The Diocese of the Isles, also known as the Diocese of Suðreyar, or the Diocese of Sodor, was one of the dioceses of medieval Norway. After the mid-13th-century Treaty of Perth, the diocese was accounted as one of the 13 dioceses of Scotland. The original seat of the bishopric appears to have been at Peel, on St Patrick's Isle, where indeed it continued to be under English overlordship; the Bishopric of the Isles as it was after the split was relocated to the north, firstly to

Snizort Snizort is an area of the Isle of Skye comprising the head of Loch Snizort and the western coast of Trotternish Trotternish or Tròndairnis (Scottish Gaelic) is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. Its most northerly poi ...

and then

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...

History

The diocese in its full form included the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

, most of the

Inner Hebrides The Inner Hebrides (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan a-staigh'', "the inner isles") is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, whic ...

(including Iona, Skye, Raasay, Canna, Eigg, Coll, Tiree, Mull, Colonsay,

Islay Islay ( ; gd, Ìle, sco, Ila) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The isl ...

, Jura, Gigha – but not Lismore,

Kerrera Kerrera (; gd, Cearara or ''Cearrara'') is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, close to the town of Oban. In 2016 it had a population of 45, divided into two communities in the north and south of the island. Geology The oldest bedrock ...

Seil Seil (; gd, Saoil, ) is one of the Slate Islands, located on the east side of the Firth of Lorn, southwest of Oban, in Scotland. Seil has been linked to the mainland by bridge since the late 18th century. The origins of the island's name are ...

or Luing, all under the Bishop of Argyll), the Isle of Bute and the

Isle of Arran The Isle of Arran (; sco, Isle o Arran; gd, Eilean Arainn) or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at . Historically part of Butesh ...

, as well as the Isle of Man (Mann). The diocese may have originally contained Galloway, a suggestion thought to explain the possible attacks of

Wimund Wimund was a bishop who became a seafaring warlord adventurer in the years after 1147. His story is passed down to us by 12th-century English historian William of Newburgh in his ''Historia rerum anglicarum'', Book I, Chapter 24 entitled "Of bisho ...

on Bishop

Gilla Aldan of Whithorn Gille (or Gilla) Aldan (Gaelic: "Servant of Saint Aldwin ), of Whithorn, was a native Galwegian who was the first Bishop of the resurrected Bishopric of Whithorn or Galloway. He was the first to be consecrated by the Archbishop of York, who at ...

Diocese of the Isles, circa 1300 (map 2)

From the 11th century until the creation of the Archdiocese of Niðarós, Mann and the Isles appear to have been under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York. Thereafter, it was formally under Niðarós (modern Trondheim). The diocese was severed after the English acquisition of Mann in the 14th century. In 1472, however, the Norwegian territories of Orkney and Shetland became Scottish, as part of the marriage settlement of King James III of Scotland, following which the Bishopric of St. Andrews was elevated to an archdiocese, and the Isles (but not Mann) came under her jurisdiction. The Bishopric's links with Rome ceased to exist after the Scottish Reformation, but continued, apart from temporary abolition between 1638 and 1661, under the Episcopal faction within the Church of Scotland until the Revolution of 1688. Episcopacy and Anglicanism in the established and Presbyterian-controlled Church of Scotland was permanently abolished in 1689 but it continued in the Non-juring Scottish Episcopal Church until 1702 with the death of Bishop Archibald Graham. The diocese then came under the care of the Bishop of Ross or Caithness or Moray variously. A new united Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Argyll and The Isles was established in 1847 with Bishop Alexander Ewing as the first Bishop living at Lochgilphead. In the

Restoration of the Scottish Catholic hierarchy The re-establishment of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Scotland took effect on 15 March 1878. This followed the restoration of the English hierarchy in 1850. The restoration was carried out on the instructions of Pope Leo XIII and was ...

in 1878, a

Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles The Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles (Latin ) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland, in the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh. Overview The diocese covers an area of 31,080 km² and ...

was similarly reestablished and continues to exist. Those who belong to the

Catholic Church in the Isle of Man The Catholic Church in the Isle of Man is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Although not part of the United Kingdom, for geopolitical reasons the Isle of Man is part of the Archdiocese of ...

, on the other hand, are now under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.

Medieval parishes

Source
ArgyllButeInvernessRoss
Man not included. # Barra # Barvas (Lewis) # Benbecula # Bracadale (Skye) # Canna # Coll # Colonsay # Duirinish (Skye) #

Eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...

(Lewis) # Gigha & Cara # Harris #

Howmore Howmore ( gd, Togh Mòr / Tobha Mor) lies on the island of South Uist to the southwest of Loch Druidibeg. The mountain of Haarsal rises to to the east and immediately south is the smaller settlement of Howbeg. Howmore is also within the parish ...

(South Uist) #

Inchkenneth Inch Kenneth ( gd, Innis Choinnich) is a small grassy island off the west coast of the Isle of Mull, in Scotland. It is at the entrance of Loch na Keal, to the south of Ulva. It is part of the Loch na Keal National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scot ...

(Mull) #

# Jura or Killearndale # Kilarrow (Islay) # Kilbride (Arran) # Kilchoman (Islay) # Kilcolmkill (Mull) # Kildalton (Islay) # Kildonan ( Eigg) # Kilfinichen (Mull) # Kilmaluoc (Raasay) # Kilmeny (Islay) # Kilmore (Mull) # Kilmory (Arran) # Kilmuir or Kilmorie (North Uist) # Kilmuir (Skye) # Kilninian (Mull) # Kilpeter (South Uist) # Kilvickeon (Mull) #

Kingarth Kingarth ( sga, Cenn Garad; gd, Ceann a' Gharaidh) is a historic village and parish on the Isle of Bute, off the coast of south-western Scotland. The village is within the parish of its own name, and is situated at the junction of the A844 and ...

(Bute) # Kirkapoll (Tiree) # Lochs (Lewis) #

Minginish Minginish ( gd, Minginis) is a peninsula on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is situated on the west coast of the island and runs from Loch Scavaig in the south (which separates Minginish from the Strathaird Peninsula), along the western coast ...

(Skye) #

Ness Ness or NESS may refer to: Places Australia * Ness, Wapengo, a heritage-listed natural coastal area in New South Wales United Kingdom * Ness, Cheshire, England, a village * Ness, Lewis, the most northerly area on Lewis, Scotland, UK * Cuspate ...

(Lewis) #

Rodel Rodel ( gd, Roghadal) is a village on the south-eastern coast of Harris, an island in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. Rodel is situated in the parish of Harris. It was historically the capital of Harris, and the main port, before Tarbert took the t ...

(Harris) # Rothesay (Bute) # Sand (North Uist) #

Sleat Sleat is a peninsula and civil parish on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan ''MacDonald of Sleat''. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic , which in turn comes ...

(Skye) #

(Skye) # Soroby (Tiree) # Strath (Skye) # Torosay or Killean (Mull) #

Trumpan Trumpan ( gd, Trumpan) is a hamlet located on the Vaternish peninsula in the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish council area of the Highland. Trumpan church, which is now a ruin, was the focus of a particularly brutal incident in 1578, when the Cla ...

(Skye) # Uig (Lewis) # Uig (Skye)

Notes

References

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History

Medieval parishes

Notes

References

See also