The southern sea-lordship of Clann Somairle: Kintyre with the abbey of Saddell, Islay (later the seat of the Lords of the Isles at Finlaggan), Jura, Gigha and probably Arran.
On 1 January 1200 its head is either the aged Ragnall or his young sons.
Who he is
- Name
- Ragnall son of Somerled (Raghnall mac Somairle), if alive; otherwise his sons Ruaidri and Domnall
- Title
- King of the Isles, lord of Argyll and Kintyre (as Ragnall styled himself)
- Since
- 1164
- Born
- Before about 1145
- Family
- Wife Fonia; sons Ruaidri (first recorded 1214) and Domnall (ancestor of Clann Domnaill); daughters perhaps married to Rognvald and Olaf of Mann.
- Confidence
- low
Defeated by his brother Angus in 1192; not securely attested afterwards. His Paisley grant, made perhaps after 1192, may mean he retired to the Stewart's abbey. His sons raid Skye in 1209.
Overlord
Disputed (the kings of Scots claim Kintyre; the islands owe Norway in name)
What it holds
- Kintyre, with Saddell Abbey
- Islay and Jura
- Gigha
- Arran (thin)
- Knapdale (thin)
How it was acquired
Somerled's inheritance.
Allies and rivals
Paisley and the Stewart; rival of Angus; marriage ties to Mann.
How things stand that morning
Held by the line of Ragnall; the head is not pinned.
Wealth
Cattle, fish, sea tolls. No figures.
Military
Galleys of Kintyre and Islay. No numbers.
Threats
- Angus
- The Stewart in Bute and Arran
Places of note
- Saddell: Cistercian abbey
- Finlaggan: Later seat of the Lords of the Isles on Islay
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Reconstructed from later holdings and a few charters.
On the map: Island outlines are rough.
Primary sources for Argyll
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of the Kings of Mann and the Isles, Anonymous (monks of Rushen abbey, Mann) (about 1257, with continuations to 1316). The only native record of the kingdom of Mann and the Hebrides. Read online
- Early Sources of Scottish History, Various; collected and translated by A. O. Anderson (sources of the 6th to 13th centuries; collection published 1922). The quickest way to every non-English witness to Scotland and the Isles in 1200, in translation and in date order: the Irish annals on the Isles and Galloway, Orkneyinga saga and the Norwegian sagas on Harald Maddadsson of Orkney and Caithness and his war with William the Lion, the Chronicle of Mann on Ragnall and the Hebrides, Melrose and Holyrood, and Scottish charters. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.