TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PREFACE,.

Page

i

INTRODUCTION.

A. D. 80-1493.

Object of the Work and of the Introduction,

The Caledonii and Mæatae,

The Picti and Attacotti,

The Dicaledones and Vecturiones,

The Irish Scots or Dalriads,

The Strathclyde Britons and Angles,

The Scottish Conquest under Kenneth Macalpin,

The Dicaledones, or northern Picts, also called Albanich,

The Albanich, the earliest inhabitants of the Hebrides

or Western Isles,

They are partly displaced by the Dalriads,

First appearance of the Scandinavians in the Hebrides, .

The Hebrides conquered by Harald Harfager, King of

Norway,

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4

The Vikingr of the Isles, .

4

Ketil, King of the Isles,

5

Aulaf, Maccus, Gofra, and Ragnal, Kings of the Isles,

Sigurd and Thorfin, Earls of Orkney, successively con-

quer the Isles,

5

5

Diarmed MacMaelnambo, Godred MacSitric, Fingal, and

Godred Crovan, successively Kings of the Isles,

Godred Crovan expelled from the Isles by Magnus Bare-

foot, King of Norway,

5

6

Sigurd, son of Magnus Barefoot, made King of the Isles,

Lagman, King of the Isles,

6

6

Donald MacTade appointed Regent of the Isles,

He is expelled by the Islanders, .

7

7

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Olave the Red, (or Olaf Bitling,) King of the Isles,

Ragnhildis, his daughter, is married to Somerled, Lord

of Argyle,

Mixture of Norse and Celtic blood in the Isles, .

The Fiongall or Norwegians, and Dubhgall or Danes,

Parentage of Somerled of Argyle,

Different opinions as to the origin of his family,.

Probability that he was of Irish, and not of Norse descent,

Gillibrede of the Cave,

His rapid rise and great acquisitions,

He marries a daughter of the King of the Isles,

Godred the Black, King of the Isles,

His tyranny and oppression,

Revolt of many of the Islanders, who proclaim Dugall,

son of Somerled, King of the Isles, .

War between Godred and Somerled,

Which is followed by a treaty and a division of the Isles,

The South Isles (except Man) ceded to the sons of Som-

erled,

Renewed hostilities between Godred and Somerled,

Godred flies to Norway, and Man and the North Isles

are seized by Somerled,

Wars of Somerled with Malcolm IV., King of Scotland,

Somerled enters the Clyde with a large army, and lands

near Renfrew,

Defeat and death of Somerled,

Man and the North Isles return to Godred,

The Sons of Somerled,

Pago

7

7

8, 9

8, 9

10

10

10, 11

11

12

12

12

13

13

13

14

14

14

14

15

15

15

16

16, 17

17

17

17

17

Division of Argyle and the South Isles among them,

Quarrels between Reginald and Angus, sons of Somerled,

Angus and his three sons killed by the men of Sky,

Argyle and the South Isles divided between Dugall and

Reginald, the surviving sons of Somerled and Ragn-

hildis,

Dugall and Reginald are both called Kings of the Isles,

Reginald, son of Godred, a King of the Isles at the same

Remarks on the import of the word King, as used by the

Scandinavians of the Isles, .

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Origin of the family of De Ergadia or MacDugall, Lords

of Lorn,

Origin of the family of De Insulis or MacDonald, Lords

MacDonald, Lords

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Page

18

of Isla,

18

Origin of the family of De Insulis or MacRuari, Lords of

the North Isles,

Representatives of these families in the reign of Alex-
ander III.,

18

18

19

19

20

20

These families held lands both under the King of Nor-

way and the King of Scotland,

Encroachments of the Scots on the Kingdom of the Isles,

Projects of Alexander II., and his death,

Proceedings of Alexander III. against Angus Macdonald,

Lord of Isla,.

20

20

20

20

20

Expedition of Haco to repress the aggressions of the Scots,

He establishes the authority of Norway over all the Hebrides,

His invasion of Scotland, his repulse, and death,

Vigorous measures of Alexander III. against the Islanders,

Death of Magnus, the last King of Man and the Isles, .

Treaty between Alexander III. and Magnus, King of Norway,

The Hebrides or Western Isles ceded to Scotland by Norway, 21

Allegiance of the Islanders transferred to the King of Scotland, 21

Position of the descendants of Somerled before and after

the cession of the Isles to Scotland, .

They attend the Scottish Parliament in 1284, as vassals

of Scotland, .

At this time, there was no Lord of the whole Isles; the

Lordship, as known in later times, embracing nearly

all the possessions held, independently of each other,

in 1284, by the MacDugalls, MacDonalds, and Mac-

Ruaries,

Forfeiture of the Lord of Lorn, and acquisitions of the Lords
of Isla and the North Isles, in the reign of Robert I.,

And of Angus Oig, Lord of Isla,.

John of Isla, son of Angus Oig, joins Edward Balliol,

who confers upon him many lands, .

Return of David II. from France,

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

When the Lord of Isla is forfeited,

He is pardoned and restored,

And the Lord of the North Isles is likewise restored to

his estates,

Origin of the Macians of Ardnamurchan,

Ranald MacRuari of the North Isles is assassinated by

the Earl of Ross,

His sister, Amie, wife of John of Isla, becomes his heir,

John of Isla, thus acquiring the North Isles, in addition

to his former possessions, assumes the style of LORD

OF THE ISLES,

The heiress of the MacDugalls carries Lorn Proper (to which

her father had been restored) to the family of Stewart,⚫

Intrigues of the Court of England with the Lord of the

Isles, .

Turbulence and disaffection of the Lord of the Isles,

He is again reconciled to David II.,

Marriages and issue of John, first Lord of the Isles,

His eldest son, by his second wife, (Margaret,) daughter

of King Robert II., becomes his heir, to the exclu-

sion of the sons of the first marriage,

State of the Isles at the death of the first Lord, .

Donald, second Lord of the Isles, succeeds,

He marries Mary Leslie, afterwards Countess of Ross,

in whose right he was properly first Earl of Ross of

his family,

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27

27

26, 27

27

27

27

28

28

28

28

29

29,30

30

30

His disputes with the Regent Albany-The Battle of

Harlaw,

31

31

He is acknowledged as Lord of the Isles by all the Island-

ers, and even by his brothers of the half-blood,

Disputes between Godfrey and Ranald, the surviving sons

of the first marriage of John first Lord of the Isles,

Origin of the Clan Ian Vor of Isla and Kintyre, and of

the Macdonalds of Keppoch,

Intrigues of the Islanders with England,

Death and issue of Donald, Lord of the Isles,

Alexander, third Lord of the Isles and second Earl of

Ross,

Is at first in great favour with King James I.,

But soon rebels, .