> It was reported in the press when the account books came to light.

Thank you. The nearest I have seen is a reference in Angus Fraser's "The Gypsies" to James IV paying £7 to "Egiptianis" at Stirling in 1505, but that's a lot later than what you mention and it doesn't involve a dole of food, so it can't be the same event.

Yes, I've come across the story of the Bombie estate and arms. Whether the "Moors" or "Saracens" raiding Galloway were Gypsies or not, there's certainly an interesting story there. (And their being Gypsies does look like a possible explanation, even if it's not the only one.)