Badenoch

In 1374 the the of Earl of Buchan was bestowed on Alexander Stuart, the youngest son of King Rohert II. The king had, soon after his accession, granted him a charter, dated at Scone, of the lands of Badenoch, the castle of Lochyndorbe, and the lands and forest annexed, as fully as John Comyn had had them.

This earl married Euphemia, daughter of the Earl of Ross, in right of whom he had various lands. This earl proved, in every respect, a hatefol character. Notwithstanding the
great possessions obtained by his wife, he treated her with great unkindness, and aggravated her distress by his open attentions he paid to other women.

She brought her suit against him before the Bishop of Moray, who pronounced sentence, ordering him to live with his wife, and to find security to the amount of 2OO0 pounds not to maltreat her. Irritated at this sentence, he seized on the bishop’s lands in Badenoch, which drew down upon him the spiritual vengeance of a sentence of excommunication.

The earl on his part armed his followers, and in May 1390 went and burnt the town of Forres, and in June following
came to Elgin and burnt the Cathedral of St Giles, which was considered the most beautiful church in Scotland, and along with it the hospital and eighteen manses of the canons and chaplains. After this sacrilegious action he was cast into prison. On his humble submission, he was absolved by the Bislsop of St Andrew’s, on condition of his making satisfaction to the Bishop and Chapter of Moray, and obtaining confirmation of the absolution from the Pope.

Whether he was let loose after this, or remained in prison, is not certain, for he died soon after, February
9th, 1394, and was interred in the middle choir of the Cathedral Church of Dunkeld. There was a monument and statue of stone erected to his memory, which were defaced by the soldiers of Angus’s regiment, who were
stationed at Dunkeld at the Revolution by King William, and who fortified the church as a check to the pass into the Scottish Highlands.

Return To Even More Scottish Anecdotes