Clan Donald is one of the oldest, and probably the largest and most famous of all the Highland clans. Its Celtic heritage goes back into antiquity, beyond 6th Century CE, to the great clans in what today is Ireland, Conn of the 100 Battles, Cairfre Raida, founder of Dal Raida in Antrim, Eire, and Colla Uathais. Viking heritage goes back to Ingiald "Ill-Ruler" and Olaf "Tree-Hewer" in 7th Century Sweden and Norway. All of these traditional blood lines came together in the 12th Century Somerled MacGillebride MacGilladamnan, the historic founder of Clann Domhnaill, regarded by many as the heads of the ancient race of Conn, and the lineal heirs of the kings of the Dalriadic Scots.
It is difficult in a short sketch to outline the history of various branches of the clan Donald, the families of which are intricately interwoven. The clan begins it's recorded history with Somerled, a descendant of Conn of the Hundred Battles and Clan Colla. Somerled's defeat of the Norse King of Man in 1156 gained independence for southwestern Scotland that survived for over four centuries. He was killed at Renfrew in 1164 when his army did battle with Malcolm IV, and was succeeded by his son Reginald, Lord of the Isles, from whom are descended the Clans MacDonald and MacRurie. From Dugall, the brother of Reginald, are descended the Clan MacDugall. Reginald was liberal to the church and founded the monastery of Saddell.
The clan takes it's name from Donald "de Isla", the 3rd Lord of the Isles and grandson of Somerled, who succeeded his father Reginald, and under his guidance the clan attained great eminence. According to Highland tradition, Donald made a pilgrimage to Rome to do penance, and obtain absolution for the various enormities of his former life; and, on his return, evinced his gratitude and piety by making grants of land to the monastery of Saddel, and other religious houses in Scotland. He died in 1269.
He was succeeded by his son Angus Mor the original "Mac" (meaning "son of") who supported the expedition of Haco, the Norwegian King, but did not suffer from the latter's defeat at Largs in 1263. In 1284, he appeared at the convention, by which the Maid of Norway was declared heiress of the crown, and obtained as the price of his support a grant of Ardnamurchan, a part of the earldom of Garmoran, and the confirmation of his father's and grandfather's grants to the monastery of Saddel.
Angus had two sons, Alexander and Angus Og (ie, the younger). Alexander married one of the daughters of Ewen of Ergadia and acquired a considerable addition to his possessions. But having joined the Lord of Lorn in his opposition to the claims of Robert Bruce, suffered with his defeat and was obliged to surrender to the king. He was imprisoned in Dundonald Castle where he died. His whole possessions were forfeited, and given to his brother, Angus Og, who had attached himself to the party of Bruce. It was he who sheltered the Bruce at the lowest ebb of his career. Later, leading a small band of Islemen, Angus Og was instrumental in Bruce's defeat of the English at Bannockburn. This battle won independence for Scotland. In recognition of Clan Donald's part in the victory, Robert the Bruce proclaimed that Clan Donald would forever occupy the honored position on the right wing of the Scottish Army. The Bruce bestowed upon Angus the lordship of Lochaber, which had belonged to the Comyns, together with the lands of Durrour and Glencoe, and the islands of Mull, Tyree, &c., which had formed part of the possessions of the family of Lorn. Angus erected a castle or fort at Tarbat in Kintyre, a condition of the grants allowed. He died early in the fourteenth century, leaving two sons, John his successor, and John Og, the ancestor of the Macdonalds of Glencoe.
John had some dispute with the Regent concerning certain lands which had been granted by Bruce, he joined the party of Edward Baliol and the English king. A formal treaty was concluded on the 12th of December 1335, and confirmed by Edward III on the 5th October 1336, that pledged support in consideration of a grant of the lands and islands claimed by the Earl of Moray. But the intrigues of Edward failed and Scotland was entirely freed from the dominion of the English. In 1341, David II was recalled from France to assume the undisputed sovereignty of his native country. Upon his accession to the throne, David concluded a treaty with John.
But in 1346, Ranald of the Isles was slain at Perth by the Earl of Ross. John, who had married Ranald's sister Amy, immediately laid claim to the succession. The government was unwilling to allow the claim considering him already too powerful and evaded the recognition of his claim.
