I'm Bruce Fummey. Now clans are no longer part of modern day Scotland, but you can't
deny that they're a huge feature of our past, and to the diaspora who look back
to their own branching from the mother tree, they naturally offer a sense of belonging
in their new worlds. Of course clans themselves have very different origins
some from across the seas; Hebridean, Norse clans like Macleods, Macsweens and Macivors.
French clans like Menzies, Fraser, Stewart or Gordon. Dalriadan Macdonalds or Pictish Chattans,
all add to our mongrel status, but when you talk about the Father of Clans,
there can be only one ... Somerled. What's more, it gives me the opportunity to bring you here to Islay,
and Finlaggen. I'll be honest, when I planned the trip, I had hoped for weather that would show it off
in its glory, but this is Scotland, but if you're interested in the people, places and events in
Scottish history, then click the subscribe button at the bottom right of the screen. In the meantime,
let me tell you a story. I've talked about Somerled and his rise to be King
of the Isles in two previous videos. Now obviously you don't need to have watched
those videos to understand this one, but I will leave a link for them at the end,
so that you know what happened at the start. I'll also leave a link in the description to a very
readable book called 'Somerled, Hammer of the Norse' by Kathleen McPhee, but it's Somerled's
end that I want to talk to you about today. You see, Mary, Queen of Scots famously said 'In my end,
is my beginning', but I think that's even more true of Somerled, Lord of the Isles. The clans, people,
and progeny throughout the world that resulted from Somerled, would be too numerous to count.
This is Finlaggen, the home of the Lordship of the Isles. Eilan Mor, The Big Island, that I'm on now
and Eilan na Comhairle, The Island of the Council, out there. Now I know that his days of pomp and glory have
faded, but in its day, from the time of Somerled until James the Fourth, this was a place of power
and influence. Now my background was as a teacher of physics, of real things and hard facts,
so you know when people talk about spirits and ghosts and all that kind of bollocks, I have to
sigh in disbelief. You know when you get those telly programmes and some drama queen of a presenter says,
'I don't know what it is, but there's just something about this place, a feeling that you just don't
get anywhere else'. It proper sets my BS metre flashing red, and it fair gives me the boak (nausea),
but you know what, I don't know what it is,
but there's just something about this place, a feeling that you don't get anywhere else,
even when it's driech (dull, gloomy weather), maybe especially when it's driech. Somerled, King of the Isles, established a
stronghold here in 1138 AD. It would later become the seat of the Lordship of the Isles, but before that
in 1160 AD Somerled was fully master of his island kingdom. His authority stretched from Lewis to the
Isle of Man, and it extended into mainland Scotland. King Inge of Norway knew it, Muirchertach, the High King
of Ireland knew it, and Malcolm the Fourth, King of Scots knew it too. Now most people have never
heard of Malcolm the Fourth, Malcolm the Maiden, who left no children. So for a bit of context, Malcolm was the
grandson of David the First, and the elder brother of William the Lion. He'd just brought the region of
Galloway into and under the control of his kingdom, but he'd also suffered an internal rebellion.
You see Malcolm had gone off to serve in Henry the Third of England's army, making him look like a
lackey of the English King. Then he'd been pressed by Henry to give up all the lands in
Cumbria and Northumbria that his grandad David the First had gained. It's because of this guy,
that all those poor souls between the (Rivers) Humber and the Tweed, are condemned to be English.
Now Somerled had been Malcolm's ally, but I don't know if he thought that Malcolm's behaviour was an
affront to Scotland, Somerled was a Gael after all. Maybe he was more worried that Henry would
come further north, and his own island kingdom would be threatened. Even if nothing so dramatic,
the creeping Normanisation of previously Gaelic lands, had maybe just gone on too long. Maybe
he saw what Malcolm had done to Galloway, and was getting his retaliation in first, or maybe
he saw Malcolm as being weak, giving Somerled the opportunity to expand his own influence. Whether it
was defensive, aggressive or the liberating Gael fighting Norman incursion, in 1164 AD, Somerled
sailed up the Clyde, with a fleet of 164 ships, full of hardened warriors, who'd helped him rid
the islands of Norse control. What an incredible sight that must have been, but their confidence
was misplaced, and they returned home shortly after, following a disastrous battle, roughly
where Glasgow Airport sits today. At the age of 64, Somerled, the King of the Isles was dead, some say
in battle, others say betrayed and assassinated by his sister's son, but in his end, was his beginning.
You see the island kingdom that Somerled had carved out, was divided amongst his three sons;
Dougal, Ranald and Angus. Dougal got most of mainland Argyll, Mull, Tiree and Coll,
and from him come the Macdougals. Ranald got Kintyre and these more southerly islands of Islay,
and Jura. He had two sons. The first one, Ruaridh, gives us the MacRuaridhs, Maccrorys, and the second son Donald
gives us Clan Donald, the biggest clan of them all. So big, that it's split into many sets or subgroups,
there are loads of them. Now if you want to get deep into the detail, then I recommend a guy called
Clint Edwards, who does Scottish clans podcasts. Really knowledgeable, lovely guy, great content,
and you'll get Scottish clan's podcast on one of the many podcast platforms. Check him out.
The point is that Clan Donald was a huge beast, with spreading tentacles. One of Donald's sons
was Allistair, who gave us Macallistairs. Of course the descendents of Clan Donald, created even more variety
than that, because another descent Gregory gave us Gorries. Several descendants called Ranald gave us
various Clan Ranalds, Maciains Macsorleys and Uncle Tom Maccobleys. They're now spread all over the
new world and you regularly thirst for more detail, and seek out your name to discover which eponymous
father figure you belong to, and God bless you. Hopefully I'll be able to hook up with Clint
from Scottish Clans podcast to bring you more information, but I'll never truly understand you.
Now don't take me wrong, because here's the thing
you can go on your clan gathering and say I'm a Macallister or a Macdonald or a Macdougall, as if
you're some kind of separate entity, as if you belong to some special differentiated group,
but they're all children of Somerled. Now I'm not here to piss on your chips,
or is it french fries? Be a Macdougal, be a Macdonald, be a Maccrory. I'm just saying they were family,
they were brothers, and what about Somerled's third son, Angus? Well Angus himself
had three sons, but all of them were killed in battle with their dad, so the line of Angus died out,
or did it? You see Angus also had a daughter, some would say granddaughter Jane, and she married
Alexander, the son of the High Steward of Scotland. Now the role of High Steward had become a family
title. His son and her son was Walter the Stewart. He married Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert, and
their son was Robert the Second, the first Stuart King of Scots, so when you say you're part of some
Clan Stewart, remember that Walter the Stewart was a child of Somerled on his mama's side.
I've lost count of the number of people that have told me that they're descended from
some Stuart royal or other, but that probably means that ultimately you come from Somerled,
the Father of Clans. What's more, I've searched the genealogical records, and I've found that his dad
was Gillebridge, but his grandfather was Jock Tamson (Thomson), the great granddaddy of clans.
Now I'm not saying don't celebrate your clan, I'm just saying I'm happy to be Scottish.
If you want to see more people, watch this video, then please give it the thumbs up.
If you'd like to see more videos about Somerled, then there's a link coming up on screen now.
Tha mi an dochas gum bith lath math leibh. Tiorridh an drasda.