Sodor and Argyll

At the beginning of the seventh century Saint Donan (d.618) lived on the island as a religious hermit: the name "Eilean Donan" means the "Island of Donan". This is the period when Christianity was first introduced to the Western Isles.
Saint Donan and fifty-two of his followers were butchered within the refectory of the monastery. The only other martyrdoms recorded seem to be those of Constantine of Kintyre and of Kessog. Such that he was Irish and early in adult life crossed to Galloway, thereafter we only know him through a chain of Kildonans up the west coast of Scotland, beginning with a Kildonan at Kirkmaiden and a Chapel Donan at Kirkcolm, and terinating at Kildonan on the island of Little Bernera in the Outer Hebrides.

Old Irish can be traced in the Rhinns of Galloway from at least the fifth century. The Gaelicization of the land was complete probably by the eleventh century. The southernmost point of the Rhins is also the southernmost point in Scotland, the Mull of Galloway from the history of the Western Isles. The peninsula is bounded on its west coast by the North Channel and by Loch Ryan and Luce Bay in the east.

The only St Donnan's east of the Great Glen is at Auchterless in Aberdeenshire, and it has been suggested that Donan had a special connection with this parish; there are several place-names and we know his 'bachail' or staff was kept there till the Reformation. Only one incident is recorded as happening during these missionary years. He crossed to lona to meet Columba, and according to the story, asked that saint to act as his 'anamchara' or 'soul- friend', which took the place of the Roman Church's 'confessor'. Donan eventually formed his community on the small island of Eigg, with the monastic buildings on the side facing Arisaig. It had become a large community by the date of the massacre; fifty-two is the number of monks given in the record, although for some unknown reason only fifty names are listed.

Almost all are forms of Kildonan-on Skye, Little Bernera, Uist and, on the mainland, Little Loch Broom, Kishorn (Seipeil Dhonnain), Eilean Dhonnain, Cil Dhonnain (Loch Garry) and St. Donnan's (Auchterless). In the south of Skye we find Kildonans at Arran, Kintyre (now wrongly called Kildonald), Colmonell, Kirkmaiden and Chapel Donnan in Kirkcolm.

Castle Eilean Donan was originally built in 1220 by Alexander II as a defence against the Vikings, it subsequently became a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintail (later the Earls of Seaforth) who installed the MacRaes as hereditory keepers. By 1267 the family seem to have been settled at Eilean Donan, which in a day is traveled from Inverness or Fort William, the great MacKenzie stronghold at the mouth of Loch Duich. Eilean Donan Castle lies at the point where three Scottish Lochs Meet. Although the island of Eilean Donan has been a fortified site for at least eight hundred years, the present building dates largely from the early 20th century.

It became a war casualty of the Cambro-Norman era of the Irish Midlands, perhaps the War of Kildare of 1234 AD. The first fortified stronghold was established in the reign of Alexander II (1214-1250). In 1263 Alexander III gave the Castle to Colin Fitzgerald, son of the Earl of Desmond and Kildare (later to become MacKenzies) as a reward for services in the battle of Largs. This famous battle culminated in the defeat of the Norwegian king, Håkon. Following his death shortly after, his successor, Magnus, ceded all the Western Isles to Scotland.
It is believed that in the early part of the fourteenth century Robert the Bruce, out of favour with many of the clan chiefs as well as being hunted by the English, was given refuge in Eilean Donan Castle by John MacKenzie, Second of Kintail. Later, in 1331, the fortunes of Robert the Bruce had changed: he had defeated his enemies and established his position as King of Scotland. He sent his nephew, Randolph, Earl of Moray and Warden of Scotland to Kintail. Since then it was given to the Clan Mackenzie as a thank you from Robert the Bruce for their help in the Battle of Bannockburn. During the time of Robert the Bruce, the Earl of Ross maintained a fleet of galleys, and most of the Rossmen carried these weapons. Their non-Celtic form of inheritance of the kingship was from the matrilineal royal lines. T
he Scots adopted this system of tanistry, when it suited their purposes, as the preferred method of succession to the throne. Eighteen years before Edward I attacked Scotland, Tynedale was in Scotland and had never been revoked from William the Lion. The year before Bannockburn, Edward united many of the Ulster kinglets and chiefs for Dublin- all the way from Limerick in the southwest back to Dundalk, the Scots-Ulster base in the north. At Dundalk, Bruce learned of an English invasion of Fife in the care of Sir James Douglas. Bruce committed to Angus Og, Lord of the Isles, the entrusted Stone of Destiny, telling him to take it to the Hebridean seabord until it was safe to restore it to Scone. Bruce's other faithful lieutenants included Lockhart, Sinclair, and Borthwick. The English encouraged Edward Balliol, son of the late King John (Toom Tabard) to return from France. Balliol landed at Kinghorn in Fife and marched for Perth. Balliol went through the coronation ceremony at Scone, but not on the true Stone of Destiny, where Scotland never admitted to ever have a King Edward. Twenty years on from Bannockburn and the 1320 Declaration of Independence, Bruce's close leaders were now dead or old men. Months after his coronation, Balliol was defeated at Annan. The victors were a son of Thomas Randolph (John) and the brother of Good Sir James Douglas.
The Mackenzies were one of the clans that held lands in Ross between Aird on the east coast and Kintail on the west. They are believed to share a common ancestry with Clan Matheson and Clan Anrias, all three descending from the Celtic dynast Gilleoin of the Aird, who lived at the beginning of the twelfth century.

