The island of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland has a long and turbulent history. Settlement of the island dates back to the Neolithic period the evidence for which are the standing stones scattered throughout, including a stone circle at Pobull Fhinn and a large burial cairn, in almost pristine condition, at Barpa Langass. Written records however do not commence until the late first millennium AD. Kingdom of the Isles North Uist was settled in the 9th century by Vikings, who established the Kingdom of the Isles throughout the Hebrides. Initially, Vikings built turf-based buildings; however, on the shore, the environmental and chemical composition of machair causes these buildings to rapidly degrade and turn mauve. Following Norwegian unification, the Kingdom of the Isles became a crown dependency of the Norwegian king; to the Norwegians it was Suðreyjar (meaning "southern isles"). Malcolm III of Scotland acknowledged in writing that Suðreyjar was not Scottish, and King Edgar quitclaimed any residual doubts. However, in the mid-12th century, Somerled, a Norse-Gael of uncertain origin, launched a coup, which made Suðreyjar entirely independent. Following his death, Norwegian authority was nominally restored, but in practice, the kingdom was divided between Somerled's heirs (Clann Somhairle), and the dynasty that Somerled had deposed (the Crovan dynasty). The MacRory, a branch of Somerled's heirs, ruled Uist, as well as Barra, Eigg, Rùm, the Rough Bounds, Bute, Arran, and northern Jura.Kingship and Unity, Scotland 1000-1306, G. W. S. Barrow, Edinburgh University Press, 1981Galloglas: Hebridean and West Highland Mercenary Warrior Kindreds in Medieval Ireland, John Marsden, 2003Lismore: The Great Garden, Robert Hay, 2009, Birlinn LtdProceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 90 (1956–1957), A.A.M. Duncan, A.L Brown, pages 204–205The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard, R. A. McDonald, 1997, Tuckwell Press In the 13th century, despite Edgar's quitclaim, Scottish forces attempted to conquer parts of Suðreyjar, culminating in the indecisive Battle of Largs.

In 1266, the matter was settled by the Treaty of Perth, which transferred the whole of Suðreyjar to Scotland, in exchange for a very large sum of money. The treaty expressly preserved the status of the rulers of Suðreyjar; the MacRory lands, excepting Bute, Arran, and Jura, became the Lordship of Garmoran, a quasi-independent crown dependency, rather than an intrinsic part of Scotland.

Lordship of Garmoran

At the turn of the century, William I had created the position of Sheriff of Inverness, to be responsible for the Scottish highlands, which theoretically now extended to Garmoran.Dickinson W.C., The Sheriff Court Book of Fife, Scottish History Society, Third Series, Vol. XII (Edinburgh 1928), pp. 357-360The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707, K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007–2017), 15 July 1476 In 1293, however, King John Balliol established the Sheriffdom of Skye, which included the Outer Hebrides. Nevertheless, following his usurpation, the Skye sheriffdom ceased to be mentioned, and the Garmoran lordship (including Uist) was confirmed to the MacRory leader. In 1343, King David II issued a further charter for this to the latter's son.Regesta Regum Scottorum VI ed. Bruce Webster (Edinburgh 1982) no. 73.

In 1346, just three years later, the sole surviving MacRory heir was Amy of Garmoran. The southern parts of the Kingdom of the Isles had become the Lordship of the Isles, ruled by the MacDonalds (another group of Somerled's descendants). Amy married the MacDonald leader, John of Islay, but a decade later he divorced her, and married the king's niece instead (in return for a substantial dowry). As part of the divorce, John deprived his eldest son, Ranald, of the ability to inherit the Lordship of the Isles, in favour of a son by his new wife. As compensation, John granted Lordship of the Uists to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey, and made Ranald Lord of the remainder of Garmoran.

However, on Ranald's death, his sons were still children, and Godfrey took the opportunity to seize the Lordship of Garmoran. Furthermore, Godfrey had a younger brother, Murdoch, whose heirs (the Siol Murdoch) now claimed to own part of North Uist. This led to a great deal of violent conflict involving Godfrey's family (the Siol Gorrie) and those of his brothers. Surviving records do not describe this in detail, but traditional accounts report an incident where the Siol Gorrie dug away the embankment of a Loch, causing it to flood a nearby village in which the Siol Murdoch lived (and hence drown them); the accounts claim that the floodwater formed Loch Hosta.Townsend, Mike. (2015). Walking on Uist and Barra. pp. 76 - 77.

In 1427, frustrated with the level of violence generally in the highlands, together with the insurrection caused by his own cousin, King James I demanded that highland magnates should attend a meeting at Inverness. On arrival, many of the leaders were seized and imprisoned. Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey, was considered to be one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quick show trial, was immediately executed., p. 65 As Alexander had by now inherited Godfrey's de facto position as Lord of Garmoran, and in view of Ranald's heirs being no less responsible for the violence, King James declared the Lordship forfeit.

Early lairds

Hugh of Sleat and his sons

Following the forfeiture, most of Garmoran (including North Uist) remained with the Scottish crown until 1469, when James III granted Lairdship of it to John of Ross, the Lord of the Isles. In turn, John passed it to his own half-brother, Hugh of Sleat; the grant to Hugh was confirmed by the king – James IV – in a 1493 charter, but Ranald's heirs (Clan Ranald) disputed the charter.

