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The Fife Adventurers, as they became known, were led by the Duke of Lennox (the King’s cousin), supported by the Earl of Huntly and several hundred men at arms. Incredibly, for what was effectively a military campaign, they had failed to bring sufficient food and provisions with them on their journey to the Isles, and the limited supplies that they did manage to procure during the trip were apparently obtained with great difficulty.  Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail, who was seeking to possess Lewis for himself, did all that he could to frustrate the expedition. To further add to their woes, the Fifers’ regularly faced raids by Neil Macleod and his men.  


The Ness owned fishing trawler Calina berthed at Port of Ness harbour

In 1601, MacLeod attacked and managed to overpower the Adventurers’ camp; burning their fort and killing or imprisoning a large proportion of the Fife men.  Four years after that defeat, and assisted by the Navy, the Fifers once again launched another bid to establish themselves. But, in 1607, following continued resistance they finally abandoned attempts to colonise Lewis. The King, determined to impose his power in the Isles, did eventually manage to gain effective control over the Hebrides. However, the Fifers finally conceded defeat in 1610 and decided to formally dispose of their title to the Island.
 
On 20 July 1610, Kintail’s ambition to own Lewis was finally realised. From then on the Seaforth family (the MacKenzies’ of Kintail) would rule the Island with absolute authority until 1844, when they sold it to Sir James Matheson.

"....but the great and rich comoditie which might bee made of this land is the fishinge"

Following the 1603 Act of Union, Scottish fisheries had become increasingly important to the Crown as a source of revenue. Indeed, during the 17th century the Crown had made some tentative enquiries about purchasing Lewis.  Although loch fishing was generally under the administration of individual Scots burghs, the Crown claimed the rights over sea fisheries and the taxes and dues derived from sea fishing. Revenues from English waters were in decline due to the more efficient Dutch, Flemish and other foreign fishing fleets that operated there.

Like the Scottish Kings who had ruled before him, James VI insisted that foreign fleets recognised the exclusivity of Scottish fishermen to their own inshore waters.  At that time the Scots rarely worked in foreign waters and consequently were not directly in conflict with other national Governments. However, the presence and numbers of foreign vessels encroaching into Scots waters (particularly the Dutch, French, Danes and the Norwegians) led to serious debate over international law during much of the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries.  In 1594, James VI of Scotland granted the Dutch a licence, which permitted them extended fishing privileges within Scottish waters. Earlier, during the reign of King James V, a number of Dutch fishing ‘busses’ had not strictly adhered to the terms of their licence. The King, incensed by the outrage, promptly sent a barrel full of pickled Dutch fishermen’s heads back to Holland; their names recorded on cards and attached to their foreheads.
 
Lord Seaforth (Colin, 1st Earl of Seaforth, the son and successor of Lord MacKenzie of Kintail) also believed that the introduction of outside expertise would help to further develop Hebridean fishing. Consequently, he settled a small colony of Dutch fishermen in Stornoway.  He also managed to obtain a Charter of Incorporation for the port of Stornoway in 1629; which elevated the town to the status of Royal Burgh.


The 'Pride of Lionel' at Port of Ness harbour (circa 1935)
 
This distinction was crucial to obtaining essential trading privileges.  Records produced from the granting of the charter offer the first documented account of visiting Dutch fishermen in Scottish waters: "About this Island and other Islanders adjacent there is continual fishing for white fish, that is ling and cod and samon, and for herings. The fishing hath been used by the Scots above 40 years. This fishing was not known or hunted by anie but Scotsmen before the year 1594, when the Hollandes began to fish in those seas."

Largely due to their superior curing and marketing skills, Seaforth’s Dutch settlers generally prospered better than their indigenous counterparts. But, as a consequence of upsetting the Convention of Royal Burghs, Lord Seaforth later had his licence revoked: by introducing the Dutch settlers, he had breached the Laws & Privileges of Royal Burghs. He had also upset the Convention by his uncompromising pursuit of the charter itself.   The King, in writing to the Privy Council, highlighted the general hostility to Seaforth’s Dutchmen by reference to: "....the great wrongs done by strangers [the Dutch] inhabiting the Lews and prepairing threats in trading and fishing against the laws of that one Kingdom."  Following this royal rebuke, some of the Dutch were expelled from the Island. However, a number of families settled in Stornoway and remained there until they were eventually forced to leave in 1633, following the outbreak of hostilities between Britain and Holland

In 1630, a Captain Dymes was despatched to Lewis by Charles I to report on the feasibility of establishing a profitable fishing industry on the Island.  In his report, Dymes confirmed that revenue generating opportunities existed: "....but the great and rich comoditie which might bee made of this land is the fishinge, whereof the inhabitants doe make but small benefitt besides theire owne food, there beinge in the Island not above a dozen boates which doe kill anie fish for sale. Cod and ling are taken all yeare longe upon the Coast, but the chiefest season for it is from Christmas until Easter, so that it doth appear that if there were vessels fitt for ye purpose the fishinge might bee continued all the year longe ......." However, the Crown’s ambitions for the Island were not realised.  During this period, the Scottish Convention of Burghs - concerned that they were losing both influence and revenue - were attempting to undermine the resident Dutch by reintroducing Fifeshire settlers to the north and the Hebrides.

By 1631, there were approximately 6,000 men employed in the fishing industry on the West Coast of Scotland. Consequently, enormous profits could be available to whoever controlled the industry.   Several companies were formed in the south to exploit the lucrative northern fishing and, in 1633, several noblemen, with the King’s support, formed an association for this purpose. Two Royal fishing stations were also established - one in Lochmaddy and the other in the Sound of Harris. But tensions prevailed, with Scottish Privy Council records indicating that the resident population of the Isles did what they could to frustrate or resist these invasive entrepreneurial ventures.

In 1750, the British Fishery Society was founded, which assisted the industry in several small ports, such as Oban, Campbeltown, Ullapool and Stornoway. But the bulk of the Society’s energy and resources in Scotland was directed towards the East Coast - which also enjoyed the additional benefit of being near the major markets.  Five years later (1755), an Act of Parliament was passed to help protect fishermen from duties imposed by Scotland’s clan chiefs. The Act excused the fishermen of Irvine, Ayr, Dumbarton, Glasgow and other western ports from having to legally pay dues to the chiefs owning land on the coast around Loch Fyne and the Scottish Isles.

The above  article first appeared in Fios - The North Lewis Weekly  in July 2000