1, 2,

Old Irish can be traced in the Rhinns of Galloway from at least the fifth century. The Gaelicization of the land was complete probably by the eleventh century. The southernmost point of the Rhins is also the southernmost point in Scotland, the Mull of Galloway from the history of the Western Isles. The peninsula is bounded on its west coast by the North Channel and by Loch Ryan and Luce Bay in the east.
The only St Donnan's east of the Great Glen is at Auchterless in Aberdeenshire, and it has been suggested that Donan had a special connection with this parish; there are several place-names and we know his 'bachail' or staff was kept there till the Reformation. Only one incident is recorded as happening during these missionary years. He crossed to lona to meet Columba, and according to the story, asked that saint to act as his 'anamchara' or 'soul- friend', which took the place of the Roman Church's 'confessor'. Donan eventually formed his community on the small island of Eigg, with the monastic buildings on the side facing Arisaig. It had become a large community by the date of the massacre; fifty-two is the number of monks given in the record, although for some unknown reason only fifty names are listed.
Almost all are forms of Kildonan-on Skye, Little Bernera, Uist and, on the mainland, Little Loch Broom, Kishorn (Seipeil Dhonnain), Eilean Dhonnain, Cil Dhonnain (Loch Garry) and St. Donnan's (Auchterless). In the south of Skye we find Kildonans at Arran, Kintyre (now wrongly called Kildonald), Colmonell, Kirkmaiden and Chapel Donnan in Kirkcolm.

	Castle Eilean Donan was originally built in 1220 by Alexander II as a defence against the Vikings, it subsequently became a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintail (later the Earls of Seaforth) who installed the MacRaes as hereditory keepers. By 1267 the family seem to have been settled at Eilean Donan, which in a day is traveled from Inverness or Fort William, the great MacKenzie stronghold at the mouth of Loch Duich. Eilean Donan Castle lies at the point where three Scottish Lochs Meet. Although the island of Eilean Donan has been a fortified site for at least eight hundred years, the present building dates largely from the early 20th century.
It became a war casualty of the Cambro-Norman era of the Irish Midlands, perhaps the War of Kildare of 1234 AD. The first fortified stronghold was established in the reign of Alexander II (1214-1250). In 1263 Alexander III gave the Castle to Colin Fitzgerald, son of the Earl of Desmond and Kildare (later to become MacKenzies) as a reward for services in the battle of Largs. This famous battle culminated in the defeat of the Norwegian king, Håkon. Following his death shortly after, his successor, Magnus, ceded all the Western Isles to Scotland. It is believed that in the early part of the fourteenth century Robert the Bruce, out of favour with many of the clan chiefs as well as being hunted by the English, was given refuge in Eilean Donan Castle by John MacKenzie, Second of Kintail. Later, in 1331, the fortunes of Robert the Bruce had changed: he had defeated his enemies and established his position as King of Scotland. He sent his nephew, Randolph, Earl of Moray and Warden of Scotland to Kintail. Since then it was given to the Clan Mackenzie as a thank you from Robert the Bruce for their help in the Battle of Bannockburn. During the time of Robert the Bruce, the Earl of Ross maintained a fleet of galleys, and most of the Rossmen carried these weapons. Their non-Celtic form of inheritance of the kingship was from the matrilineal royal lines. T he Scots adopted this system of tanistry, when it suited their purposes, as the preferred method of succession to the throne. Eighteen years before Edward I attacked Scotland, Tynedale was in Scotland and had never been revoked from William the Lion. The year before Bannockburn, Edward united many of the Ulster kinglets and chiefs for Dublin- all the way from Limerick in the southwest back to Dundalk, the Scots-Ulster base in the north. At Dundalk, Bruce learned of an English invasion of Fife in the care of Sir James Douglas. Bruce committed to Angus Og, Lord of the Isles, the entrusted Stone of Destiny, telling him to take it to the Hebridean seabord until it was safe to restore it to Scone. Bruce's other faithful lieutenants included Lockhart, Sinclair, and Borthwick. The English encouraged Edward Balliol, son of the late King John (Toom Tabard) to return from France. Balliol landed at Kinghorn in Fife and marched for Perth. Balliol went through the coronation ceremony at Scone, but not on the true Stone of Destiny, where Scotland never admitted to ever have a King Edward. Twenty years on from Bannockburn and the 1320 Declaration of Independence, Bruce's close leaders were now dead or old men. Months after his coronation, Balliol was defeated at Annan. The victors were a son of Thomas Randolph (John) and the brother of Good Sir James Douglas. The Mackenzies were one of the clans that held lands in Ross between Aird on the east coast and Kintail on the west. They are believed to share a common ancestry with Clan Matheson and Clan Anrias, all three descending from the Celtic dynast Gilleoin of the Aird, who lived at the beginning of the twelfth century. 1, 2,