But a remarkable change took place in the different parties which at that time divided Scotland. The king of Scotland now appeared a mere tool or partisan of King Edward, and even covertly allowed the endeavors of the English king to overturn the independence of Scotland. Its effect was to throw into active opposition the party which had supported the throne and the cause of independence. But as soon as the English party became identified with the royal faction, John of the Isles abandoned it, and joined with the party he had openly opposed. The head of the national party, the Steward of Scotland, cemented their union by giving to the Lord of the Isles his own daughter in marriage. In 1366, the northern barons broke out into open rebellion, and refused either to pay the tax imposed, or to obey the king's summons to attend parliament. David applied to the Steward to put down the rebellion. The Steward felt that he would be more effective by steady opposition to the court than by openly taking part with the insurgents. Therefore, he accepted the commission, but his efforts were only partially successful. The Earls of Mar and Ross and other northern barons laid down their arms as well as John of Lorn and Gillespie Campbell. But John, secure in the distance and inaccessible nature of his territories, refused to yield. King Edward was forced to turn his attention to his territories in France; and thus David found himself at liberty to turn his forces against the Isles. Robert the Steward, believing that the continuance of the rebellion might prove fatal to his party, persuaded John to meet the king at Inverness, where an agreement was reached. John agreed to submit to the royal authority and pay his share of all public burdens, and promised to put down all others who should attempt to resist. As token, he gave hostages to the king for the fulfillment of this obligation. The accession of Robert Stewart (the Steward) to the throne of Scotland in 1371 brought the Lord of the Isles into close connection with the court; and during the remainder of his life gave his support to the government as his father Angus had done under that of King Robert Bruce.
The advice that the Bruce left for the guidance of his successors concerning the Lord of the Isles was clearly dictated by sound political wisdom. He recommended that under no circumstances should the extensive territories ever again be concentrated in the person of one individual. But, John's claim was too great to be overlooked. Robert Stewart had not been on the throne for a year when he granted to his son-in-law a feudal title to all those lands which had formerly belonged to Ranald the son of Roderick. King Robert did, however, persuade John, who had been twice married, to spread his lands amongst his offspring which was the usual practice of families, but also to render the children of both marriages feudally independent of one another. King Robert confirmed a charter granted by John to Reginald, the second son of the first marriage, where the lands of Garmoran (the dowry of Reginald's mother) were to be held by the descendants of the eldest son of the first marriage. A short time afterwards, John resigned into the king's hands nearly the whole of the western portion of his territories, and received from Robert charters of these lands in favor of himself and the issue of his marriage with the king's daughter. After this period, little is known of the history of John, who is supposed to have died about the year 1380.
The clan was now divided into two branches, the heads of which seemed to have possessed equal authority. Godfrey, the eldest surviving son of John's first marriage, ruled on the mainland, as lord of Garmoran and Lochaber. Donald, the eldest son of the second marriage, held a considerable territory of the crown, known as the feudal lordship of the Isles. Younger brothers held lands as vassals either of Godfrey or of Donald. This temporary balance was soon disturbed by the marriage of Donald with Mary, the sister of Alexander, Earl of Ross. Euphemia, the only child of Alexander, Earl of Ross, entered a convent and transferred the earldom to her grandfather, Albany. Donald lost no time in preferring his claim to the succession in right of his wife. His army of 10,000 men included the forces of almost every clan of the Highlands and Isles. All these clans were willing vassals of the Lord of the Isles. They regarded the MacDonald Chiefs as the heads of the ancient "Race of Conn," and lineal heirs of the ancient Kings of the Dalriadic Scots, going back to the 6th century and beyond. At the head of his army, he invaded Ross, and met with little or no resistance from the people till he reached Dingwall, where he encountered Angus Dhu Mackay at the head of a considerable body of men from Sutherland. After a fierce conflict, he defeated and made their leader prisoner. Leaving the district of Ross, he advanced at the head of his army through Moray and penetrated into Aberdeenshire. On July 24, 1411, he encountered the Earl of Mar at the village of Harlaw at the head of an army inferior in numbers, but composed of better materials. A battle ensued after which both parties claimed the victory. But the Duke of Albany with reinforcements marched on Dingwall forcing Donald to retire with his followers to the Isles, leaving Albany in possession of the whole of Ross. The following summer, the war was renewed until at length Donald found it necessary to come to terms with the duke, and a treaty was concluded by which Donald agreed to abandon his claim to the earldom of Ross and to become a vassal of the crown of Scotland. He died in 1423.
