ISLES, LORDS OF THE. A line of Scottish chiefs, celebrated in poetry and romance. Sir Walter Scott, in his notes to The Lord of the Isles, speaks of Somerled as Lord of the Isles: but it is probably more correct to speak of him as King of the Isles. The later lords of the isles traced their descent from him. lie appears prominently in Scottish history in the middle of the twelfth century. during the reigns of David I. and his grandson and successor. Malcolm The race to which he belonged is uncertain: probably, like most of his subjects. lie was of mixed descent, Norwegian and Celtic. Barbout says that one of his descendants, Angus of the Isles, gave his fealty to Bruce when the latter was most hard pressed at the beginning of his reign, receiving him into his castle of Dunaverty, and that he afterwards fought under the Great King at Bannockburn. This chief is the hero of The Lord of the Isles, but his name, for the sake of euphony, has been changed to Ronald. John :Macdonald. first Lord of the Isles, son of Angus 0g, received a grant from Edward lialiol of Mull, Skye, Isla, Gibha, Kintyre, Knapdale, and other lands. Ile married Margaret. daughter of Robert 11., founder of the Stuart dynasty. During the troubled and disastrous reign of David IL, John of the Isles was able to maintain himself in a state of practical independence of the Scottish Crown. lle was at last, however, compelled to submit. Ile met David at Inverness in 1369, and gave hostages for his fidelity. lie died about 13S6. The most powerful of this race was Don ald, eldest son of John. He set the kings of Scot
land at defiance, and made treaties as an inde sovereign with the kings of England. lle married Alary Leslie, daughter of Euphemia. Countess of Ross. Mary's brother, Alexander, Earl of Ross, by his marriage with the daughter of the Regent Albany, left an only child, who be came a nun. Donald claimed the earldom in his wife's right, and when his claim was refused by the Regent he prepared to maintain it by force. Taking possession of Ross, he marched at the head of a large army from Inverness, through Moray and Aberdeenshire. and threatened to destroy the burgh of Aberdeen. Donald was defeated at liar law by the Earl of Mar on July 25. 1411. lie died about 1420 and was succeeded by his son Alex ander. John, son of Alexander. in 1463 made a treaty with Edward 1V. of England, by which he promised to assist the English monarch in the conquest of Scotland.
Throughout their history the Lords of the Isles plotted against the Scottish Crown and were a constant menace to the tranquillity of the realm. The last lord was John, who forfeited his title in 1493. After him there were several spurious claimants. In 1540 the Crown annexed the lord ship of the Isles. Consult: Gregory. History of the 'Western High/ands (Glasgow, 1831) ; Skene, The Highlanders of Scotland, edited by Maebain (Sterling. 1902) ; Mackenzie. History of the Mac donalds ( Inverness, 1882).