Dallas Castle (4 of 4)
One of the roofs of Torchastle Farm can be seen just to the left of the the remains of Dallas. The farm is partly obscured by a green hillock, which is where Tochastle stood.)
The most interesting thing about Dallas Castle, is the history of the family that built and owned it. They were the Comyns, the senior lines of which family were almost eradicated in Scotland as a consequence of their opposition to Robert the Bruce. Those that survived, perhaps for diplomatic reasons, changed their name to Cumming.
In the 12th century, the Comyns were the most powerful family in Scotland. Like so many other prominent families of the time, they were of Norman or French origin, probably from either Bosc-Bénard-Commin near Rouen, or from Comines near Lille, in France, and were brought to Scotland by King David I to help him bring order to the country. Able administrators and capable soldiers, the Comyns quickly rose high in royal favour, gaining land and favourable marriages in consequence. Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan for example, was chief counselor to King Alexander III, for the entire period of the king's majority and, as Scotland's leading magnate, played a key role in safeguarding the independence of the Scottish monarchy. He held the key titles of Justiciar of Scotia and Constable of Scotland.
Although senior by title, Alexander Earl of Buchan was not head of the family when King Alexander III was killed in a riding accident in 1286. His father, William Comyn, 1st Earl of Buchan married twice. Earl Alexander was the eldest son by the second marriage (he gained the earldom by marriage, not by inheritance), but there had been a number of sons from the first marriage. The eldest son, Richard Comyn, died well before 1286, but his eldest son, "Red John Comyn", Lord of Badenoch, as head of the family and a Great great great grandson of King Donald Ban, was one of the 13 claimants to the throne of Scotland, although he later withdrew his nomination and the family subsequently supported the stronger Balliol claim - a family they were related to by marriage. Red John Comyn's son and heir married King John Balliol's sister.
(It was Red John Comyn's grandson that Robert Bruce slew at Dumfries, which set Bruce on his path to the throne.)
"Red John Comyn", Lord of Badenoch, apart from his heir John, had several other sons, the youngest of whom was named Robert. When the Comyn world came crashing down at the hands of Robert Bruce in the early years of the 14th century, Robert Comyn happened to be abroad, on a public mission to France, as a consequence of which he somehow avoided forfeiture and was excepted in the acts of parliament by which the rest of his clan were so severely punished. He died at an advanced age, about the year 1310.
(There are sources that claim that "Sir Robert Comyn, was the knight who was killed while defending his nephew, John the Red Comyn (at Dumfries)" however this would seem to me to be unlikely.)
Robert Comyn's son and heir was Thomas Comyn, who about the year 1350, obtained from the Bishop of Moray, the lease of Rothiemurchus, which had formerly belonged to his family but more recently had been held by the Shaws - a fact which presumably contributed to what followed:
James Shaw, the chief of his clan and Thomas Comyn were married to sisters, yet the two men mutually exercised deadly animosities, which were eventually settled by the sword, Shaw being killed in the conflict. Shaw had a son called Corfiachlach, who was involved in many fights to revenge his father. The two sides were eventually brought together to give mutual bonds for agreement, and even took the sacrament upon it, yet such was the treachery of this Shaw, that the same night, he, with his kindred, murdered Comyn, along with several of his followers, while they were sleeping in false security, in a place, to this day, called Lagna Cuminach, in Rothiemurchus.
Thomas Comyn was succeeded by his son Sir Richard Comyn, a favourite of King David II, who to revenge his father's murder, "committed great havock among the Shaws, revenging his fall with fire and sword." His son and heir was Ferquhard Cumming, 1st of Altyr(e). With the extinction of the more senior lines of the Comyn / Cumming family, the Cummings of Altyre assumed the chiefship - a position they hold to this day.
(In 1396, during Ferquhard's time, inter-clan warfare between the Cummings and Clan Chattan reached such a level that it attracted attention at national level. The Earls of Moray and Crawford, two of the greatest men in the kingdom, were sent north in an attempt to bring about a reconciliation, but in the end the two clans accepted a proposal that they should settle their differences by formal combat. Thirty champions were chosen from each side to fight to the death in an arena laid out on the North Inch of Perth, in front of the king and everyone that was anyone in Scotland! Clan Chattan won!)
In 1468, Ferquhard's grandson, Sir Thomas Cumming, bought the barony of Dallas from Hay of Lochloy and subsequently obtained a royal warrant to build a castle here. I know this story has taken a long time to get to the point, but I find Dallas Castle's link to a family that were almost completely destroyed in the early 14th century, quite interesting!
A late 15th century date for the construction of Dallas would seem entirely reasonable and there is no reason to assume that the Cummings had anything to do with Torchastle, on the other side of the glen.
The Cummings of Altyre held Dallas for nine generations, until Robert Cumming of Altyre sold the barony in 1668, to "Sir L. Gordon". Despite having sold it, it is recorded that Robert Cumming died at the "Castle of Dollas, now called Torchastle" - so the confusion between the two names goes back a long way!
