A Summer Travelor - A MacDonald Tale

SOMERLED "Sumarliði Mac Gilla Brigte", King of the Isles

Somerled, the son of Gillebrede, was born around 1113 in Morven, Argyleshire. He is considered to be the progenitor of Clan Donald, one of the largest clans of Scotland and numbers its descendents second only to Genghis Khan. The MacDonalds, MacDougalls, MacRorys and MacAlasdairs all trace their descent from him.

Somerled's father had been expelled from his homeland by the Danes, and the family took refuge in Ireland where Somerled spent his defining years. After the death of his father in an aborted attack against the Norwegians who had taken over the family's land, Someled was able to successfuly conquer Morven, Lochaber and northern Argyle, by making a great display of his troops to his enemies. He marched them three times before them, one company at a time, so that the enemy supposed there were three companies present instead of just one. And so, by 1158, he had cleared the western side of Scotland of the Danes, and the unpopular Godred Olafsson, King of the Isles. Somerled ruled the entire kingdom, independent of both Norway and Scotland.

Somerled married Ragnhildis or Effrica, daughter of Olaf the Red, the Viking Lord of the Isles, and a granddaughter of Godred Crovan, King of Dublin, in 1140. Legend has it that he tricked in future father in-law into granting him her hand in marriage. Together, they had three sons: Dugall, Reginald or Ranald, and Angus, as well as a daughter, Bethog, who was a religious woman and a Black Nun.

In 1164, he sailed up the Clyde with 164 galleys and 15,000 troops in a campaign against Malcolm IV of Scotland. Somerled marched on Renfrew with his retinue and was killed along with his son and heir by his first marriage, Gillecallum, during the battle. His body was returned, and he was buried at Saddell Abbey in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

Family of Somerled and Ragnhildis

1. Angus, Lord of Bute and Arran
2. Ranald, Lord of the Isles
3. Dougal, 1st of Dunollie and of Lorn
4. Beatrix,  Prioress of Iona                                      

Links: 

• The Peerage: Somerled, Thane of Argyll 
• Find a Grave: Somerled Mac Gillebride
• The Book of Clanranald
• Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys
• Undiscovered Scotland: Somerled
• Somerled,King of the Isles
• Clan Donald, USA: DNA Project: The Descendants Of Somerled
• Origins of Clan Donald
• Clan Map