Hist.

[3] Knox's _History of the Reformation_.

[4] _Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland_. Vol. II.; 1689.

[5] _Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland_. Vol II.; 1646.

[6] _Calendar ut supra_; 1691.

[7] _Calendar_; 1858.

[8] _History of the House of Drummond_. By Viscount Strathallan.

[9] _Rotuli Camerarii Scotiae_.

[10] _Register of the Privy Council of Scotland_. Vol. I., p. 348.

[11] _Liber Insule Missarum_.

[12] _Guthrie's Memoirs_.

[13] _History of Brechin_. By David D. Black (pp. 97-98.)

AT THE GATE OF THE HIGHLANDS

By Rev. JOHN HUNTER, M.A., Crieff

The title describes admirably the position of the town of Crieff,
planted as it is on the Knock, at the base of which the main road from
Stirling and the South splits into two portions--the one running by way
of Monzievaird and Comrie, the other by Monzie and the Sma' Glen, into
the Western and Northern Highlands.

Crieff has had a long history. The most probable meaning of the name
is "Tree-town," from _Craobh_--Gaelic for "tree"--a fact that carries
us back into a remote age. Fifty or sixty years ago, the Breadalbane
Highlanders spoke of Crieff as the "town of the tree." In early
historical times the fame of Crieff was overshadowed by that of Foulis,
near by which was the Castletown--the principal residence of the Earls
Palatine of Strathearn--not the Celtic Earls whose home was at
Tom-a-chastel, but the Stewarts, and afterwards the Grahams, who rose
into place and power in Strathearn upon the ruins of the ancient line,
which seems to have had no family name.

Treasonable practices against the life of Robert the Bruce brought
about the downfall of the Celtic Earls. The Black Parliament, which
sat at Scone in August, 1320, condemned Joanna, daughter of Malise, the
last Earl, to perpetual imprisonment. She had married Warrenne, Earl
of Surrey--appointed Guardian of Scotland by Edward I. in 1296--and in
1334 her father resigned his Earldom of Strathearn to his son-in-law.
For the doing of this he was forfeited and attainted, in 1345, "as an
enemy to the King and Kingdom of Scotland." The fief reverted to the
Crown. Next year was fought the Battle of Durham, and David II. was
carried captive to London, where he remained for eleven years. While
in England he bestowed the forfeited Earldom of Strathearn upon his
nephew, Robert, the High Steward of Scotland, afterwards King Robert
II. On his accession to the th