The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

2o6 THE HIGHLANDERS [part ii
Sudereyan kings, that Haco Uspac was in fact a son of Dugall,
and brother of Dugall Scrag and Duncan, and accordingly, that
which was intended for their overthrow, turned to their advan-
tage. But in the meantime, Olave the Swarthy, king of Man,
had proceeded to Norway, and had made the king aware of the
real state of the case, upon which Haco dispatched him to the
Sudereys with another fleet. When he had reached the Sound
of Isla, he found the brothers, king Uspac, Dugall, and Duncan,
already there, together v.ath their relation, Somerled, who had
taken refuge in the Isles from the power of the king of Scotland.
These chiefs, alarmed at the force of the Norwegians, attempted
to overcome them by stratagem, and for this purpose "invited
them to an entertainment, and provided strong wines," not an
uncommon stratagem among the Highlanders. But the Nor-
wegians had suspicion of their good faith, and refused to go,
whereupon each of the commanders proceeded to draw their
forces together, and in the night the Norwegians made an un-
expected attack upon the Sudereyans, in which they succeeded,
having slain Somerled, and taken Dugall prisoner, while the
other two brothers effected their escape. Uspac, upon this
judged it prudent to submit himself to the Norwegians, and
afterwards joined them in their expedition to Bute, where he
met his death in an attack upon a fortress in that " island.
Duncan was now the only one of his family who retained any
power in the Sudereys, but of his farther history nothing is
known except the foundation of the priory of Ardchattan, in
Lorn. On his death, his son Ewen succeeded to the whole
power and territories of this branch of the descendants of
Somerled ; and he appears to have remained more faithful to
the Norwegian king than his predecessors had been, for when
Alexander II., king of Scotland, had determined upon making
every effort to obtain possession of the Western A.D. 124;t.
Isles,
• • •
, ,
r 1 . ^
and, deemmg it of the greatest consequence to wm
Ewen to his interest, had besought him to give up Kerneburgh,
and other three castles, together with the lands which he held
of king Haco, to the king of Scotland, adding, that if Ewen
would join him in earnest, he would reward him with many
^ This account is taken from tlie Anecdotes of Olave the Black.