For suppressing and staunching of murderers, thieves, robbers, oppressors, sorners, ravishers of women and raisers of fire…1
Everyone loves a Highland warrior - until they meet one.2
During his exile in London (1568-1577), the Flemish artist Lucas De Heere sketched an ‘Escossois Sauuage’, a Scottish savage or wild Scot, meaning a Highlander.3

Some may bridle at the description, but the behaviour of Highland warriors was frequently savage. Consider these interactions between warriors and civilians in the Highlands of Scotland in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (language modernised).
Murder and mutilation (1551):
Duncan Ladasach [MacGregor] and Gregor his son recently, namely upon Sunday the 22nd day of November instant, at the sixth hour of the evening under silence of night, by way of hamesuken came to the house of Alasdair Odhar, alias MacGregor, servant to Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, of the lands of Morenish, and by force took him forth of his said house and by way of murder struck him with whingers and cruelly slew and despoiled him and took from him his purse and in it the sum of forty pounds; and immediately thereafter passed to the lands of Killin to the house of a poor man called John MacBayne Pipare and there besieged the said house and broke the doors thereof and by force took the said John forth of the same and struck his head from his body and cruelly slew him and gave him diverse other strokes with whingers in his body.4
Pillaging, destruction and indiscriminate killing during the Campbell of Glenorchy-MacGregor feud (1563):
The Clan Gregor has not only massed themselves in great companies, but also has drawn to them the most part of the broken men of the whole country, which at their pleasure burns and slays the poor lieges of this realm, plunders and takes their goods, sorns and oppresses them, in such sort that they are able to lay waste the whole bounds where they haunt...5
Violent abduction and rape (1620):
On January last John MacAne VicAne in Culnakirk [and eight accomplices from the Drumnadrochit/Glen Urquhart area], all armed with swords, gauntlets, dirks, bows, quivers, Lochaber axes and other weapons came under cloud and silence of night to the said James Cumming’s house in Delshangie, where his said daughter and family were. There the said persons after a most insolent manner most forcibly broke up the door of the said house, and, with drawn swords and dirks in their hands, entered therein, put violent hand on the said Agnes Cumming’s person, and masterfully and by force ravished and took her away from her said father’s house, and first carried her to the dwelling place of the said Ewan MacGowan in Balmacaan, keeping her therein the space of and there filthily forced, deflowered and abused her body at their pleasure. Since then they have transported her from one secret place to another, still committing the same offence, this being a matter of a most wicked and pernicious example…6
A blacksmith on the rampage (1621):
Donald MacOldonich in Ardteatle pursues Patrick MacAgowan in Barachastlain for coming to his own house and blooding and striking of him with a sword, and for the hurting of his hand, and also for spoiling him of his bow and dirk and away taking of 20 shillings out of his purse… Archbald MacAne, officer in Glenorchy, in the name of the Laird, pursues Patrick MacAgowan in Barachastlain for hurting and dinging of Duncan Ban MacAne, servitor to the Laird of Lawers, with a sword and whinger in the head, to the great effusion of his blood… Duncan Dow MacBay in Ardteatle pursues the said Patrick MacAgowan in Barachastlain for blooding of him with a sword and hurting of him therewith in the hand. The assize convicts the defender in blood.7
MacAgowan got away with it Scot free. The clue is in his name, a rough transliteration of the Gaelic for ‘son of the smith’. Young Patrick was one of the MacNabs of Barachastlain, hereditary blacksmiths to the Campbells of Glenorchy since 1440. So no harsh punishment for the valued retainer with the distinguished ancestry, just censure and the threat of a hefty fine if he misbehaved again. In 1632, Patrick succeeded his father as the Laird of Glenorchy’s principal craftsman and assumed the surname Gow - ‘Smith’.
