The writer adds that he does not know Macrae's christian name, but
that he married "a daughter or grand-daughter of MacBeolan, who
possessed a large part of Kintail before Mackenzie's predecessors
got a right of it from Alexander III." This marriage, and their
common ancestry from a native Celtic source, and not from "the same
race of people in Ireland" seems a much more probable explanation of
the early and continued friendship which existed between the two
families than that suggested by the rev. author of "The Genealogy of
the Macraes," above quoted.

But the curious circumstance to which he directs attention regarding
the first five Mackenzie chiefs is quite true. It is borne out by
every genealogy of the House of Kintail which we have ever seen.
There is not a trace of any legitimate male descendant from the
first of the name down to Alexander, the sixth baron, except the
immediately succeeding chief, so that their vassals and followers
in the field and elsewhere must, for nearly two hundred years,
have been men of different septs and tribes and names, except the
progeny of their own illegitimate sons, such as "Sliochd Mhurcbaidh
Riabhaich" and others of similar base origin.

Murdoch married Finguala or Florence, daughter of Malcolm
Macleod, III. of Harris and Dunvegan, by his wife, Martha, daughter
of Donald Stewart, Earl of Mar, nephew of King Robert the Bruce. By
this marriage the Royal blood of the Bruce was introduced for the
first time into the family of Kintail, as also that of the ancient
Kings of Man. Tormod Macleod, II. of Harris, who was grandson of
Olave the Black, last Norwegian King of Man, and who, as we have seen,
had married Christina, daughter of Ferquhard O'Beolan, Earl of Ross,
married Finguala Mac Crotan, the daughter of an ancient and powerful