Organisations > Clan Donald roll of honour

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Clyde to Greenock, where he disembarked. He marched to Renfrew, where the
King's army was encamped. It does not appear that a battle of any consequence
was fought, but Somerled's death was encompassed. It is the tradition of the
Clan that Somerled was treacherously slain in his tent by one of his own attendants
and that he was buried in the Monastery of Saddell.
After the death of Somerled his followers dispersed and returned to their native
isles ; but his family remained in undisturbed possession of the vast territories he
had won with his sword. He was succeeded in part of his possessions by his son,
Reginald, who reigned peacefully until 1207, when he died and was succeeded by
his son, Donald of Isla, from whom the Clan takes its name.
Donald was not by any means of so peace-loving a nature as his father, and
we find him engaging in raiding expeditions to Ireland and assisting in rebellions
against the King of Scotland. It is said that after a stormy career he went on a
pilgrimage to Rome and did penance for his sins. Having obtained absolution
from the Pope, he enriched the Church with many gifts of lands. He died at
Skipness about the year 1249.
A very interesting period of the Clan history is next entered. Angus Mor,
who succeeded Donald, was chief at the time of Haco's expedition and assisted
him throughout the war, although it does not appear that he suffered either in
person or in property in consequence of the treaty afterwards arranged by the
Kings of Norway and of Scotland. In 1284 he attended the Convention which
declared the Maid of Norway heiress to the Scottish Crown, and he received a
grant of land in Ardnamurchan. He is said to have been of an amiable disposition,
and was greatly mourned when he died in the year 1300. His son, Alexander, who
succeeded him had a short reign of 3 years, and having joined John of Lome in his
opposition to Bruce, became involved in the downfall of that family. His posses-
sions were forfeited to the Crown of Scotland, but after his death in 1303 they were
granted to his brother, Angus Og, who succeeded him.
Angus Og remained the steady friend of Bruce and accompanied him to the
field of Bannockburn, where with his islesmen, he contributed largely to the victory
which won Scotland her independence for ever. He received many favours from
the King, and at the time of his death in 1329 passed on a great inheritance to his
son, John of Isla.
This John was one of the most notable chiefs of the Clan, and although the
times were not such as to give him the good fortune to take part in an epoch-making
battle like Bannockburn he, nevertheless, played a great part in the troublous
times that followed the death of the Bruce. We find him in diplomatic relations
with the King of England and supporting the Baliol faction, and later we find him
accompanying the Scottish contingent, with a strong force of Islesmen, to support
the King of France against England. He was engaged at the Battle of Poitiers,
where he had the misfortune to be taken prisoner, being confined some time in
England until liberated. By his marriage with his third cousin, Amy MacRuari,
he acquired lands she obtained at the death of her brother, Ranald, who was murdered
at the monastery of Elcho near Perth in 1346, and by uniting these to his own
territories he raised the Clan to a position of splendour not reached since the days of
Somerled.
Here we must pause to record the weakness in John's character which at
bottom was responsible for the ruin of the Clan and sowed the seeds of all the
internal controversy which has lasted until our own day. John allowed his
ambitions to overrule his sense of honour and, succumbing to the wiles of Robert