Ailéan mac Ruaidhrà (died
×1296) was a leading figure in the thirteenth-century kingdoms of
the Isles and the
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. He was a son of
Ruaidhrà mac Raghnaill, and thus a member of the
Clann Ruaidhrà branch of
Clann Somhairle. Ailéan was a brother of
Dubhghall mac RuaidhrÃ, King of Argyll and the Isles, a significant figure who held power in the mid thirteenth century. At the time, the
rulers of the Isles were fiercely independent of the Scottish Crown, and owed nominal allegiance to the distant Norwegian Crown. In 1259, Dubhghall's daughter married the son of
King of Connacht
The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...
, and Ailéan is recorded to have commanded the woman's
tocher of one hundred and sixty
gallowglass warriors.
When the Scottish Crown encroached into Isles in the 1260s, Dubhghall and Ailéan were noted supporters of the Norwegian cause. Both men played a prominent role in the Norwegian campaign against the Scots in 1263. Following the collapse of the operation and further pressure, the Norwegians agreed to hand the Isles over to the Scots. Although Dubhghall is last attested resisting the Scots later that decade, Ailéan and most of his Clann Somhairle kinsman integrated themselves into the Scottish realm. The record of his part in the ruthless suppression of a Manx revolt in 1275, and his participation in a parliamentary council concerning the inheritance of Scottish throne in 1284, both evidence the incorporation of Clann Somhairle into the kingdom.
Clann RuaidhrÃ
Ailéan and his brother,
Dubhghall, were sons of
Ruaidhrà mac Raghnaill, Lord of Kintyre. The latter was the
eponym
An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
of
Clann RuaidhrÃ, a branch of the
Clann Somhairle kindred. In the second decade of the thirteenth-century, Ruaidhrà is known to have conducted military operations in Ireland with
Thomas fitz Roland, Earl of Atholl, younger brother of
Alan fitz Roland, Lord of Galloway. The close relations between these families could account for Ailéan's name.
In 1247, a certain Mac Somhairle—perhaps Ruaidhrà himself—was killed whilst resisting an English invasion of
TÃr Chonaill. The following year, Ailéan's brother and
Eóghan Mac Dubhghaill, a Clann Somhairle kinsman, travelled to
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, with both men seeking kingship of the northern ' from
Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway. Although the entirety of the ' roughly encompassed the
Hebrides
The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...
and
Mann
Mann may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Mann'' (film), a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama
* Mann (chess), a variant chess piece
* ''Mann'' (magazine), a Norwegian magazine
* Mann (rapper), Dijon Shariff Thames (born 19 ...
, the precise jurisdiction which Dubhghall and Eóghan competed for is uncertain. For example, the northern Hebridean islands of
Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris (), or Lewis with Harris, is a Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides, around from the Scottish mainland.
With an area of (approximately 1% the size of Great Britain) it is the largest island in Scotland and the list of isl ...
and
Skye
The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...
appear to have been held by the
Crovan dynasty, then represented by the reigning
Haraldr Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles. It is conceivable that Eóghan and Dubhghall sought kingship over the same jurisdiction that Hákon had awarded to
Óspakr-Hákon about a decade before—a region which could have included some or all of the islands possessed by Clann Somhairle. In fact, it is possible that the aforesaid events of 1247 and 1248 were related, and that Dubhghall and Eóghan sought to succeed Mac Somhairle's position in the Isles.
[ Woolf (2007) pp. 83–84.]

It was only after the unexpected death of Haraldr in 1248 that Hákon sent Eóghan west-over-sea to temporarily take up the kingship of the Isles on his behalf. Eóghan, however, was not only a Norwegian dependant in the Isles, but an eminent Scottish magnate on the mainland. Although the Scottish Crown appears to have attempted to purchase the Isles earlier that decade, Eóghan's acceptance of Hákon's commission partly led
Alexander II, King of Scotland to unleash an invasion of Argyll in the summer of 1249, directed at the very heart of the Clann Dubhghaill lordship. The unfolding crisis only ended with the Scottish king's sudden death in July 1249.
Eóghan appears to have been utterly dispossessed by the Scots a result of their invasion. In fact, his apparent displacement could well have upended the hierarchy of Clann Somhairle.
[ McDonald (1997) pp. 99, 104.] For instance, a particular entry preserved by the
Icelandic annals states that, within the very year that Eóghan was forced from Argyll by the Scots, Dubhghall himself "took kingship" in the Isles. This record could reveal that Dubhghall and Eóghan shared kingship in the Hebrides, or that Dubhghall assumed the kingship from a severely weakened Eóghan.
Gallowglass warlord
In 1258, Ailéan's brother conducted military operations against the English in Connacht. Within the same year, there was an extraordinary assembly conducted between
Aodh na nGall Ó Conchobhair, Tadhg Ó Briain, and
Brian Ó Néill, King of TÃr Eoghain. It was at this convention, at Caol Uisce on the
River Erne
The River Erne ( , or ''An Éirne'') in the northwest of the island of Ireland, is the second-longest river in Ulster, flowing through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and forming part of their border.
