Bain of Tulloch facts for kids

Tulloch Castle, the historic home of the Bain of Tulloch family.

The Bain, Bane or Bayne family of Tulloch was a Scottish family that held some importance in the Highlands. They were known for owning Tulloch Castle for many years.

Who Were the Bains?

Even though their name sounds similar, the Bain family was not part of the Scottish Clan MacBean. Instead, they were a branch, or sept, of the Clan Mackay, another well-known Highland Scottish clan.

The first person in this family line was John Bain Mackay. His middle name, Bàn, is a Gaelic word meaning 'fair' (like having fair hair). John was the grandson of Donald Mackay, who was a chief of Clan Mackay and died in 1370.

John Bain Mackay decided to use his middle name, Bain, as his last name. This might have happened because of a disagreement within the Clan Mackay. This disagreement led to a battle called the Battle of Drumnacoub around 1427 or 1433. Because of this conflict, John Bain moved from his home in Sutherland to the nearby area of Caithness.

Early Family History

John Bain got married in 1436 and passed away in 1452. He had four sons:

• John Bain (born 1437): His family line settled in Caithness and East Lothian.
• William Bain (born 1438): His family line settled in Clyth.
• Alexander Bain (born 1440): His family line became the Baynes of Tulloch and Dingwall. This is the family that lived at Tulloch Castle.
• Donald Bain (born 1443): He moved to Galloway.

The Bains of Tulloch

Alexander Bane (born around 1440) married around 1455. He moved his family to Dingwall around 1482 and died around 1503. His children included:

• Donald (born around 1461)
• Alexander (born around 1462)
• John (born around 1463)
• David (born around 1465)

Alexander (born around 1462) became a successful businessman in Dingwall. He was an active member of the town and held the title of burgess. He died in 1518, leaving several children, including Duncan, who would become the first Laird of Tulloch.

Duncan Bane, 1st Laird of Tulloch

Duncan Bane became the first Laird (or lord) of Tulloch. In 1512, he married a daughter of Hector Roy Mackenzie, who was a leader of the Mackenzie of Gairloch family.

In 1542, King James V of Scotland gave Duncan Bane more lands in Tulloch. These lands, including Tulloch Castle, had belonged to his great-uncle. Duncan also gained the lands of Dochcarty in 1553. He died in 1559 and had several children, including Alexander, who would become the second Laird.

Alexander Bane, 2nd Laird of Tulloch

Alexander Bane, the second Laird of Tulloch, married Janet Dingwall in 1558. They had a son named Duncan. He later married Agnes Fraser in 1562 and had eight more children.

In 1562, Alexander exchanged some land in Sutherland with Robert Mor Munro, 15th Baron of Foulis for land in Ross-shire.

Alexander Bane's eldest son from his second marriage was also named Alexander. He was known as "Alastair Mor Ban" because he was very strong. When a member of the Mackenzie clan tried to claim some of the Bane family's land, Alexander the younger led a group of men to a fair. There, they had a fight with the Mackenzies, which led to the Battle of Logiebride in 1597. Many Banes and their friends, the Munros, were killed in this battle. Alastair Mor Bane escaped.

Alexander Bane, the second Laird, had a son with his first wife, Janet Dingwall:

• Duncan Bane, 3rd Laird of Tulloch.

He also had eight children with Agnes Fraser, including:

• Alexander Bane, whose family line settled in Wester Logie.

Duncan Bane, 3rd Laird of Tulloch

Duncan Bane, the third Laird of Tulloch, was born around 1559 and took over from his father in 1599. He married Elspet MacLeod, daughter of the chief of the Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Later, he married Isabel Mackenzie.

In 1611, during a conflict between the Mackenzies of Gairloch and the MacLeods of Lewis, Duncan's son, Alexander Bane, was sent to find the MacLeod chief. However, Alexander and most of his men were killed in a fight with the Clan MacLeod of Raasay.

Duncan Bane, the third Laird, died around 1623. His children from his first marriage included:

• Alexander (born around 1590, killed in 1611).
• John, 4th Laird of Tulloch (born around 1591).
• Ronald (born around 1597), whose family line settled in Knockbain.

From his second marriage, Duncan had a son named Alexander Bane, who became the first of Tarradale.

John Bane, 4th Laird of Tulloch

John Bane, the fourth Laird of Tulloch, took over from his father around 1626. He married Elizabeth Mackenzie around 1616. He was very involved in the local government of Dingwall and was the town's provost (like a mayor) three times.

During a time of political unrest in Scotland, John Bane of Tulloch and others were accused of helping Charles II of England when they captured Inverness. They said they were forced or misled, and they promised not to fight against Parliament again.

John Bane, the fourth Laird, died in 1669. He was followed by his grandson, Donald. John's children included:

• Duncan (born around 1618), who died before his father in 1649. Duncan had sons: Donald, who became the 5th Laird of Tulloch, John, and Henry.
• Roderick (born around 1620), who became the Tutor (guardian) of Tulloch.

Sir Donald Bane (Bayne), 5th Laird of Tulloch

Donald Bane, the fifth Laird of Tulloch, took over from his grandfather in 1670. He became very important in Scottish national affairs. He was made a Knight in 1680 and soon after started spelling his last name as Bayne.

He was a member of the Scottish Parliament in 1681 and 1685. In 1685, he gave money to help students attend the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh. He was also the Provost of Dingwall in 1709. Sir Donald was the only Bayne Laird of Tulloch to be knighted. Most of his children passed away before him.

Kenneth Bayne, 6th Laird of Tulloch

Kenneth Bayne, the sixth Laird of Tulloch, became a burgess of Dingwall in 1709. He took over from his father as the oldest living son in 1716. He married Isabel Mackenzie in 1718 but died in May 1719 without any children. Because of this, his cousin John received the estate.

John Bayne, 7th Laird of Tulloch

John Bayne, the grandson of the fourth Laird, became the seventh Laird of Tulloch. However, in 1719, John Bayne sold the estate to his younger step-brother, Kenneth Bayne. John, the seventh Laird, died in 1731 without any children.

Kenneth Bayne, 8th Laird of Tulloch

Kenneth Bayne, the eighth Laird of Tulloch, bought the estate around 1720. He added a large new part to the west side of Tulloch Castle around 1747. He had married Anna Bayne around 1700. He died around 1747, and his oldest son took over. His children included:

• Kenneth, 9th Laird of Tulloch (born 1719).
• William (born 1720).

Kenneth Bayne, 9th Laird of Tulloch

Kenneth Bayne, the ninth and last Laird of Tulloch from this family, faced many challenges. His father had spent a lot of money, leaving the estate with many debts. Kenneth tried to fix these problems but was not successful. In 1762, the estate was sold to Henry Davidson.