At last found a patch of early morning sunlight shining down upon Dunyvaig and captured some better photos of this iconic ruin.

Then it was on to Finlaggan, the headquarters of the Lords of the Isles for nearly two centuries.  As I have written before, the Lordship of the Isles was a Celtic kingdom, controlled from Finlaggan byt the MacDonalds of Islay – themselves descended from Dòmhnall, grandson of Somerled.  Its hub was in the Hebrides, mainland Argyll and the Glens of Antrim.  The book I have been working on for the past 3 years visually presents the territory of this kingdom through my photographic eye. I have been to Finlaggan on many occasions so this time simply photographed it from a distant perspective to provide a sense of the place where this ancient seat was located. In a time of fierce warriors and fortified castles it is notable that when the various clan leaders assembled at Finlaggan to meet there were no fortifications, no defensive barriers, etc.  It was a peaceful place and one where decisions were made by a council under the direction of the Lord of the Isles. Remarkable! And these Highlanders were called barbaric!