Table of Contents

Celts, Norsemen and Gall-Gaedhil in the Isles; the historical background to 1100; the age of Smerled 1100-1164; "a good family" - the MacSorleys 1164-1249; the MacSorleys and the dilemma of divided allegiances 1249-1266; the waxing and waning of Scottish royal authority 1266-1336; the Church and monasticism; society and economy; epilogue - the lordship of the Isles; gazetteer of historical sites.

About the Author

R. Andrew McDonald is Professor of History at Brock University, Canada, where he was the founding director of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. He is the author of many books, book chapters and articles on medieval Scottish, Hebridean and Manx history, including The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland’s Western Seaboard, c.1100–c.1336, and is co-editor of The Viking Age: A Reader and Alba: Celtic Scotland in the Middle Ages.