1685 - The Legendary Escape of Lord Lorne - Eldest Son of the 9th Earl of Argyll

[This is part of  a series of articles on the year 1685.  You might want to read the Overview first.]

May 1685

The story of the escape of Lord Lorne, eldest son of the 9th Earl, from the hands of Atholl's men is somewhat of a legend.

Alastair Campbell (A History of Clan Campbell Vol III p. 37) has it occurring in 1684 when Atholl's forces invested Inveraray Castle in August and took many of the leading Campbells as prisoners. They seized the Campbell Charter Chest and Papers and sent them to the Secret Committee in Edinburgh. It seems a logical time for the Campbell heir to have fled, but Atholl's forces left the area for the winter of 1685, so if Lord Lorne did flee in 1684, he might have returned shortly thereafter.

It fits the theme of this series that the legendary escape really occurred in 1685 when Atholl returned in May of that year and retook the Campbell fortress at Inveraray.  But you can do your own research on the timing of this story.  Facts may not be that important when telling a story that has been liberally embellished over the years.

An extremely short version of the story is that Lord Lorne fled by himself from the invested Castle up Glenshira.  Glenshira is the valley of the river Shira which flows into Loch Fyne at a little bay about one mile northeast of Inveraray Castle.

Atholl's men scoured the area daily for signs of the heir to the exiled 9th Earl.  Legend is that Lorne was hiding "at the head of Glenshira, in a crevice in the face of the rock called the White Rock, above Stuchgoy."

While in hiding he was fed by loyal locals, including Archie Monro.  With all of the plundering by the invading army, food was scarce.  One day Lorne was spotted as he ventured out to the fields of barley to satisfy his hunger.  Later that night the forces of Atholl surrounded his hiding place and called for him to surrender.  He leaped off of the rock, over the precipice, and into an oak tree which he descended to his escape.  He exchanged his clothes for a woman's disguise at Monro's house and headed up the glen while Monro, dressed in the Lord's cape, decoyed the pursuing men of Atholl.

For his troubles, the future Duke promised Monro rent of only a "firlot of oats" for all of his descendants should he return to Argyll and recover his lands.

I encourage you to read a more detailed account by the 9th Duke of Argyll, John Campbell, who did much to preserve Campbell history (and legend) in his book Adventures in Legend, Being the Last Historic Legends of the Western Highlands.

Lord Lorne's escape led him next to Loch Fyne side to find the trustworthy MacArthur of Dunure, who had assisted his father in his escape from imprisonment in Edinburgh (another disguise in women's clothes).  From there the two of them worked their way to the west and eventually to the Isle of the Druids (Iona) then to safety in Holland.

Lord Lorne, now 10th Earl of Argyll, soon to be 1st Duke of Argyll and sons (future 2nd and 3rd Dukes)