70 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



Angus Mor, son of the progenitor of the Macdonalds, and 

 his son Alexander, all entered into engagements with the 

 King of England to " keep the peace." 



During the short and inglorious reign of John Baliol, 

 King Edward's puppet, there were commotions in the 

 Outer Hebrides and Skye. The three sons of Allan 

 MacRuari, Roderick, Ranald, and Lauchlan, refused to 

 acknowledge the authority of Baliol, and William (II.) 

 Earl of Ross was commissioned to make war upon them. 

 The Earl of Ross spent a thousand pounds upon the 

 campaign a fact which, subsequently, he was not slow 

 to emphasise and ultimately succeeded in capturing 

 Roderick and Lauchlan, whom he brought as prisoners to 

 the King. As a reward for this service, he received a grant 

 of the lands of Dingwall and Ferintosh. In 1296, however, 

 the Earl detached himself from the English interest, and 

 led a force against his quondam friends. The Scottish 

 defeat at Dunbar was followed by the Earl's capture and 

 imprisonment for seven years in the Tower of London. 

 He was then released in order to further the English cause 

 in the Highlands, receiving the office of Warden north of 

 the Spey, and a grant of the Isles (les terres des ylys).* 

 Meanwhile, the Hebrides were again thorns in the English 

 side. From the Ragman Roll, we find that at Elgin, in 

 July, 1296, Alexander Macdougall (de Ergadia) swore 

 fealty to Edward of England, and that Ranald MacAllan 

 submitted at Berwick. In the same year Alexander 

 Macdonald (de Insulis) was empowered as Edward's 

 bailiff to seize Kintyre, escheated by John Baliol ; while 

 Alexander, Earl of Menteith, was commissioned to take 

 over for the English King the castle, isles, and lands of 

 Alexander Macdougall and of his son John of Lome. In 

 the following year, a statement, emanating probably from 

 Alexander Macdonald, was made to Edward concerning 

 the lawless doings of Macdougall, who, it was asserted, 

 after his release from prison and taking the oath of fealty 



* Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland Vol. IV., p. 400. This grant 

 was doubtless confined to Lewis and Skye. 



