The High Steward, by a dexterous movement, made the enemy's left give way, and instantly, by another adroit manoeuvre, he wheeled back on the rear of Haco's centre, where he found the two warrior Kings desperately engaged. This induced Haco, after exhibiting all the prowess of a brave King and an able commander, to retreat from the field, followed by his left wing, leaving, as has been variously stated, sixteen to twenty-four thousand of his followers on the field, while the loss on the Scottish side is estimated at about five thousand. The men of Caithness and Sutherland were led by the Flemish Freskin, those of Moray by one of their great chiefs, and there is every reason to believe that the men of Ross rallied round one of their native chiefs. Among the most distinguished warriors who took part in this great and decisive victory for the Scots, under the immediate eye of their brave King, was, it is said, Colin Fitzgerald, who is referred to in a fragment of the Record of Icolmkill as "Callenus peregrinus Hibernus nobilis ex familia Geraldinorum qui proximo anno ab Hibernia pulsus opud regni benigne acceptus hinc usque in curta permansit et in praefacto proelio strenue pugnavit." That is, "Colin, an Irish stranger and nobleman, of the family of the Geraldines who, in the previous year, had been driven from Ireland, and had been well received by the King, remained up to this time at Court, and fought bravely in the aforesaid battle." This extract has often been quoted to prove that Colin Fitzgerald was the progenitor of the Mackenzies; but it will be noticed that it contains no reference whatever to the point. It merely says that Colin, an Irishman, was present at Largs.
SUTHERLAND clan takes its name from the land in which they lived. Sutherland, or Sudrland, as it was known to the Norsemen who settled it, was established as an earldom as early as 1228. At that time it was granted to William, Lord of Sutherland, the great-grandson of Freskin, progenitor of the Murrays of Atholl. Murray (MacMhuirich) of Morayshire, Perthshire descended from the Pictish Mormaers of Moray, this clan traces its origins to Freskin de Moravia who held lands of Stabrock in West Lothian and Duffus in Moray during the 12th Century. Although it is commonly believed that Freskin was a Pict, it is possible that he was a Flemish knight who was employed by the Normans after William the Conqueror to maintain peace throughout the land. David I granted lands in West Lothian to Freskin for his services, and the governing of the ancient Pictish kingdom of Moireabh (Moray) was bestowed on Freskin in order to once and for all get rid the old royal house of Moray. Murray Of Atholl, Murray of Tullibardine, Balneaves, Fleming, MacMurray, Moray, Piper, Rattray, Reid, Smail, Small, Spalding... Sutherland of Sutherland: Sutherland of Murray, Cheyne, Duffus, Federith, Gray, Mowat, Norman, Oliphant, O’May.
The name MacLean is usually translated from the Gaelic as: MacGille Eoin or "son of the servant of St John". The founder of the clan was an Irish warlord named Gillean na Tuaighe ("Little Giles of the Battleaxe") Fitzgerald, who lived in the reign of Alexander III of Scotland (1249-1286). He was originally a chieftain of the Fitzgeralds, but soon broke his sept off to form his own clan. His adopted son Malise took the name Gillemor ("Giles the Great") in 1263 and wrote his name as "Gillemor Mcilean ("Giles the Great, son of Little Giles"), Count of Perth" on the third Ragman Roll of 1296. Gillean (Collin) Fitzgerald led his followers against the Norsemen at the Battle of Largs in 1263 during the Scottish-Norwegian War where the Scottish were victorious.
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