THE BRA.HAN SEER LEGEND.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
Snt,—The recent lamented death of Lord Seaforth, at Brahan Castle, Ross-shire, has given to sensation-mongering newspapers the opportunity of resuscitating the Brahan Seer legend: it's a standby whenever anything happens in connexion with Brahan Castle. The Seer in question, Coinneach Gdhar, who actually existed, has held a unique position in Highland traditionary lore. His fame has rested mainly upon his prophecy of the "Doom of the Seaforths," which he is alleged to have pronounced after he was ordered to be burnt in a tar- barrel by the Countess of Seaforth. This execution is supposed to have taken place about the year 1668, when the Earl of Seaforth went to Paris. As a matter of hard, historical fact C,oinneach Gdhar, as was fully proved from official documents which appeared in the columns of the Northern Chronicle early in 1920, was a man well up in years in 1577—according to the accepted tradition he was not born until early in the seventeenth century 1—when a commission was given to Walter Urquhart, Sheriff of Cromarty, and Robert Mama of Foulis, to arrest thirty-two persons guilty of practising magic, enchantment and other offences, one of these being "the leader," Kenneth Gdhar. The commission was re- newed in the following year to the same parties, with the addition, among others, of Colin Mackenzie of Kintafl, and again "Kenneth Gwir," described as "the chief or leader in the art of magic," is included in the list of those wanted. There is no record of the result of these commissions, but it cannot be doubted that so influential a group of Highland gentry would not fail to do what had been entrusted to them. In any case, it is obvious that in the ordinary course of nature Kenneth could not have survived in order to meet his fate eighty-five years afterwards I He was, indeed, a heap of ashes long before there was a Seaforth title in existence !
May he rest in peace am, Sir, &c.,
Editor Northern Chronicle.
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