other large parishes in Ross (Acts of Parliament of Scotland, Vol.
1. p. 917). Between 1306 and 1329 King Robert Bruce confirmed to
the Earl of Ross all his lands including North Argyle (Robertson's
Index, p. 16, No. 7; Register of Moray, p. 342). In 1342, William,
Earl of Ross, the son and heir of the deceased Hugh, Earl of Ross,
granted to Reginald, the son of Roderick (Ranald Rorissoune or
MacRuaraidh) of the Isles, the ten davochs (or pennylands) of
Kintail in North Argyle (Robertson's Index, p. 48, No. 1; p. 99;
p. 100, No. 1). The grant was afterwards confirmed by King David II.
(Robertson's Index). About the year 1346 Ranald was succeeded by his
sister Amie, the wife of John of Isla (Gregory p. 27). Between the
years 1362 and 1372, William, Earl of Ross, exchanged with his
brother Hugh of Ross, Lord of Phylorth, and his heirs, his lands of
all Argyle, with the Castle of Ellandonnan, for Hugh's lands in
Buchan (Balnagown Charters). In 1463 the lands of Kintail were held
by Alexander Mackenzie (Gregory, p, 83)," when the Mackenzies
obtained the first authentic charter on record as direct vassals from
the Crown.

During the whole of this period - for two hundred years - there is
no trace of Colin Fitzgerald or any of his descendants as superiors
of the lands of Kintail in terms of Alexander III.'s reputed charter
of 1266, the Mackenzies holding all that time from and as direct
vassals of their relatives, the Earls of Ross, who really held
the position of Crown vassals which, according to the upholders
of the Fitzgerald theory, had that theory been true, would have
been held by Colin and his posterity. But neither he nor any
of his reputed descendants appear once on record in that capacity
during the whole of these two centuries. On the contrary, it has
now been proved from unquestionable authentic sources that Kintail