User:An Siarach/Fife adventurers

The Fife adventurers were a group of 12 Anglo-Scottish colonists awarded lands on the Isle of Lewis by King James VI in 1598 following the forfeiture of all MacLeod lands in 1597 when they failed to produce the title-deeds proving their ownership which had been demanded by Act of Parliament of all Highland chiefs. The colonisation of Lewis by the adventurers was a project initiated by King James with the aim of beginning the “civilising” or “de-Gaelicization” of the islands and had much in common with the Plantation of Ulster which occurred some years later. As it was the colonisation of Lewis was not successful as the adventurers were prevented from developing their land by local opposition and were eventually bought out by Coinneach, Lord MacKenzie of Kintail in 1609.