an ancient castle in the neighbourhood of Fort-WILLIAM in Invernessshire. It is adorned with large round towers; and, by the mode of building, seems to have been the work of the English in the time of Edward I., who laid large fines on the Scotch barons for the purpose of erecting new castles. The largest of these towers is called Cumins'. But long prior to these ruins Inverlochy, according to Boece, had been a place of great note, a most opulent city, remarkable for the vast resort of French and Spaniards, probably on account of trade. It was also a seat of the kings of Scotland, for here Achaimus in the year 790 signed (as is reported) the league offensive and defensive between himself and Charlemagne. In after-times it was utterly destroyed by the Danes, and never again restored.

In the neighbourhood of this place were fought two fierce battles, one between Donald Balloch brother to Alexander lord of the isles, who with a great power invaded Lochaber in the year 1427: he was met by the earls of Mar and Caithness; the last was slain, and their forces totally defeated. Balloch returned to the isles with vast booty, the object of those plundering chieftains. Here also the Campbells under the marquis of Argyle, in February 1645, received from Montrose an overthrow fatal to numbers of that gallant name. Fifteen hundred fell in the action and in the pursuit, with the loss only of three to the royalists. Sir Thomas Ogilvie, the friend of Montrose, died of his wounds. His death suppressed all joy for the victory.