Course
The Erne rises on ...
, that Aodh—son of the
King of Connacht
The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...
—and Tadhg—son of the
King of Thomond
The kings of Thomond () ruled from the establishment of Thomond during the High Middle Ages, until the Early modern period. Thomond represented the legacy of Brian Bóruma and the High Kings of Ireland of his line who could not hold onto all of ...
—relinquished their claims to the
high-kingship of Ireland in favour of Brian, who was then proclaimed high king. The latter was then in midst of campaigning against a temporarily weakened English
Earldom of Ulster, and closely allied with Aodh in his cause.
The following year, the fifteenth- to sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Connacht'', the sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Loch Cé
The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was th ...
'', and the seventeenth-century ''
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...
'' reveal that Aodh travelled to
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
and married a daughter of Dubhghall, and thereby received a
tocher that included one hundred and sixty
gallowglass warriors commanded by Ailéan himself. Ailéan is, therefore, one of the earliest known warriors of this type. The marital alliance was conducted at the main port within Brian's realm, a site indicating that the union—along with the aforesaid assembly and naval operations of the previous year—was part of a carefully coordinated plan to tackle English power in the north west of Ireland.
Unfortunately for these confederates, Tadhg was dead by 1259, and the combined forces of Aodh and Brian were utterly crushed in
battle at Downpatrick in 1260, with Brian amongst the slain. Despite this catastrophe, the phenomenon of eminent Irish lords importing heavily armed mercenaries from the Isles and western Scotland became more prevalent in the later part of the century, and helped to even the military superiority enjoyed by English forces over
native Irish troops. Generally, English knights were superior to comparatively lightly armed Irish horsemen. Gallowglasses fought in formations fashioned to counteract the devastating charge of such knights. The Clann Ruaidhrà dowry of these warriors may well have fought at the aforesaid battle at Downpatrick, although the fact that Brian's forces were defeated by local English levies lends little evidence to their capabilities. Ailéan's position at the head of such a unit may well have been similar to that of Mac Somhairle, who could well have led gallowglasses at the time of his death.
Norwegian magnate
With the aforesaid death of Alexander II in 1249, the Scottish invasion of the Argyll and the Isles came to an abrupt end. About a decade later, the latter's son and royal successor,
Alexander III, came of age and took steps to continue his father's westward expansion. In 1262, the year after yet another failed attempt by the Scottish Crown to purchase the Isles, the thirteenth-century ''
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
''Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar'' ("The Saga of Haakon Haakonarson") or ''Hákonar saga gamla'' ("The Saga of Old Haakon") is an Old Norse Kings' Saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway.
Content and styl ...
'' reports that the Scots lashed out against the Islesmen in a particularly savage attack upon the inhabitants of Skye. Thus provoked, Hákon assembled an enormous fleet—described by the Icelandic annals as the largest force to have ever set sail from Norway—to reassert Norwegian sovereignty along the north and western coast of Scotland. In July 1263, this armada disembarked from Norway, and by mid August, Hákon reaffirmed his overlordship in
Shetland
Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...
and
Orkney
Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, ...
, forced the submission of
Caithness
Caithness (; ; ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Scotland.
There are two towns, being Wick, Caithness, Wick, which was the county town, and Thurso. The count ...
, and arrived in the Hebrides.
In early September, Hákon's fleet of Norwegians and Islesmen entered the Firth of Clyde. When negotiations between the Scottish and Norwegian administrations broke down, the saga identifies
Magnús Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles, Dubhghall, Ailéan,
Aonghus Mór Mac Domhnaill, and
Murchadh Mac Suibhne
Murchadh Mac Suibhne (died 1267) was a leading member of Clann Suibhne. He was a grandson of the family's eponymous ancestor Suibhne mac Duinnshléibhe, Suibhne mac Duinn Shléibhe, and a nephew of the family's mid-thirteenth-century representati ...
, as the commanders of a detachment of Islesmen and Norwegians who entered
Loch Long
Loch Long is a body of water in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The sea loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end, to the Arrochar Alps at the head of the loch. It measures approximately in length, with a wi ...
,
portage
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
d across land into
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond (; ) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault (HBF), often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands.Tom Weir. ''The Scottish Lochs''. pp. 33-43. Published by ...
, and ravaged the surrounding region of
the Lennox
The Lennox (, ) is a region of Scotland centred on The Vale of Leven, including its great loch: Loch Lomond.
The Gaelic name of the river is ''Lìomhann'', meaning ''the smooth stream'', which anglicises to ''Leven'' (as Gaelic ''mh'' is sp ...
. According various versions of the saga, this contingent consisted of either forty or sixty ships—a considerable portion of Hákon's fleet.