Dallas Castle (4 of 4)
One of the roofs of Torchastle Farm can be seen just to the left of the the remains of Dallas. The farm is partly obscured by a green hillock, which is where Tochastle stood.)
The most interesting thing about Dallas Castle, is the history of the family that built and owned it. They were the Comyns, the senior lines of which family were almost eradicated in Scotland as a consequence of their opposition to Robert the Bruce. Those that survived, perhaps for diplomatic reasons, changed their name to Cumming.
In the 12th century, the Comyns were the most powerful family in Scotland. Like so many other prominent families of the time, they were of Norman or French origin, probably from either Bosc-Bénard-Commin near Rouen, or from Comines near Lille, in France, and were brought to Scotland by King David I to help him bring order to the country. Able administrators and capable soldiers, the Comyns quickly rose high in royal favour, gaining land and favourable marriages in consequence. Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan for example, was chief counselor to King Alexander III, for the entire period of the king's majority and, as Scotland's leading magnate, played a key role in safeguarding the independence of the Scottish monarchy. He held the key titles of Justiciar of Scotia and Constable of Scotland.
Although senior by title, Alexander Earl of Buchan was not head of the family when King Alexander III was killed in a riding accident in 1286. His father, William Comyn, 1st Earl of Buchan married twice. Earl Alexander was the eldest son by the second marriage (he gained the earldom by marriage, not by inheritance), but there had been a number of sons from the first marriage. The eldest son, Richard Comyn, died well before 1286, but his eldest son, "Red John Comyn", Lord of Badenoch, as head of the family and a Great great great grandson of King Donald Ban, was one of the 13 claimants to the throne of Scotland, although he later withdrew his nomination and the family subsequently supported the stronger Balliol claim - a family they were related to by marriage. Red John Comyn's son and heir married King John Balliol's sister.
(It was Red John Comyn's grandson that Robert Bruce slew at Dumfries, which set Bruce on his path to the throne.)
"Red John Comyn", Lord of Badenoch, apart from his heir John, had several other sons, the youngest of whom was named Robert. When the Comyn world came crashing down at the hands of Robert Bruce in the early years of the 14th century, Robert Comyn happened to be abroad, on a public mission to France, as a consequence of which he somehow avoided forfeiture and was excepted in the acts of parliament by which the rest of his clan were so severely punished. He died at an advanced age, about the year 1310.
(There are sources that claim that "Sir Robert Comyn, was the knight who was killed while defending his nephew, John the Red Comyn (at Dumfries)" however this would seem to me to be unlikely.)
Robert Comyn's son and heir was Thomas Comyn, who about the year 1350, obtained from the Bishop of Moray, the lease of Rothiemurchus, which had formerly belonged to his family but more recently had been held by the Shaws - a fact which presumably contributed to what followed:
James Shaw, the chief of his clan and Thomas Comyn were married to sisters, yet the two men mutually exercised deadly animosities, which were eventually settled by the sword, Shaw being killed in the conflict. Shaw had a son called Corfiachlach, who was involved in many fights to revenge his father. The two sides were eventually brought together to give mutual bonds for agreement, and even took the sacrament upon it, yet such was the treachery of this Shaw, that the same night, he, with his kindred, murdered Comyn, along with several of his followers, while they were sleeping in false security, in a place, to this day, called Lagna Cuminach, in Rothiemurchus.
Thomas Comyn was succeeded by his son Sir Richard Comyn, a favourite of King David II, who to revenge his father's murder, "committed great havock among the Shaws, revenging his fall with fire and sword." His son and heir was Ferquhard Cumming, 1st of Altyr(e). With the extinction of the more senior lines of the Comyn / Cumming family, the Cummings of Altyre assumed the chiefship - a position they hold to this day.
(In 1396, during Ferquhard's time, inter-clan warfare between the Cummings and Clan Chattan reached such a level that it attracted attention at national level. The Earls of Moray and Crawford, two of the greatest men in the kingdom, were sent north in an attempt to bring about a reconciliation, but in the end the two clans accepted a proposal that they should settle their differences by formal combat. Thirty champions were chosen from each side to fight to the death in an arena laid out on the North Inch of Perth, in front of the king and everyone that was anyone in Scotland! Clan Chattan won!)
In 1468, Ferquhard's grandson, Sir Thomas Cumming, bought the barony of Dallas from Hay of Lochloy and subsequently obtained a royal warrant to build a castle here. I know this story has taken a long time to get to the point, but I find Dallas Castle's link to a family that were almost completely destroyed in the early 14th century, quite interesting!
A late 15th century date for the construction of Dallas would seem entirely reasonable and there is no reason to assume that the Cummings had anything to do with Torchastle, on the other side of the glen.
The Cummings of Altyre held Dallas for nine generations, until Robert Cumming of Altyre sold the barony in 1668, to "Sir L. Gordon". Despite having sold it, it is recorded that Robert Cumming died at the "Castle of Dollas, now called Torchastle" - so the confusion between the two names goes back a long way!