Baile Mor, the little village on Iona, is picturesque and definitely quaint. There is only one real “main” street which catches the early morning sun enhancing its charm. Sitting here on Iona would seem to be the perfect place to dig deeper into the connection with the Lords of the Isles. However, the history is complex and, for me, difficult to wrap my head around.
According to one source, the great warrior, Somerled, seen as the founder of the Lords of the Isles, re-founded Iona Abbey and made it the ecclesiastical center of the royal family of MacDonald. This can be confusing as it was Somerled’s son, Dugall, who inherited Somerled’s mainland kingdom from Morvern in the north to part of Knapdale in the south, along with the islands of Jura, Coll, Mull, Tiree, Kerrera, and the surrounding smaller isles which would have included Iona. During his lifetime Dugall was a supporter of the Abbey on Iona.
The MacDonalds and MacDougalls were rivals for many generations. In was in 1354, that John Gallda, the MacDougall heir, though in exile and without control of his ancestral lands, quitclaimed any rights he had over Mull and Iona to John of Islay, the Lord of the Isles. John of Islay was the chief of Clan Donald and had been a previous supporter of Edward Balliol. John Gallda MacDougall recognized John MacDonald’s dominance in the region and his control over former MacDougall lands. Later in 1357 King David II restored MacDougall authority at which time the quitclaim went into automatic effect splitting Mull and Iona from Lorn and making it subject to the Lordship of the Isles. Iona remained part of the Lordship of the Isles for the next century and a half and thus under MacDonald control.
This very confusing history can be pondered in more detail here. Another, easier to understand piece of Iona history and the MacDonalds can be found here. The key thing to note is that the isle of Iona was very important to the Lords of the Isles from the time of Somerled until the end of the lordship in 1493. More to come!
My journey was interrupted briefly by a medical issue and I found myself back on the ferry to Mull and heading to the primary care facility in Bunnessan. By 5:30 I was back on Iona.
