in 1522 john mackay of strathnaver made a bond to serve alexander, then master of sutherland, as he had served his father. robert gordon, the 17th-century historian of the sutherlands, saw this part as adam's initiative to put the earldom into his son's hands. according to robert gordon, alexander had defeated armed incursions by the mackays into sutherland territory. adam and elizabeth had fought the mackays at the battle of torran dubh in 1517.