district of Lochbroom, had charge of Ellandonnan Castle. The
Earl of Ross was determined to secure possession of Murdoch, as he
previously did of his father, and Macaulay becoming apprehensive
as to his safety sent him, then quite young, accompanied by his
own son, for protection to Mackenzie's relative, Macdougall of
Lorn. While here the Earl of Ross succeeded in capturing young
Macaulay, and in revenge for his father's gallant defence at
Ellandonnan during Kenneth's absence, and more recently against
his own futile attempts to take that stronghold, he put Macaulay
to death, whereupon Murdoch, who barely escaped with his life,
left Lorn and sought the protection of his uncle, Macleod of Lewis.

The actual murderer of Macaulay was the same desperate character,
Leod Macgilleandrais, a vassal of the Earl of Ross, who had in
1346 been mainly instrumental in the capture and consequent death
of Mackenzie's father at Inverness. The Earl of Cromarty describes
the assassin as "a depender of the Earl of Ross, and possessed
of several lands in Strathcarron (of Easter Ross) and some in
Strathoykell." When he killed Macaulay, Leod possessed himself
of his lands of Lochbroom and Coigach "whereby that family ended."
Macaulay's estates should have gone to Mackenzie in right of his
wife, Macaulay's daughter, but "holding of the Earl of Ross, the
earl disponed the samen in lyfrent by tack to Leod, albeit Murdo
Mackenzie acclaimed it in right of his wyfe."

Leod kept possession of Kenlochewe, which, lying as it did, exactly
between Kintail and Lochbroom, he found most convenient as a centre
of operations against both, and he repeatedly took advantage of it,
though invariably without success so far at least as his main object
was concerned - to get possession of the stronghold of Ellandonnan.