Castle Calvay (6)
Prince Charles Edwards' attempt to escape Scotland via Stornaway was nearly successful. Donald Macleod went on ahead and precured a 40-ton brig for 100 pounds (although the price went up once the captain figured out who his passenger was to be!), but somehow the word got around Stornaway that the prince was nearby (he was just 2 miles away), and the townsfolk of Stornaway refused him entry. An argument ensued over the practicality of sailing their little boat back to the mainland, which abruptly ended when they saw the sails of warships in The Minch. There was nothing for it but to turn back south to the Uists - during which journey they were twice pursued by warships, but managed to lose them amongst the islands and shallow waters.
On reaching Benbecula, now in a pretty sorry state, both mentally and physically, they were visited again by Old Clanranald, who brought them some provisions and advised them to head for Corrodale on South Uist, which he considered to be a good refuge. They set off on foot and reached Corrodale on May 14th. Clanranald's advice was good. Corradale (Choradail) is protected by the mountains of Hecla and Ben More to the west and by a rocky coast with few landing places to the east. The prince remained here for 3 weeks while the hue and cry went on around him. He 'settled into a routine of hunting and fishing, punctuated by visits from his Jacobite friends.'
Earlier, on the 3rd of May, the most serious naval battle of the '45 had taken place in Loch-nan-Uamh - the place the prince had left the mainland from a week previously. Two French privateers were in the process of landing gold to support the Jacobites (which remains unaccounted for to this day!) and taking aboard some senior Jacobites, when they were surprised by three British warships. At the end of the ensuing 6 hour gun-battle, the 'English' ships had been dismasted and the French ships were obliged to leave for France without further delay. The prince actually saw them leaving in the distance and knew them to be French ships! The event did at least buy him some time, as Cumberland was convinced the prince had escaped on the French ships.
The respite didn't last long. The naval ships were fairly quickly repaired and joined by others, so that by late May, there were 9 warships searching the Outer Isles for him. Informed that troops had landed on the Long Island, the prince decided it was time to move. They attempted to go north again, but the country was crawling with militiamen, so they turned back south in the hope of getting help from Macdonald of Boisdale (Clanranald's half-brother). There were now 15 enemy ships 'around Loch Boisdale' and parties of militiamen scouring the neighbourhood. To make matters worse, they got the news that Boisdale had been arrested.
On 17 June they 'finally entered Loch Boisdale and took shelter in an old tower in the mouth of the loch.' Calvay's last resident had arrived!
Castle Calvay (6)
Prince Charles Edwards' attempt to escape Scotland via Stornaway was nearly successful. Donald Macleod went on ahead and precured a 40-ton brig for 100 pounds (although the price went up once the captain figured out who his passenger was to be!), but somehow the word got around Stornaway that the prince was nearby (he was just 2 miles away), and the townsfolk of Stornaway refused him entry. An argument ensued over the practicality of sailing their little boat back to the mainland, which abruptly ended when they saw the sails of warships in The Minch. There was nothing for it but to turn back south to the Uists - during which journey they were twice pursued by warships, but managed to lose them amongst the islands and shallow waters.
On reaching Benbecula, now in a pretty sorry state, both mentally and physically, they were visited again by Old Clanranald, who brought them some provisions and advised them to head for Corrodale on South Uist, which he considered to be a good refuge. They set off on foot and reached Corrodale on May 14th. Clanranald's advice was good. Corradale (Choradail) is protected by the mountains of Hecla and Ben More to the west and by a rocky coast with few landing places to the east. The prince remained here for 3 weeks while the hue and cry went on around him. He 'settled into a routine of hunting and fishing, punctuated by visits from his Jacobite friends.'
Earlier, on the 3rd of May, the most serious naval battle of the '45 had taken place in Loch-nan-Uamh - the place the prince had left the mainland from a week previously. Two French privateers were in the process of landing gold to support the Jacobites (which remains unaccounted for to this day!) and taking aboard some senior Jacobites, when they were surprised by three British warships. At the end of the ensuing 6 hour gun-battle, the 'English' ships had been dismasted and the French ships were obliged to leave for France without further delay. The prince actually saw them leaving in the distance and knew them to be French ships! The event did at least buy him some time, as Cumberland was convinced the prince had escaped on the French ships.
The respite didn't last long. The naval ships were fairly quickly repaired and joined by others, so that by late May, there were 9 warships searching the Outer Isles for him. Informed that troops had landed on the Long Island, the prince decided it was time to move. They attempted to go north again, but the country was crawling with militiamen, so they turned back south in the hope of getting help from Macdonald of Boisdale (Clanranald's half-brother). There were now 15 enemy ships 'around Loch Boisdale' and parties of militiamen scouring the neighbourhood. To make matters worse, they got the news that Boisdale had been arrested.
On 17 June they 'finally entered Loch Boisdale and took shelter in an old tower in the mouth of the loch.' Calvay's last resident had arrived!