To the southwest of Coll, Tiree is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. The Norwegian control of both the Inner and Outer Hebrides would see almost constant warfare until being ultimately resolved by the partioning of the Western Isles in 1156. A loch in the northwest of Islay, in the Inner Hebrides, Loch Gorm lies Loch Gorm and Cloch an tSagairt.
The Outer Hebrides would remain under the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles while the Inner Hebrides broke out under Somerled, the Norse-Celtic kinsman of both Lulach and the Manx royal house. Although the Inner Hebrides, from 1156 known as the Kingdom of the Hebrides, still nominally was under the sovereignty of Norway, the leaders were Scottish in language and culture rather than Norse. The Lord of the Isles would continue to rule the Inner Hebrides as well as part of the Western Highlands as a subject of the King of Scots until John MacDonald, fourth Lord of the Isles during the 1400s.
The population of Coll was much higher in the past; in the late 1700s there were about 1,000 people supported by agriculture and fishing. During the Highland Clearances of the 1830s and 1840s, most of the population left, many of them moving to Australia, Canada or South Africa.
Tiree is known for the first century BC Dùn Mòr broch, for the prehistoric carved Ringing Stone and for the birds of the Ceann a' Mhara headland. In 1770, half of the island was held by fourteen farmers who had drained land for hay and pasture. Its name derives from Tireth, 'land of the corn', for from the days of the 6th-century Celtic missionary and abbot Saint Columba (d. 597) Tiree provided the monastic community on the island of Iona, south-east of the island, with grain. A number of early Christian monasteries once existed on Tiree itself, and several sites have stone cross-slabs from this period, eg. St Patrick's Chapel, Ceann a' Mhara.
Iona, a tiny island off the southwest of Mull, was the base point from which the Irish Celtic Christians re-introduced Christianity to Great Britain in the middle ages. Saint Columba arrived here in 563. Columba and his twelve followers essentially re-converted Great Britain. This re-conversion was required because Christianity had been largely obliterated through medieval barbarian warfare on a massive scale. St Columb came out of Donegal to escape the plague 1,400 years ago and founded his first monastery in the oak grove (Gaelic: Doire), a gift from his cousin, Prince of Aileach. It was a holy place. The saint said that 'the angels of God sang in the glades of Derry and every leaf held its angel.'
In the 14th century Mull became part of the Lordship of the Isles. After the collapse of the Lordship in 1493 the island was taken over by the clan MacLean, and in 1681 by the clan Campbell. During the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries, the population fell from 10,000 to less than 4000. The Clan Donald USA Genetic Project has identified the genetic signature of Colla Uais, father of Dalriada. Clan Donald has historically considered itself as a branch of Clan Colla and as children of Conn. Colla was High King of Ireland who seized Ulster and then took his followers to Scotland around 325AD. Colla’s descendants Fergus, Loarn and Angus (sons of Erc) were the principal foundation lines reestablishing the Scottish kingdom of Dalriada around 465AD. Colla was believed a great great great grandson of Conn of the Hundred Battles, High King of Ireland circa 150AD.
Septs of Clan Donald include the following. Other branches of Clan Macdonald have different septs. Beath, Beaton, Bethune, Bowie, Colson, Connall, Connell, Darroch, Donald, Donaldson, Donillson, Donnelson, Drain, Galbraith, Gilbride, Gorrie, Gowan, Gowrie, Hawthorn, Hewison, Houstoun, Howison, Hughson, Hutcheonson, Hutchinson, Hutchison, Isles, Kellie, Kelly, Kinnell, Mac a' Challies, MacBeth, MacBeath, MacBheath, MacBride, MacCaishe, MacCall, MacCash, MacCeallaich, MacCodrum, MacColl, MacConnell, MacCook, MacCooish, MacCrain, MacCuag, MacCuish, MacCuitein, MacCutcheon, MacDaniell, Macdrain, MacEachern, MacElfrish, MacElheran, MacGorrie, MacGorry, MacGoun, MacGowan, MacGown, MacHugh, MacHutchen, MacHutcheon, MacIan, Macilreach, Macilriach, Macilleriach, Macilrevie, Macilvride, Macilwraith, MacKean, MacKellachie, MacKellaig, MacKelloch, MacKiggan, MacKinnell, MacLairish, MacLardie, MacLardy, MacLarty, MacLaverty, MacLeverty, MacMurchie, MacMurdo, MacMurdoch, MacO'Shannaig, MacQuistan, MacQuisten, MacRaith, MacRorie, MacRory, MacRuer, MacRurie(MacRury- Contester of the Lord of the Isles), MacShannachan, MacSorley, MacSporran, MacSwan, MacWhannell, Martin, May, Murchie, Murchison, Murdoch, Murdoson, O'Drain, O'May, O'Shannachan, O'Shaig, O'Shannaig, Patton, Purcell, Revie, Reoch, Riach, Rorison, Shannon, Sorley, Sporran, Train, Whannel.
