course of the battle, although the circumstances of the king's death are unclear, and it took some time to establish with certainty that the king had been killed. The 16th century chroniclers Adam Abell and John Lesley alleged that James III was slain in Milton mill on the Bannock Burn . Each new account added unflattering, but probably invented, details. Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie , writing in 1576, states that
19599-402: Was not an immutable system, but did exploit the economic opportunities that came its way. The illicit whisky trade demonstrates the entrepreneurial ability of the peasant classes. Agricultural improvement reached the Highlands mostly over the period 1760 to 1850. Agricultural advisors, factors , land surveyors and others educated in the thinking of Adam Smith were keen to put into practice
19740-443: Was not being actively administered by the king in person occurred throughout his reign, partly due to his practice of delegating responsibility to appointed justices and allowing Ayres to be held without his presence. James III's "low-born" favourites at court and in government began to alienate many of his bishops and nobles. The most high-profile royal favourites was William Scheves , who began his career in royal service in 1471 as
19881-481: Was traditionally the Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland, although the language is now largely confined to The Hebrides . The terms are sometimes used interchangeably but have different meanings in their respective languages. Scottish English (in its Highland form ) is the predominant language of the area today, though Highland English has been influenced by Gaelic speech to a significant extent. Historically,
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