For a considerable time the district of Sutherland had remained tranquil, but on the 11th of July, 1487, it again became the scene of an encounter between the Mackays and the Rosses. Angus Mackay, son of the famous Neil of the Bass, having been killed at Tarbert in Kintyre by a Ross, his son, John Riabhaieh Mackay, applied to John Earl of Sutherland, to assist him in revenging his father’s death. As soon as the Laird of Balnagown, the chief of the Rosses, heard of this attack, he collected all his forces, and attacked Robert Sutherland and John Riabhaich Mackay, at a place called Aldy-charrish. A long and obstinate battle took place; but the death of Balnagown and seventeen of the principal landed gentlemen of Ross decided the combat, for the people of Ross, being deprived of their leader, were thrown into confusion, and utterly put to flight. But the avarice of the men of Assynt, induced them to instigate John Mackay to resolve to commit one of the most perfidious and diabolical acts ever perpetrated by men who had fought on the same side. The lawless state of society in the Highlands, which followed as a consequence from the removal of the seate of govemment to the Lowlands, though it often engaged the attention of the Scottish sovereigns, never had proper remedies applied to mend it. The design of the Assynt men was, to cut off Robert Sutherland and his whole party, and possess themselves of their share of the spoil, before the Earl of Sutherland could learn the result of the battle, that he might be led to suppose that his uncle and his men had all fallen in the action with the Rosses.
With the captain of the Clanchattan, Duncan Mackintosh; with Ewan, the son of Alan, captain of the Clan Cameron; with Campbell of Glenurqhay; the Macgilleouns of Duart and Lochbuy; Mackane of Ardnamurchan; the lairds of Mackenzie and Grant; and the Earl of Huntley, a baron of the most extensive power in those northern districts—he appears to have been in habits of constant and regular communication - rewarding them by presents, in the shape either of money or of grants of land, and securing their services in reducing to obedience such of their fellow chieftains as proved contumacious, or actually rose in rebellion."
Accordingly, in the yeare 1490, James accompanied by his court, he rode twice from Perth across the chain of mountains which extends across the country from the border of the Mearns to the head of Loch Rannoch, which chain is known by the name of the "Mount." Again, in 1493, he twice visited the Highlands, and went as far as Dunstaffnage and Mengarry, in Ardnamurchan. In the following yeare he visited the isles no less than three times. His first voyage to the islands, which took place in April and May, was conducted with great state. He was attended by a vast suite, many of whom fitted out vessels at their own expense. The grandeur which surrounded the king impressed the Islanders with a high idea of his wealth and power; and his condescension and familiarity with all classes of his subjects, acquired for him a popularity which added strength to his throne. The only opposition which James met with during these excursions was from the restless Lord of the Isles, who had the temerity to put the king at defiance, notwithstanding the repeated and signal marks of the royal favour he had experienced. "Sir John of the Isles," as he is named in the tresurer’s accounts, was stripped of his power and his possessions were forfeited to the crown. In the late 13th century the rising force on Scotland's Western Seaboard was the MacDougalls. Controlling the Western mainland was MacDougall's Dunollie Castle and Dunstaffnage Castle, near Oban in Argyllshire while their huge fleet of galleys commanded the seas.
One of those personal petty feuds which were so prevalent in the Highlands, occurred about the Sixteenth Century. Alexander Sutherland of Dilred, being unable or unwilling to repay a sum of money he had borrowed from Sir James Dunbar of Cumnock, the latter took legal measures to secure his debt by appraising part of Dilred’s lands. This proceeding vexed the laird of Dilred exceedingly, and he took an umbrage at the Dunbars, who had recently settled in Sutherland, "grudgeing, as it were," says Sir R. Gordon, "that a stranger should brawe (brave) him at his owne doors." Happening to meet Alexander Dunbar, brother of Sir James, who had lately married Lady Margaret Baillie, Countess Dowager of Sutherland, high words passed between them, a combat ensued, and, after a long contest, Alexander Dunbar was killed. Sir James Dunbar thereupon went to Edinburgh, and laid the matter before King James IV., who was so exasperated at the conduct of Alexander Sutherland, that he immediately proclaimed him a rebel, sent messengers every-where in search of him, and promised his lands to any person that would apprehend him. After some search he was apprehended with ten of his followers by his uncle, Y-Roy-Mackay, brother of John Reawigh Mackay already mentioned, who sent him to the king. Dilred was tried, condemned, and executed, and his lands declared forfeited. For this service, Y-Roy-Mackay obtained from the king a grant of the lands of Armdall, Far, Golspietour, Kinnald, Kilcolmkill, and Dilred, which formerly belonged to Alexander Sutherand, as was noted in Mackay’s inleftment, Iated in 1449.
A lamentable instance of the ferocity of these times is afforded in the case of one of the Earls of Sutherland, who upon some provocation slew two of his nephews. This earl, who was named John, had a natural brother, Thomas Moir, who had two sons, Robert Sutherland and the Keith, so called on account of his being brought up by a person of that name. The young men had often annoyed the Earl, and on one occasion they entered his castle of Dunrobin to brave him to his face, an act which so provoked the Earl, that he instantly killed Robert in the house. The Keith, after receiving several wounds, made his escape, but he was overtaken and slain at the Clayside, near Dunrobin, which from that circumstance was afterwards called Ailein-Cheith, or the bush of the Keith. In 1513 a troop of Highlanders helped to swell the Scotch army on the ever-memorable and disastrous field of Flodden, but from their peculiar mode of fighting, so different from that of the Lowlanders, appear to have been more a hindrance than a help.
Gaelic surnames and their derivatives are detailed under the section Scottish surnames as refers to the Celtic Highlanders of Scotland. Gaelic ones beginning with Ó or Mac immediately identify significant family ties and the heritage of a specific nationality such as Irish or Scottish but the Scottish Gaelic surnames from the Highlands were heavily influenced by the Clans while Scottish last names divide into two categories.
The adoption of Clan surnames has been attributed to the encouragement by King Malcolm III (Canmore). Most Highlanders gave their allegiance to Clans and adopted the surname used by that clan but Scottish surnames from the Lowlands of Scotland tended to be influenced by English names, thus many Scottish names such as Stewart, Cameron and Ross are now commonly used as First or middle names. An illustration of why these names were introduced can be taken from what happened in England. In the 13th century almost one third of the men in England were called either John, Richard or William. This started to cause considerable confusion when people started to move away from their own villages and so people would be referred to as the son of one or another. The most common surname origins are derived from actual place names. This is particularly relevant to English sur-names. People were given surnames that indicated a specific place name such as London, Ireland, England, Eaton, York or Washington. Another type of place surname described an actual residence, location or workplace such as Hall, Smith, Heath, Bridges, Brook, Castle or Woods. Last names are often derivatives of Nationalities such as English, Welsh, Scott or French. There were also the first names such as William, Phillip, Edward, and Hugh which were changed to create surnames and similar names in this category are those names beginning with Mc, Mac or Fitz. Therefore the history connected to a powerful ancestor could be passed down the generations.