Hugh died a few years later, and in 1505 his eldest son, John, granted North Uist (and Sleat) to Ranald Bane, the Captain of Clanranald; the reasons John had for this are not reported by surviving records. Nevertheless, Hugh's second son, Donald Gallach, opposed Clan Ranald and established his own de facto control of North Uist and Sleat. In the following year (1506), Donald was stabbed to death by his own younger brother – Black Archibald. The king authorised Ranald Bane to take the lands by force; according to traditional accounts, Ranald Bane's success led to Black Archibald resorting to piracy.Angus & Archibald Macdonald. The Clan Donald volume 3: Inverness, The Northern Counties Publishing Company Ltd, 1900.

Three years later, however, Black Archibald returned. Traditional accounts relate that while he had been away, Angus Collach (Archibald's other brother) attempted to rape a woman on North Uist; outraged by this, an armed party made up of men from the Siol Gorrie (to which the woman belonged) and Clan Ranald (to which her husband belonged) captured Angus and drowned him at sea. According to these accounts, Black Archibald now took revenge, killing large numbers of Siol Gorrie. Despite his behaviour, Black Archibald managed to ingratiate himself with James IV, by capturing and handing over two pirates – distant relations from Clan MacAlister; in 1511, the king rewarded Black Archibald by pardoning him for his crimes, and confirming his possession of Sleat and North Uist.

The Hunchback

At some point before 1520, Black Archibald was murdered by Donald Gallach's son, Donald Gruamach. Consequently, in 1520, James IV issued a charter awarding lairdship of Sleat and North Uist to Alasdair Crotach MacLeod, the leader of the Sìol Tormoid, who possessed the neighbouring lands, and had been loyal to James during Donald Dubh's rebellion.

In 1539, Donald Gruamach's son – Donald Gorm – invaded the Siol Tormoid lands on Skye, in an attempt to take back Sleat and North Uist. However, that same year, Donald Gorm was hit by an arrow while besieging Eilean Donan castle; in the process of removing it, he severed an artery, and died. In November 1542, king James V issued a charter confirming Alastair Crotach as laird of Sleat and North Uist.David Hay Fleming, Register of the Privy Seal, 1529–1542, 2 (Edinburgh, 1921), p. 757 no. 4995.

Mary MacLeod

After the deaths of Alastair Crotach and his son William in quick succession (1547, and 1553, respectively), Alastair's heir was his young granddaughter, Mary MacLeod. Donald Gormson, Donald Gorm's son, took the opportunity to seize Sleat and North Uist. The Earl of Arran, regent to Mary, Queen of Scots, assigned nominal feudal wardship of her to the Earl of Huntly, who himself proposed to sell it to the Earl of Argyll. Following Arran's death in 1554, Mary of Guise was appointed regent for her daughter and issued Argyll and Huntly with a "commission of fire and sword" against Donald Gormson and Clan Ranald, instructing the earls to pursue their "utter extermination".

However, the forces of the Earl of Huntly had previously been defeated by Clan Ranald at the Battle of the Shirts, which made them reluctant to enter Clan Ranald territory; the Earl abandoned the pursuit, but was promptly imprisoned by Mary of Guise for doing so. Three years later, the Lords of the Congregation, the Earl of Argyll among them, emerged as an organised resistance to the Queen Regent. By 1562, the Earl of Huntly, now released, was in outright opposition to Queen Mary, and died opposing her at the battle of Corrichie. In 1565 the tables turned when Donald Gormson took the queen's side during the Chaseabout Raid and was consequently back in royal favour.

On 4 March 1567 Donald Gormson and the Earl of Argyll drew up a contract, according to which: Donald Gormson would enter a bond of manrent to the Earl of Argyll Donald Gormson would provide military aid to Mary MacLeod's uncle, on demand from the Earl of Argyll Mary MacLeod would quitclaim her rights to Sleat and North Uist in return for 500 marks, to be paid by Donald Gormson The Earl of Argyll would persuade Queen Mary to grant him a charter for those lands, and subinfeudate them to Donald Gormson, in return for 1000 marks

Old Blue-eyes

In 1594, as an opponent of The Reformation, Donald Gorm Mor – Donald Gormson's grandson – sent troops to Gaelic Ireland to assist Aodh Mór Ó Néill and Red Hugh O'Donnell during the Rising of the Northern Clans against Queen Elizabeth I of England. In 1596, concerned by this, and similar action by other Scottish clan chiefs, King James VI of Scotland (Elizabeth's heir) demanded that highland leaders send well-armed men, as well as attending themselves, to meet him at Dumbarton on 1 August. Donald Gorm Mor obeyed the summons, and was consequently pardoned for previous offences, and granted a charter which acknowledged him as rightful heir of Hugh of Sleat, and confirmed him as laird of Sleat and North Uist.

In an attempt to solidify peaceful relations with the Siol Tormoid, Donald Gorm Mor married the daughter of the then Siol Tormoid leader, Rory Mor. Unfortunately, the marriage failed catastrophically, leading to the War of the One-Eyed Woman. A series of initial skirmishes led to the Battle of Carinish in North Uist, the last battle in Scotland that involved bows and arrows. It led to the Battle of Coire Na Creiche, where Donald Gorm Mor won a more decisive victory, at which point the privy council intervened, and imposed a lasting peace. Donald was succeeded by his nephew, Donald Gorm Og, whose loyalty to the king resulted in him being made the first Baronet of Sleat.

Post-union

The Papists Act