They were nearly at the castle gate when the sound of shouting guards drew their attention upward. The Spanish frigates had been sighted. By morning, a few dozen Spanish marines were garrisoned in the castle. Mac watched as Ciarán and Hamish played host to George Keith, the Earl Marischal of Scotland, and William Murray, Earl of Tullibardine, who brought with them forty-six Spanish soldiers.
Based on their conversations, Mac pieced together the key points of the plan. A fleet carrying seven thousand Spanish marines was on its way south to England. There, the thrust of their attack would take place, but first they needed to gather a thousand Highlanders to march on Inverness. This would draw the British away from their intended attack, thus laying the groundwork for their defeat.
Despite