The minister of Boleskine terrorized (1670):
Mr Thomas Houston… his house being lately seized upon by Lochaber robbers, himself threatened with naked swords and drawn dirks at his breast, his money and household stuff plundered, and seeing that one of their number suffered death lately at Inverness, the rest of them being in wait for his life, and threatening his ruin and damage, so that in the evening he is afraid of being burnt to ashes before the morning.8
Gentlemen and Labourers of the Ground
Gaeldom was full of rank bad yins. Captains and their caterans, buannachan, broken men and sorners.9 All men of quality, of course. Fighting, pillaging and raping were the privileges of rank, status and ancestry. Warriors were gentlemen and able men. Not for them ignoble agricultural labour; finely-formed hands were for heroically wielding weapons in war or expertly handling tools in the forge, not for digging in the dirt. When MacDonald of Keppoch leased land in Rannoch from Campbell of Glenorchy and agreed to work and manure it (1563), he was most certainly not involved in the actual labour.10 Leave that to the lowly sgalag (farm labourer) and the despised bodach (serf or, pejoratively, clown), who were tied to the land and subsisted at the very bottom of the clan dung heap.11
In raising or bringing forth their men at any time of year to whatsoever country or wars, no labourers of the ground are permitted to steer forth of the country … only gentlemen which labours not, that the labour belonging to the tilling of the ground, winnowing of their corns may not be left undone… The occupiers thereof are … not permitted to move from their own country and island where they dwell.12
The romantized and tartanized history of Scotland forgets that the heroic culture and militarism of the Highland and Hebridean gentry was underpinned by labourers who resemble the helots of ancient Sparta - an exploited underclass that worked the land and enabled their masters to focus on the glorious business of fighting, feuding and feasting.
Further Reading
“For suppressing and stanching of murtheraris thevis robaris oppressouris sornaris revesaris of women and rasaris of fyre…” Contract between the Earl of Atholl, the Laird of Glenorchy and others for the suppression of “wickit and ewill personis… and specialie the Clangregour”. In C. Innes, The Black Book of Taymouth (Edinburgh 1855), 213-214. (hereafter BBT). Note that ‘revis’ can mean to take a person or goods away by force, or to rape. Cf. Dictionaries of the Scots Language (hereafter DSL). ‘Sorning’ - ‘to exact free quarters and provisions, usually with the implication of aggressive and threatening behaviour’ (DSL).
As remarked by the titular detective in Gregory Burke’s brilliant adaptation of Rebus (s. 1, ep. 2, BBC 2024). The comment is relevant to the plot and a wry nod to Richard Rankin’s other role in Outlander.
See D.H. Caldwell, ‘The Origins of Plaid Wearing’, Scottish Historical Review 100 (2021), 442 for discussion. The Highlander appears to be wearing a close-fitting doublet but Caldwell suggests that it is a jack. Compare the example in the National Museum of Scotland: https://flic.kr/p/2qdZ9yY
“Duncan Laudes and Gregour his sone recently, namely upoun Sounday the 22d day of November instant, at sex houris at evin under silence of nycht, be way of hamesukin cam to the hous of Alaster Owir alias M'Gregour servand to Colyne Campbell of Glenurquhay of the landis of Moreis and be force tuke him furth of his said hous and be way of murthure straik him with quhingearis and crewellie slew him and spulzeit and tuke fra him his purs and in it the soume of fourty poundis; and incontinent thireftir past to the landis of Killing to the hous of ane pure man callit Johnne M'Bayne Pipare and thair assegit the said hous and brak the durris thairof and be force tuke the said Johnne furth of the samin and straik his heid fra his body and crewellie slew him and gaif him divers uther straikis with quhingearis in his body" (BBT xii). ‘Hamesucken’ was a Scots legal term for ‘a premeditated assault on a house or dwelling’ (DSL). Alasdair Odhar MacGregor, a tacksman (leaseholder with the right to sub-let land), was a servant in the sense of owing military and other faithful service to the Laird of Glenorchy (his bond of manrent: BBT 189-90). A whinger (hanger) was a large dagger (the term was interchangeable with dirk) or short sword.
