The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. II] OF SCOTLAND 205
The remainder of this great district of Argyll was now held
of the crown by those who had formerly been vassals of Somer-
led, and consisted of Lochaber, held by the chief of the clan
Chattan ; Lorn, by sons of Dugall, the eldest son of the first
Somerled by his second marriage ; Knapdale by the ancestor
of the Mac Neills ; South Kintyre, by Roderick the son of
Reginald, second son of Somerled ; and the lower half of
Cowall, by the ancestor of the Lamonds. These formed no
part of the new sheriffdom of Argyll, but remained, as formerly,
part of the sheriffdoms of Perth and Inverness.
In this manner was the power of the descendants of Somer-
led, by the first marriage, on the mainland completely broken
for the time, and the fragments of the clan now looked up to
the race of Dugall, the eldest son of the second marriage, who
was in undisturbed possession of the share of the Isles acquired
the eldest son of this
by Somerled, as their head. Dugall,
marriage, possessed, besides the Isles, the district of Lorn, as
his share of the possessions of his paternal ancestors. But on
his death, the Isles did not immediately descend to his children,
but appear to have been acquired by his brother Reginald,
according to the Highland law of succession, who, in consequence,
assumed the title of king of the Isles. By the same
laws, the death of Reginald restored to his nephews the inheritance
of their father.
Dugall had left two sons, Dugall Scrag and Duncan, who
appear in the Norse Sagas, under the title of Sudereyan kings.
As the Hebrides were at this time under the subjection of the
Norwegian king, the sons of Somerled appear to have nominally
acknowledged his authority, but as these Sagas abound in
complaints against their fidelity, they seem to have professed
submission to either king, as best suited their object for the
time, while, in fact, they were in a state of actual independence.
This state of matters occasioned Haco, at that time king of
Norway, to determine, at length, to reduce these refractory
chiefs to obedience; and for this purpose he selected a Nor-
wegian, termed Uspac, gave him the name of Haco, with the
title of king, and dispatched him to the Sudereys, with a
Norwegian armament. Upon
his arrival at the
Hebrides, it was discovered most opportunely for the