A Clan Gun / Gunn Braemore story, perhaps from the late 1400s
The following story lacks independent evidence (a person over nine feet tall being but one doubtful aspect) and should be treated with caution. The tale itself is worthy of an opera and its amorality is interesting. Underpinning the fairly tawdry tale is an acceptance that the Braemore Gunns were independent (for example ‘Gun convened his clan’); as such it adds support to the idea that there were only - at best -independent Gunn chieftains and no overall Gunn chief.
‘The castle of Berrydale, or Berridale, is remarkable on account of its last inhabitant, who was a giant, called William More. His history is singular.
About the end of the fifteenth century, Hector Sutherland, commonly called Hector More; or Meikle Hector, was proprietor of of the estate of Langwell. He was descended from the family of Duffus, and resided in a castle on a rock in the water-mouth of Berrydale; the ruins of which are still visible. He built a house at Langwell for his edlest son William, who married a beautiful woman and resided there. Some time afterwards William’s wife was in childbed of her first child, and Robert Gun, tacksman of Braemore, came over the hills to Langwell, accompanied by some of his clan, on a hunting party. Robert Gun proposed to his friends they that they would pay a visit to Hector More’s son and his young wife; which they accordingly did. Robert Gun, upon seeing the woman in bed, fancied her. Upon their way home, Gubn declared to his companions that he would have William Sutherland’s wife to himself; and that the only means by which he could accomplish his design was to take away her husband’s life. His friends, whose consciences were no more straightlaced than his own, having approved of his intnention, they accompanied him the next day over the hills and lay in ambush in the woods near near William Sutherland’s house, until they observed him come out to the garden, when Robert Gun shot him with an arrow from his bow. They wnt immediately into his house, took his wife out of bed, and carried her and her infant child in a large basket they had prepared for that purpose to Braemore, where Gun resided. As soon as the mother recovered, she was reconciled to Robert Gun, notwithstanding of his murdering her husband. She begged of him to call her son William after his deceased father, though she knew, had her husband been alive, he would have named him Hector after his own father Hector More. Robert Gun held tha lands of Braemore from the Earl of Caithness in tack, but he would pay no rent to his Lordship. After being much in arrear to the Earl, his Lordship sent John Sinclair of Stercock, with a party of men under arms, to compel Gun to make payment; but Gun convened his clan, and they defeated John Sinclair with his party. Several were killed, and John Sinclair was wounded in the engagement. Young William’s mother lived the remainder of her life with Robert Gun, and had two sons by him. After these sons had arrived at maturity, young William and they went one day went a-hunting; and William being more successful than the other two killed a roe, which he desired his two brothers carry home. They objected to this drudgery, and said that he might carry home his won prey himself. But William, who by this time had heard of his father’s tragical end, told them, with a menacing aspect, that if they would not carry home the roe he would revenge some of their father’s actions upon them; which intimidated them greatly (although they were ignorant of the cause of his threatening), as they knew he had more personal styrength than them both, he being then about nine feet high, and stout in proportion. They accordingly carried home the roe, and told their mother that William had threatened them in such a manner. She communicated this circumstance to their father Robert Gun, adding, that she suspected William had heard of his father’s death. Robert Gun, being afraid of young William’s personal strength, wished to be in friendship with him, and proposed that he should marry his (Gun’s) sister, who resided with them in the character of a housekeeper. William did not relish the match, and would not accept of her. Soon afterwards Robert Gun made a feast at his house, where he collected serval of his friends, and contrived to make young William so much intoxicated that he was carried to bed, and Robert Gun put his sister to bed with him. When William awakened next morning he was surprised to find Gun’s sister in bed with him. She told he might recollect that the ceremonies of marriage passed betwixt the preceding evening, and that she was now his lawful spouse. He got up in a passion, and declared that he ws imposed upon, and that he would hold no scuh bargain. Robert Gun flattered him, and said, as he was now married to his sister he would make the match as agreeable as possible, by putting him in possession of the estate of Langwell; and in order to accomplish his promise, he, with a few of his connections, concealed themselves near Hector More’s castle on the rock until early in the morning. When the drawbridge was let down, they forced their way into the castle, and carried Hector More (who was then an old feeble man) out of his castle, and left him in a cot-house in the neighbourhood, wher he remained for some little time, and afterwards in Sutherland, and passed the remainder of his days with one of his relatins, Sutherland of Rearcher.
Robert Gun then returned in triumph to Braemore, and conducted William Sutherland his espoused wife to their castle, and gave them all the possessions of the estate of Langwell. William being very much dissatisfied with Robert Gun’s conduct, and not liking the company of his sister as spouse, went and complained of his grievances to the Earl of Caithness; who promised him redress as soon as he returned from the Orkneys, wher he was going to quell a rebellion, along with the Baron of Roslin, and wished that he (William), being a very stout man, would accompany him. William consented to do so, and returned to Berriedale to bid his friends farewell before he would go on so dangerous an expedition .... [1]
(He dies in the Orkney battles, perhaps in 1530, perhaps he was over nine feet...)