“The Clangregour... hes nocht onlie massit thame selfis in greit cumpanyis, bot als hes drawin to thaim the maist part of the brokin men of the hale cuntre, quhilks at thair plesour birnis and slayis the pouer liegis of this realme, revis and takis thair gudis, sornis and oppressis thame in sik sort that thai ar hable to lay waiste the haill boundis quhair thai hant...” Register of the Privy Council of Scotland I, 248 (hereafter RPCS). ‘Broken men’ - lordless men who operated as bandits and swords for hire.
“On January last John McEane VeAne in Culnakirk, accompanied by David McEne Ross there, John Dow McConeill VEane Mullich there, Ewne McGown in Balmakane, Patrick Grant in Kerroger, Hucheoun McEane McConnochie in Bunleid, Donald Kear McNeill McQuean in Achowmonie, John McFerquhair McAllister in Culnakirk, and John McAllaster McEane Oig in Gartalie, all armed with swerdis, gantillatis, durkis, bowis, darlochis, Lochabir aixes and other weapons, came under cloud and silence of night to the said James Cuming's house in Dulshangie, where his said daughter and family were. There the said persons efter a most insolent maner most forceablie brak up the dure of the said house, and, with drawne swerdis and durkis in thair handis, enterit thairintill, pat violent hand in the said Agnes Cuming her persone, and maisterfully and perforce revisched and awaytooke hir furth of hir said fatheris house, and first careyed hir to the dwelling house of the said Ewne McGowne in Belmakaan, keipit hir thairintill the space of and thair filthelie forceit, deflorit and abusit hir body at thair pleasoure. Since then they have transported her from one secret place to another, still committing the same offence, this being a mater of a moist wicked and pernitious example” (RPCS XII, 283).
“Donald M'Oldouycht in Ardtatill persewis Patrik M'Agowin in Barchastellane for cumming to his awine hous and blooding and striking of him with ane suord, and for the hurting of his hand, and alse for spoilyeing him of his bow and durk and away taking of xx s. out of his purse… Archbald M'Eane officiar in Glenurquhay, in name of the Laird, persewis Patrik M'Agowin in Barchastellane for hurting and dinging of Duncane Bane M'Eane seruitour to the Laird of Laweris with ane sourd and quhinger in the heid, to the greit effusioun of his bloode… Duncan Dow M'Bay in Ardtatill persewis the said Patrik M'Agowin in Barchastellan for blooding of him with ane sourd and hurting of him thairwith in the hand. The assyis convictis the defender in blood” (BBT 368-369).
“Mr. Thomas Huistone... his house being laitly seized upon by Lochabber Robbers, himselfe threathened wt naked swords and drawne durks at his brest, his money and household stuff plundered, and seing that one of their number suffered death laitly therefor at Inerness, ye rest of them were being in waite for his life, and threatening his ruine and dammage, so that in ye evening he is affrayed to [be] burnt to ashes or morning.” W. MacKay (ed.), Records of the Presbyteries of Inverness and Dingwall, 1643-1688 (Edinburgh 1896), 4-5.
Cateran - fighting man, or a troop of warriors (cf. Latin caterva). Buannachan were elite professional warriors billeted on a chief’s tenants.
BBT 297.
On the Gaelic caste system, see R. Black (ed.), An Lasair: Anthology of 18th Century Scottish Gaelic Verse (Edinburgh 2001), 464-467.
“In raising or furthbringing thair men ony time of zeir to quhatsumevir cuntrie or weiris, na labourers of the ground are permittit to steir furth of the cuntrie … only gentlemen quhilkis labours not, that the labour beloning to the teiling of the ground and wynning of thair corns may not be left undone… The occupiers thairof are … not permittit to gang furth of thair owin cuntrie and Ile quhair thay dwell.” Anon., Description of the Isles of Scotland, compiled c. 1577-82, in W.F. Skene, Celtic Scotland III (Edinburgh 1880), 440.