His son Alexander succeeded him. With the ruin of the family of Albany, James I, determined to strengthen his hand, summoned his turbulent nobles to attend a parliament at Inverness. He arrested forty of them as soon as they made their appearance. Alexander, his mother the Countess of Ross, and Alexander MacGodfrey of Garmoran were among those arrested on this occasion. Along with several others, MacGodfrey was immediately executed, and his whole possessions forfeited to the crown. By this bold move, James believed he had subdued the Highland chiefs and soon afterwards freed the others. But once free, Alexander flew to arms with disastrous results. He was compelled to throw himself upon the royal clemency. On Easter Sunday 1429, he went to Edinburgh and appeared before the assembled court in his shirt and drawers, and was forced to beg the forgiveness of his offended monarch. Satisfied with this extraordinary act of humiliation, James granted his life and had him imprisoned in Tantallon Castle. Alexander was less than two years in captivity when the Isles once more broke out into rebellion. Under the command of Donald Balloch, his cousin and the chief of clan Ranald, the clan gained a complete victory at Lochaber. Unable to follow up the victory, Donald withdrew first to the Isles and then to Ireland. James led an expedition to the North with complete success and received the submission of all the chiefs who had been engaged in the rebellion. He was presented with what was believed to be the head of Donald, but since we know that Donald survived James many years, it is obvious that the head was a fake to stop further pursuit. Satisfied by his victory, James listened to the voice of clemency and granted Alexander a pardon for his various acts of rebellion, confirmed to him all his titles and possessions, and further conferred upon him the lordship of Lochaber. Alexander appears to have joined the Earls of Crawford and Douglas, who at that time headed the opposition to the court; but during the remainder of his life, did not give James cause for regret. For a period, he was Justiciar of Scotland. Alexander died about 1447 or 1448, leaving three sons, John, Hugh, and Celestine.
He was succeeded by his son John, who on the death of Alexander, broke out into active insurrection; and seized the royal castles of Inverness, Urquhart, and Ruthven in Badenoch, at the same time declaring himself independent. John of the Isles was secretly supported by the Earl of Douglas, and openly by the barons of his party. But Douglas was murdered in Edinburgh castle; Crawford was defeated by Huntly; and Angus, John's son rebelled against his father. John was compelled to hand over his lands into the hands of the king, and to consent to hold them as a vassal of the crown. It was the rebellion of his son which started the decline and ruin of the principality of the Isles. Angus Og, having been appointed his father's lieutenant and representative in all his possessions, took advantage of the office and deprived his father of all authority, and got himself declared Lord of the Isles. With his army, he suddenly appeared before the castle of Inverness, and having been admitted by the governor, who had no suspicions, immediately proclaimed himself king of the Isles. He invaded the district of Athole; stormed, plundered and attempted to burn the chapel of St Bridget in Athole and took Blair Castle and seized the Earl and Countess imprisoning them at Islay. The reason given being that they had carried off the infant son of Angus, called Donald Dubh (the Black), and committed him to the care of Argyle, his maternal grandfather, who placed him in the Castle of Inchconnely, where he was detained for many years. On his return to the Isles, Angus' fleet was overtaken by a violent tempest, in which the greater part of his galleys were lost. Stricken with remorse for the crime he had committed, he released the Earl and Countess and did penance.
Angus Og convinced his father, whom he had already deprived of all authority, to enter into a compact with the king of England and the Earl of Douglas. In the treaty, dated February 18, 1462, the Lord of the Isles agreed, on the payment of a stipulated sum, to become the sworn ally of the king of England, and to assist that monarch, in the wars in Ireland and elsewhere. Further, in the event of the entire subjugation of Scotland, the lands to the north of the Firth of Forth should be equally divided between Douglas, the Lord of the Isles, and Donald Balloch of Islay. Douglas was to be reinstated in possession of those lands between the Forth and the English borders. Nothing occurred until the year 1473, when we find the Lord of the Isles in arms against the Scottish government. John continued several years in open rebellion; but received little or no support from the other parties to the treaty. In 1475, he was declared a traitor in a parliament held at Edinburgh and his estates were confiscated, and the Earls of Crawford and Athole were directed to march against him. The attack was averted by his father, the Earl of Ross. By a grant of the lands of Knapdale, he secured the influence of the Earl of Argyll, and received a remission of his past offences, was reinstated in his hereditary possessions, and created a peer in parliament with the title of the Lord of the Isles. The earldom of Ross, the lands of Knapdale, and the Sheriff-ships of Inverness and Nairn were retained by the crown.
