Pulrossie is a farm in Sutherland, in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is situated on the northern shore of the Kyle of Sutherland, 8 km west of Dornoch. Skibo Castle is 1.5 km to the north-east, while Meikle Ferry is 1.5 km south-east.

History

The estate was held by the Murray of Pulrossie family.[1] The former manor house has been demolished.[2] The Murray family of Pulrossie was a branch of the Murray of Culbin family being descended from the second son of Alexander Murray of Culbin, descendant of Richard de Moravia (Richard Murray, d. 1245).[3] In 1430, the estate of Thomas Neilson Mackay was divided up between Angus Murray of Pulrossie and Mackay's two brothers after he had murdered Mowat of Freswick and burnt the St Duthus Church in Tain.[4] Angus Murray had been given the lands of Pulrossie from the Crown for his services in capturing Mackay who was then executed at Inverness.[5] (See: Battle of Drumnacoub). In 1464, John of Islay, Earl of Ross disposed of Pulrossy to his brother Celestine of the Isles. In 1467, the Earl of Sutherland received the lands of Pulrossie from the Crown.[4]

In the 16th century, Gilbert Murray the laird of Pulrossie married a daughter of John Mackay, 11th of Strathnaver, and was later killed at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547. Another of Mackay's daughters married Murray of Aberscross.[6][7]

In 1550 or 1551, William Murray of the family of Pulrossie murdered John Sutherland of Killipheder on the Nether Green in the west corner of the garden at Dunrobin Castle and this was in revenge for an attack on Alexander Gordon, brother of John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland. However, William Murray of Pulrossie was later killed in revenge for this by Sutherland, the laird of Clyne.[8][9]

In 1618, Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet, who was tutor to the Earl of Sutherland, wrote to Murray of Pulrossie instructing him to remove the red and white lines from his men's tartan in order to make their dress similar to the other septs of the Clan Sutherland. Pulrossie was chief of the Murrays in Sutherland, but was a "branch chief" under the Earl of Sutherland.[10]

In 1623, the laird of Pulrossie held joint command of the centre of Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet's army that marched into Caithness and took the surrender of George Sinclair, 5th Earl of Caithness, who had been declared a rebel.[11]

After the Scottish Civil War of the mid-17th century, the Murray laird of Pulrossie was fined for having sided against the Royalists.[12]

Etymology

The name Pulrossie may be of Pictish origin meaning "promontory peninsula". The first element may be *pul meaning "a pool", and the second *ros meaning "promontory".[13]

References

  1. ^ MacFarlane, Walter (1906). Mitchell, Arthur (ed.). Geographical Collections Relating to Scotland. Vol. 51. Edinburgh: Printed by T. & A. Constable for the Scottish History Society. p. 200. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. ^ Coventry, Martin (2008). Castles of the Clans: The Strongholds and Seats of 750 Scottish Families and Clans. Musselburgh: Goblinshead. p. 450. ISBN 9781899874361. Polrossie
  3. ^ Rose, Hew; Shaw, Lachlan; Innes, Cosmo (1848). A Genealogical Deduction of the family of Rose of Kilravock. Edinburgh: The Spalding Club. p. 64. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  4. ^ a b Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness (Volume XX ed.). 1897. p. 118. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  5. ^ Mackay, Robert (1829). History of the House and Clan of Mackay. 233 High Street, Edinburgh: Printed for the author, by Andrew Jack & Co. p. 59. Retrieved 11 April 2021.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location (link)
  6. ^ Mackay, Robert (1829). History of the House and Clan of Mackay. 233 High Street, Edinburgh: Printed for the author, by Andrew Jack & Co. p. 111. Retrieved 11 April 2021.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location (link)
  7. ^ Mackay, Angus (1906). The Book of Mackay. 25 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh: N. MacLeod. p. 85. Retrieved 11 April 2021.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. ^ Browne, James (1909). The History of Scotland, it's Highlands, Regiments and Clans. Vol. 2. Edinburgh and London: Francis A. Niccolls & Co. pp. 42-43. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  9. ^ Mackay, Robert (1829). History of the House and Clan of Mackay. 233 High Street, Edinburgh: Printed for the author by Andrew Jack & Co. p. 125. Retrieved 29 March 2022.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location (link)
  10. ^ Innes of Learny, Thomas (1971) [1939]. The Tartans of the Clans and Families of Scotland (8th ed.). Edinburgh: Johnston and Bacon. p. 9. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  11. ^ Browne, James (1909). The History of Scotland, it's Highlands, Regiments and Clans. Vol. 2. Edinburgh and London: Francis A. Niccolls & Co. pp. 193-195. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  12. ^ Campbell, H. F. (1920). Caithness and Sutherland. Cambridge University Press. p. 125. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  13. ^ Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness (Volume XX ed.). 1897. p. 330. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

57°51′59″N 4°9′2″W / 57.86639°N 4.15056°W / 57.86639; -4.15056

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