The MacSorlie-Camerons of Camghouran are descended from a certain Ewen MacSorlie, who married Marsali (Marjory), daughter of MacGregor of Ardlarich, Rannoch, during the latter part of the 16th century.  Ewen was a younger brother of the chieftain of Glen Nevis who had made his home near his wife's people beside Loch Rannoch.  There they lived happily at Tigh-na-Dige until a fearful tragedy befell them., known in song and legend as "The Tragedy of Clach-nan Ceann".
Prior to this gruesome affair, a band of Camerons had recently come into the district and, according to tradition, they were a most quarrelsome lot.  No doubt their unseemly behaviour gave rise to the Gaelic proverb "Is iomadh cu coimheach rinn tabgann teth an Raineach" ("Many a strange dog has barked hotly in Rannoch").  There were continual feuds between them and the MacGregors, and on one occasion they were almost exterminated by the latter.  It came about in this way:  A party of Camerons which had gone to Ardlarich with their corn to be ground at the mill, impudently tethered their horses to Marsali's father's corn stacks, and on being remonstrated with by the owner, one of them thereupon loosened his horse's halter, with which he dealt MacGregor, an old man, such a violent blow on the face that he fell bleeding and insensible.  This brutal outrage was speedily followed by a terrible retribution, for tempers were high.  The old man's sons and kith and kin, on hearing what had taken place, demanded of the Camerons the surrender of the man who had dared to offer a MacGregor such an indignity.  A refusal, couched in sarcastic language, being returned, the MacGregors resolved to be avenged of their contumacious neighbours.  They invited the assistance of the MacKintosh from Badenoch, and fell suddenly on the Camerons, whom they slaughtered without mercy, old and young alike.  Several who tried to save themselves by swimming to the north side of Loch Rannoch got entangled in the weeds, and were either killed or drowned.  Ewen MacSorlie actually succeeded in making good the opposite shore, at a point called Creagan Dearg (Little Red Rock), but no sooner had he got out of the water than he was seized by a party of MacGregors which had hurried round the loch to intercept him.  He was brought before the MacKintosh and MacGregor of Ardlarich, and the former addressed him thus in Gaelic: "Co dhiubh a chuireas thu féin fo mheachainn MhicGriogair no fo mheachainn Mhic an Toisich?" ("Whether will you put yourself under the clemency of MacGregor or under the clemency of MacKintosh?").  MacSorlie, who hated the idea that it should be said that he owed his life to the grace of a MacKintosh, replied, "Fhad's a bhitheas Griogarach beo air thalamh cha chuirinn mi fhin fo mheachainn Cait" ("As long as a MacGregor is alive I would not put myself under the clemency of a Cat" - i.e. a MacKintosh).  Hereupon Ardlarich, looking fiercely at him, said, "Ged gheall mi nach togainn claidheamh, cha do gheall mi nach togainn biodag ad aghaidh" ("Though I promised that I would not raise a sword, I did not promise that I would not raise a dirk against you").  On making this remark he plunged the dirk into Ewen's heart.  Ewen cried out - "A Mharsali, is e brathair t'athar a rinn e!" ("O Marjory, it is your father's brother who did it!").  It is said, hard-hearted as the MacKintosh was, tears came to his eyes on witnessing this painful scene, and that he exclaimed, "Ud! ud! na'n robh thu iar thighinn am mheachainn-sa, 'Eóghainn, cha tachaireadh seo!" ("Tut! tut! had you surrendered to me, Ewen, this would not have happened!")

The MacKintosh now entered a boat that took him over to the south side of the loch.  As he glided over that mile of water which the ill-fated Ewen had so recently swam, he felt a demon of revenge rising up within his heart, and he swore that he would make Marsali cry.  "It was chiefly for this,", said he, "that I came from Badenoch, and I will do it."  Having landed on the Slios Garbh (Rough Declivity), he ascended the small rising ground leading to Tigh-na-Dige, which he found was, according to his own instructions, surrounded by a cordon of men.  Marsali, with her four boys, was standing on the green sward beside the large boulder to receive him.  On his approach, she bowed politely but stiffly; and he returned the salutation with a formal bow. "Marsali," said the Chief, "I have to inform you that Ewen, your husband, is dead."  "That's bad news," she said.  "I have to inform you further," said he, "that he was slain by the hand of your uncle, MacGregor of Ardlarich."  "That is worse news," she said.  "And don't you cry," said he, "at such news?"  "No," she said.  "Why?" asked he.  "Because," said she, "I suppose crying would not amend matters."  "But you must cry," said he, raising his voice.  "But I must not and will not cry," she said firmly.  Here, the MacKintosh seized her eldest boy by the legs and said, "Suppose I were to dash this boy's head against that stone, would you cry?"  "I suppose if the devil put that into your heart," said she, "my crying would not prevent it."  Thereupon he dashed the boy's head against the stone, and scattered his brains all around.  Marsali remained firm.  He then took the second son and did the same to him.  She still remained firm.  He then took up her third son and did the same to him.  Here, Iain Biorachh (sharp-featured John), Marsali's fourth son, clung in terror to his mother's side and tried to hide himself in her dress from the terrible man, whereupon she burst into a flood of tears.  As soon as the MacKintosh saw this proud woman weeping he turned to her and said, "A bheab gun chiall, b'fheàrr a chianamh na'n dràsda!" ("O senseless woman, it were better a little while ago than now!")

Soon afterwards Marsali was delivered of a male child which, as might have been expected, showed some marks of that hard and cruel usage to which its mother had been subjected during the period of gestation.  The new-born babe seemed to twitch and tremble from head to foot, and withal presented a dusky complexion all over the body. When Marsali was shown her son, she said - "Màthair Iain Bhioraich an dé, Màthair Iain Chéir an diugh; Seo Camshronach an ìme, Sin Camshronach a' ghruith!" "The mother of sharp-featured John yesterday, The mother of dusky-coloured John today;  Here's a Cameron of the butter, There's a Cameron of the curds!"

These two brothers became the progenitors of the MacSorlie-Camerons of Camghouran, and their descendants are known in Rannoch as "Clann Iain Bhioraich" ("Descendants of sharp-featured John") and "Clann Iain Chéir" ("Descendants of dusky-coloured John").

It is not certain whether the MacSorlie-Camerons in Finnart are an offshoot of the Camghouran branch or not, but more than likely they are a distinct branch which came from Glen Nevis during the 17th century.  In 1678 the Head of this branch was Sorlie Cameron, and that year he was summoned, with others, to give bond to the Commissioners of Council at Inverlochy.  Several of this tribe were out during the '45, and some of them were taken prisoner.