But Angus Og was no party to this arrangement. He continued to defy the government. The Earl of Athole joined by the Mackenzies, Mackays, Frasers, and others was sent to the north to reinstate the Earl of Ross in his remaining possessions. Angus gave battle at a place called Lagebread and defeated them with great slaughter. The Earls of Crawford and Huntly were then sent, the one by sea and the other by land; but neither of them prevailed against Angus. A third expedition, under the Earls of Argyll and Athole, accompanied by John and several families of the Isles, similarly failed. John proceeded onwards through the Sound of Mull, accompanied by the MacLeans, Macleods, MacNeills, and others, and encountered Angus in a bay on the south side of the promontory of Ardnamurchan. A desperate combat ensued in which Angus was again victorious. The Battle of the Bloody Bay, as it is called in the traditions of the country, gave Angus possession of the extensive territories of his clan, and, as "when treason prospers 'tis no longer treason," was recognized as its head. Around 1490, Angus was assassinated by an Irish harper when marching to attack Mackenzie of Kintail.
The heir to the lordship of the Isles was placed on the nephew of John, Alexander of Lochalsh, son of his brother, Celestine. Placing himself at the head of the vassals of the Isles, he endeavored, with John's consent to recover possession of the earldom of Ross. In 1491, at the head of a large body of western Highlanders, he advanced from Lochaber into Badenoch, where he was joined by the clan Chattan. The army marched to Inverness and then proceeded to the north-east, plundering the lands of Sir Alexander Urquhart, sheriff of Cromarty. They turned to Strathconnan and were surprised and routed. Alexander of Lochalsh was wounded and perhaps taken prisoner. At a meeting of the Estates in Edinburgh in May, 1493, the title and possessions of the lord of the Isles were declared to be forfeited to the crown. In January of the next year, the aged John appeared in the presence of the king and made a voluntary surrender of his lordship. He appears to have remained for some time in the king's household and finally retired to the monastery of Paisley, where he died about 1498. He was interred, at his own request, in the tomb of his royal ancestor, Robert II.
Soon after John's forfeiture in 1493, James IV proceeded to the West Highlands and received the submission of Alexander of Lochalsh and John of Isla, the grandson and representative of Donald Balloch, as well as others. They received royal charters of the lands they had previously held under the Lord of the Isles and were both knighted. In the following year, the king visited the Isles twice and seized the castle of Dunaverty in South Kintyre, Sir John of Isla stormed the castle and hung the governor from the wall in the sight of the king and his fleet. He was quickly apprehended at Isla with four of his sons by MacIan of Ardnamurchan and they were executed in Edinburgh for high treason.
In 1495, King James assembled an army at Glasgow and on May 18 at the castle of Mingarry in Ardnamurchan, received the submision of several of the Highland chiefs. In 1497, Sir Alexander of Lochalsh again rebelled and invaded Ross. He was again defeated and driven out of Ross by the Mackenzies and Munroes at a place called Drumchatt. Proceeding southward, he was surprised in the island of Oransay by MacIan of Ardnamurchan and put to death.
In 1501, Donald Dubh, whom the islanders regarded as their rightful lord, escaped from his inprisonment in the castle of Inchconnell. It was maintained that he was the lawful son of Angus of the Isles and the Lady Margaret Campbell, daughter of the first Earl of Argyll, but his legitimacy was denied by the government. He fled to the isles of Lewis and put himself under the protection of its lord, Torquil Macleod, who had married Katherine, another daughter of Argyll, and therefore his supported aunt. A strong confederacy was formed and about Christmas 1503 rebellion erupted into Badenoch. To put down the rebellion, the whole of the kingdom north of Forth and Clyde was called out led by the Earls of Argyll, Huntly, Crawford and Marischal, and Lord Lovat. Two years elapsed before the insurrection was finally quelled. In 1505, the Isles were again invaded from the south by the king in person and from the north by Huntly. The fleet under the command of Sir Andrew Wood and Robert Barton was brought to bear against the islanders. The rebellious faction took shelter in Carniburg, a strong fort on a small isolated rock near the west coast of Mull. The fort was destroyed forcing the Macleans and the Macleods to submit to the king, and Donald Dubh was imprisoned in the castle of Edinburgh, where he remained for nearly forty years.
