Isobel Grant

Isobel Grant
Years active	1630s
Known for	Involved in infamous case of murder
Father	Grant of Tulloch aka Fear Thulach aka McJokkie

Isobel Grant or Iseabail Dhubh Thulach fl. 1637[1] was a historical figure in Scotland who was involved in an infamous case of murder.

Biography

Isobel was the daughter of Grant of Tulloch (aka Fear Thulach, aka McJokkie).[1] The Grants and the MacGregors were brought into dispute when Isobel had supposedly given her affections to a MacGregor named Iain Dubh Gearr.

A fight ensued near her family homestead when a rival suitor tried to claim her hand.[1]

The MacGregors, and other men, are alleged to have attacked John Steuart, near Tulloch, Strathspey and the report states they:

'[S]hot him through the thighs, broke his thigh bones, cut off his fingers and cut off his head and danced and made merry about him a long time'.[1]

Legacy

This murderous event is believed to have inspired the composition of the Reel of Tulloch, a specific dance for males [1] derived from a rough game of football that Tulloch men played with the severed head of an enemy.

References

1. Ewan, Elizabeth, ed. (2018). The new biographical dictionary of Scottish women. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-4744-3629-8. OCLC 1057237368.

External links

• The Reel of Tulloch on the Traditional Tune Archive