This tragic, but well-merited, close to such a violent and turbulent
career, is recorded in the Red Book of Clan Ranald in the following
terms: "Donald, the son of Angus that was killed at Inverness by
his own harper, son of John of the Isles, son of Alexander, son of
Donald, son of John, son of Angus Og;" an event which must have
occurred about 1485.

Alexander was the first of the family who lived on the island In
Loch Kinellan, while at the same time he had Brahan as a "maines,"
or farm, both of which his successor for a time held from the King
at a yearly rent, until Kenneth feued Brahan, and Colin, his son,
feued Kinellan.

The Earl of Sutherland had been on friendly terms with Mackenzie,
and appointed him as his deputy in the management of the Earldom
of Ross, which devolved on him after the forfeiture. On one
occasion, the Earl of Sutherland being in the south at Court, the
Strathnaver men and the men of the Braes of Caithness took advantage
of his absence and invaded Sutherland. An account of their conduct
soon spread abroad, and reached the ears of the Chief of Kintail,
who at once with a party of six hundred men, passed into Sutherland,
where, the Earl's followers having joined him, he defeated the
invaders, killed a large number of them, forced the remainder to
sue for peace, and compelled them to give substantial security
for their peaceful behaviour in future.

Kintail was now a very old man. His prudence and sagacity well
repaid the judicious patronage of the first King James, confirmed
and extended by his successors on the throne, and, as has been well
said by his biographer, secured for him "the love and respect of