The children of Sir Alexander of Lochalsh fell into the hands of the king. Donald, the eldest son, called by the Highlanders, Donald Galda (the foreigner- from his early residence in the Lowlands), was allowed to inherit his father's estates, and was frequently permitted to visit the Isles. He was with James IV at the battle of Flodden in 1513 and was probably knighted under the royal banner on that disastrous field. In November, he raised another insurrection in the Isles and was proclaimed Lord of the Isles. In 1515, the Earl of Argyll prevailed upon the insurgents to submit to the regent, John, Duke of Albany. Early in 1517, he was again in rebellion and razed the castle of Manger, pillaging the whole district of Ardnamurchan. Evading capture, his two brothers were made prisoners. The following year, Sir Donald had revenge for the murder of his father on the MacIans of Ardnamurchan. He defeated and put to death their chief and two of his sons, with a great number of his men. Within a few weeks after his success against the MacIans, he died, thus ending the rebellion, which had lasted for upwards of five years. He was the last male of his family, and died without issue.
In 1539, Donald Gorme of Sleat claimed the lordship of the Isles as lawful heir of John, Earl of Ross. With a considerable army, he marched into Ross-shire and ravaged the district of Kinlochewe and proceeded toward the castle Eilandonan. Exposing himself rashly under the wall, he received a wound in the foot from an arrow, which proved fatal.
In 1543, under the regency of the Earl of Arran, Donald Dubh, the grandson of John, last Lord of the Isles, again appeared upon the scene. Escaping from his long imprisonment in Edinburgh, he was received with enthusiasm by the insular chiefs. With their assistance, he prepared to expel the Earls of Argyll and Huntly from their acquisitions in the Isles. He invaded Argyll's territories. In this, he was supported by the Earl of Lennox and remained for a time in the undisputed possession of the Isles. On the 5th of August, the lord and barons of the Isles were at Knockfergus, in Ireland, with a force of 4000 men and 180 galleys, when they took the oath of allegiance to the king of England. Soon after, Donald returned with his forces to Scotland, but later appears to have returned to Ireland again with Lennox. There he was attacked with fever and died at Drogheda while on his way to Dublin. With him terminated the direct line of the Lords of the Isles.
All hopes of a descendant of Somerled again governing the Isles were now at an end and were divided into various branches. Of these, some were clans which were not of the same origin as the race of Conn; and, with the exception of the Macleods, Macleans, and a few others, they strenuously opposed all the attempts which were made to restore the family of the Isles. Another group were of the same origin as the family of the Isles; but having branched off from the principal stem before the succession of the elder branches, they now appeared as separate clans. Amongst these were the Macalisters, the MacIans, and some others. The Macalisters, who are traced to Alister, a son of Angus Mor, inhabited the south of Knapdale and the north of Kintyre. After the forfeiture of the Isles they became independent. But exposed to the encroachments of the Campbells, their principal possessions were ere long absorbed by different branches of that powerful clan. The MacIans of Ardnamurchan were descended from John, a son of Angus Mor, to whom his father conveyed the property which he had obtained from the crown. The Macdonalds of Glencoe are also MacIans, being descended from John Fraoch, a son of Angus Og, Lord of the Isles; and hence their history is in no degree different from that of the other branches of the Macdonalds. A third class consisted of the descendants of the different Lords of the Isles, who still professed to form one clan, although the subject of the representation of the race soon introduced great dissensions, and all adopted the generic name of Macdonald in preference to secondary or collateral patronymics. A McDonnel (a variation of the surname MacDonald) is still Earl of Antrim.
The power of the clan survived and formed the backbone of the army of the Marquis of Montrose, fighting for the survival of the Stewarts in the 17th century, and, though divided, it was an important factor in the Jacobite Rebellions of the 1700's.
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