Sir Donald Mackay is given leave by the King to raise his men to fight abroad.  Sept. 1626, in Cromarty, the clan is gathered by the Fiery Cross.   Sir Donald picked out about 3,000 men.  They were taken to the Port of Cromarty to embark for Europe.  There were others ready to set sail to Europe who had been raised by bounty.  About 500 Mackays thought the bounty good so the Mackay regiment and about 2500 under Col. Forbes embarked for Holstein, Denmark (now Germany).