lyndsayvoyage

James V

The Voyage

At the end of May 1540 James V sailed from the Firth of Forth on a voyage to the north west of Scotland to awe the rebellious local chiefs with his power – ‘that he might constrain some gentlemen there to be better subjects, who, living at a great distance form the court ... in places naturally fortified and strong, thought that they might be dispensed with as to any obedience to their sovereign’. The expedition consisted of twelve ships ‘well provided with artillery’ and men.  The fleet travelled round the north of Scotland, then down the coast of Sutherland, across to Lewis, over to the west coast of Skye, round the north of Skye to Trotternish, then ‘by the coast of Ross’ to Kintail, and finally south to Mull, Islay, Kintyre and Knapdale. The fleet must therefore have passed very close to Applecross. James took several of the most important chiefs of the area on board his ships and sent them to Edinburgh where he made terms and regulations for the peace of the area, retaining hostages to ensure obedience, before releasing most of the chiefs.

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