[1] Pages 19-22, R. Forsyth, The Beauties of Scotland, Volume V, Edinburgh, 1808, John Brown
‘The castle of Berrydale, or Berridale, is remarkable on account of its last inhabitant, who was a giant, called William More. His history is singular.
About the end of the fifteenth century, Hector Sutherland, commonly called Hector More; or Meikle Hector, was proprietor of of the estate of Langwell. He was descended from the family of Duffus, and resided in a castle on a rock in the water-mouth of Berrydale; the ruins of which are still visible. He built a house at Langwell for his edlest son William, who married a beautiful woman and resided there. Some time afterwards William’s wife was in childbed of her first child, and Robert Gun, tacksman of Braemore, came over the hills to Langwell, accompanied by some of his clan, on a hunting party. Robert Gun proposed to his friends they that they would pay a visit to Hector More’s son and his young wife; which they accordingly did. Robert Gun, upon seeing the woman in bed, fancied her. Upon their way home, Gubn declared to his companions that he would have William Sutherland’s wife to himself; and that the only means by which he could accomplish his design was to take away her husband’s life. His friends, whose consciences were no more straightlaced than his own, having approved of his intnention, they accompanied him the next day over the hills and lay in ambush in the woods near near William Sutherland’s house, until they observed him come out to the garden, when Robert Gun shot him with an arrow from his bow. They wnt immediately into his house, took his wife out of bed, and carried her and her infant child in a large basket they had prepared for that purpose to Braemore, where Gun resided. As soon as the mother recovered, she was reconciled to Robert Gun, notwithstanding of his murdering her husband. She begged of him to call her son William after his deceased father, though she knew, had her husband been alive, he would have named him Hector after his own father Hector More. Robert Gun held tha lands of Braemore from the Earl of Caithness in tack, but he would pay no rent to his Lordship. After being much in arrear to the Earl, his Lordship sent John Sinclair of Stercock, with a party of men under arms, to compel Gun to make payment; but Gun convened his clan, and they defeated John Sinclair with his party. Several were killed, and John Sinclair was wounded in the engagement. Young William’s mother lived the remainder of her life with Robert Gun, and had two sons by him. After these sons had arrived at maturity, young William and they went one day went a-hunting; and William being more successful than the other two killed a roe, which he desired his two brothers carry home. They objected to this drudgery, and said that he might carry home his won prey himself. But William, who by this time had heard of his father’s tragical end, told them, with a menacing aspect, that if they would not carry home the roe he would revenge some of their father’s actions upon them; which intimidated them greatly (although they were ignorant of the cause of his threatening), as they knew he had more personal styrength than them both, he being then about nine feet high, and stout in proportion. They accordingly carried home the roe, and told their mother that William had threatened them in such a manner. She communicated this circumstance to their father Robert Gun, adding, that she suspected William had heard of his father’s death. Robert Gun, being afraid of young William’s personal strength, wished to be in friendship with him, and proposed that he should marry his (Gun’s) sister, who resided with them in the character of a housekeeper. William did not relish the match, and would not accept of her. Soon afterwards Robert Gun made a feast at his house, where he collected serval of his friends, and contrived to make young William so much intoxicated that he was carried to bed, and Robert Gun put his sister to bed with him. When William awakened next morning he was surprised to find Gun’s sister in bed with him. She told he might recollect that the ceremonies of marriage passed betwixt the preceding evening, and that she was now his lawful spouse. He got up in a passion, and declared that he ws imposed upon, and that he would hold no scuh bargain. Robert Gun flattered him, and said, as he was now married to his sister he would make the match as agreeable as possible, by putting him in possession of the estate of Langwell; and in order to accomplish his promise, he, with a few of his connections, concealed themselves near Hector More’s castle on the rock until early in the morning. When the drawbridge was let down, they forced their way into the castle, and carried Hector More (who was then an old feeble man) out of his castle, and left him in a cot-house in the neighbourhood, wher he remained for some little time, and afterwards in Sutherland, and passed the remainder of his days with one of his relatins, Sutherland of Rearcher.
Robert Gun then returned in triumph to Braemore, and conducted William Sutherland his espoused wife to their castle, and gave them all the possessions of the estate of Langwell. William being very much dissatisfied with Robert Gun’s conduct, and not liking the company of his sister as spouse, went and complained of his grievances to the Earl of Caithness; who promised him redress as soon as he returned from the Orkneys, wher he was going to quell a rebellion, along with the Baron of Roslin, and wished that he (William), being a very stout man, would accompany him. William consented to do so, and returned to Berriedale to bid his friends farewell before he would go on so dangerous an expedition .... [1]
(He dies in the Orkney battles, perhaps in 1530, perhaps he was over nine feet...)
[1] Pages 19-22, R. Forsyth, The Beauties of Scotland, Volume V, Edinburgh, 1808, John Brown