74 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



Lome, identified himself with the interests of his wife's 

 family. His brother, Angus Og (the hero of the Lord of 

 the Isles), left the pro-English party, and became one of the 

 most devoted partisans of Bruce. Roderick MacAllan 

 ranged himself on the same side, while his brother Ranald 

 and, probably, Lauchlan, seem to have attached themselves 

 to the English interest. Bruce's defeat at Dalree in 1 306 

 by the Macdougalls was avenged by the King's expedition 

 into Argyllshire, where, by his consummate generalship, he 

 routed his opponents, captured the castle of Dunstaffnage, 

 and reduced Alexander Macdougall to submission, his son 

 John of Lome escaping by flight into England. The over- 

 throw of the Macdougalls effectively crushed the opposition 

 to Bruce in the Hebrides. 



To the great victory of Bannockburn, which was the 

 crowning blow to the pretensions of England, a powerful 

 contingent of Highlanders and Islesmen, under the leader- 

 ship of Angus Og, materially contributed. Scotland was 

 forced to strain every nerve in order to repel the over- 

 whelming forces of the invader ; and it cannot be doubted 

 that the fighting material of the Outer Hebrides was drawn 

 upon when the call to arms resounded throughout the 

 length and breadth of the land. That Scott's " Clans of 

 Wist and all who hear the Minch's roar on the Long Island's 

 lonely shore,"* did their share of fighting at Bannockburn, 

 under the leadership of the Earl of Ross and Roderick 

 MacAllan, may be safely assumed, though there is no 

 specific mention of them. 



To the victors the spoils. Bruce rewarded his supporters 

 in a right royal fashion. Angus Og received a grant of his 

 brother's forfeited properties, and shared in the partition 

 of the lands of the House of Lome, a portion of which also 

 fell to the lot of Roderick MacAllan, who, as representing 

 his sister Christina, the legal heiress, became the acknow- 

 ledged head of the Macruaries of Garmoran and the North 

 Isles. 



From the time that Lewis (with Harris) passed into the 



* The Lord of the hies. 



