The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

202 THE HIGHLANDERS [part ii
be dated from the moment when part of them were ceded to
the sons of Somerled. By this treaty, Somerled acquired all
the islands south of the point of Ardnamurchan, but he no
sooner found himself in secure possession of these islands than
he was again involved in hostilities with the government,
having joined the powerful party in Scotland who at this
time determined to dethrone Malcolm IV. and place the Boy
of Egremont on the throne, and in prosecution of that design
commenced to infest the shores of Scotland with his fleet.
On the failure of this attempt, Malcolm appears at length to
have discovered that Somerled was becoming too powerful
to be permitted to remain in the state of partial independence
which he had assumed he ; accordingly demanded that Somerled
should resign his lands into the king's hands, and hold them
in future as his vassal, and he prepared to enforce his demand
by the aid of a powerful army. Somerled, however, emboldened
by his previous successes, was little disposed to yield compliance
to the king's desire, but on the contrary, resolved to anticipate
the attack. Collecting* his fleet accordingly from among the
Isles, he soon appeared in the Clyde, and landed at Renfrew.
Here he was met by the Scottish army under the command
AD. 11(34
of
of
the
the
High ^
Steward
battle which
of Scotland, and the result
ensued was the defeat and
death of Somerled, together with his son, Gillecolum.
This celebrated chief is described by an ancient Seimachie
to have been " a well-tempered man, in body shapely, of a
fair piercing eye, of middle stature, and of quick discernment."
His territories at his death were very considerable, compre-
hending the whole of the district of Argyll, the original
possession of the clan, and that portion of the Hebrides
termed by the Norwegians the Sudreys. These great pos-
sessions, which he had acquired by his own personal exertions,
did not descend entire to his successor ; for, although his
grandson, Somerled, the son of Gillecolum, succeeded to
the whole of his Highland territories, the Isles, with the
exception of Arran and Bute, had come to him with his wife,
and consequently descended to Dugall, his eldest son by
that marriage.
For a period of upwards of fifty years after the death of