Ailéan's actions are specifically acclaimed by the saga, which states that he took several hundred head of cattle, and caused much destruction throughout mainland Scotland. This inland campaigning appears to be corroborated by
Scottish exchequer records, as John Lamberton,
Sheriff of Stirling is reported to have incurred expenses for the upkeep of "vigilant men" at
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
for the time when the Norwegian forces were in the area. There is reason to suspect that the operation in Loch Lomond is evidence that the Norwegians and Islesmen were directing their fury at the territories of the Stewarts. Furthermore, by penetrating into the
Earldom of Lennox, and possibly striking further east inland, Hákon's adherents would have been encroaching into the
Earldom of Menteith.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of October, Hákon's main force
clashed with the Scots at
Largs
Largs () is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic.
A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town markets itself on its histor ...
, and withdrew into the Hebrides. Once regrouped with the detachment of Islesmen, the saga records that Hákon rewarded his overseas supporters. Since Eóghan had refused to aid the Norwegians cause, Dubhghall and Ailéan were awarded his forfeited island territories. A certain
Ruðri (fl. 1263) is stated to have received
Bute
Bute or BUTE may refer to:
People
* Marquess of Bute, a title in the Peerage of Great Britain; includes lists of baronets, earls and marquesses of Bute
* Lord of Bute, a title in medieval Scotland, including a list of lords
* Lucian Bute (born ...
, whilst Murchadh got
Arran.
Although the saga declares that the operation was an overwhelming triumph, it seems to have been an utter failure instead. Not only did Hákon fail to break Scottish power, but Alexander III seized the initiative the following year, and oversaw a series of invasions into the Isles and northern Scotland. Recognising this dramatic shift in royal authority, Magnús Óláfsson submitted to Alexander III within the year, and in so doing, symbolised the complete collapse of Norwegian sovereignty in the Isles. Dubhghall, on the other hand, contrasted many of his compatriots from the Isles, and stubbornly refused to submit to the Scottish Crown. In 1266, almost three years after Hákon's abortive campaign, terms of peace were finally agreed upon between the Scottish and Norwegian administrations. Specifically, with the conclusion of the
Treaty of Perth in July, Hákon's son and successor,
Magnús Hákonarson, King of Norway, formally resigned all rights to Mann and the islands on the western coast of Scotland. In so doing, the territorial dispute over Scotland's western maritime region was finally settled.
Scottish magnate
In the wake of the Scots' acquisition of the Isles, and Dubhghall's death within the decade, Clann Ruaidhrà disappears from the Scottish historical record. When the kindred finally reemerges in 1275, it is in the person of Ailéan himself, by then a prominent Scottish magnate, and representative of Clann RuaidhrÃ. That year, the continuation of the twelfth-century ''Historia rerum Anglicarum'', thirteenth- to fourteenth-century ''
Chronicle of Mann'', and the fourteenth-century ''
Chronicle of Lanercost'' reveal that
Guðrøðr, illegitimate son of Magnús Óláfsson, led a
revolt on Mann against the Scottish Crown. Alexander III responded by sending a massive fleet, drawn from the Hebrides and
Galloway
Galloway ( ; ; ) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the counties of Scotland, historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council areas of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Gallow ...
, to invade the island and restore Scottish royal authority. Of the recorded commanders, the continuation of ''Historia rerum Anglicarum'' reveals that two were members of Clann Somhairle:
Alasdair Mac Dubhghaill, Lord of Argyll, and Ailéan himself. These two would have almost certainty been responsible for supplying and leading the host from the Hebrides and Argyll, and may have provided the fleet that transported the Scottish forces to Mann. According to aforesaid sources, the Scots ruthlessly routed the rebels. Despite the apparent ease at which the Manx were suppressed, the revolt clearly represented a grave threat to Scottish authority, as evidenced by the magnitude of the Scots' response.
In fact, the Clann Somhairle dimension to this campaign, as agents of the Scottish Crown's authority, clearly exemplifies the extent at which the kindred had been incorporated into Scottish realm.
Western magnates like Ailéan were rarely present at the Scottish royal court, although on certain occasions they participated in important affairs of state. For instance, in 1284, Ailéan was one of the many such men who attended a government council at
Scone
A scone ( or ) is a traditional British and Irish baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often ...
which acknowledged
Margaret
Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
, granddaughter of Alexander III, as the king's rightful heir. The inclusion of Ailéan, and two of his Clann Somhairle kinsmen—the aforesaid Alasdair and Aonghus Mór—further illustrates the kindred's incorporation within the Scottish realm.

Although it is possible that Dubhghall's power base had been located in
Garmoran
Garmoran is an area of western Scotland. It lies at the south-western edge of the present Highland Region. It includes Knoydart, Morar, Moidart, Ardnamurchan, and the Small Isles.
History
The medieval lordship of Garmoran was ruled by the Mac ...
and perhaps
Uist,
there is uncertainty as to how and when these territories entered into the possession of his family. Later leading members of Clann Ruaidhrà certainly possessed them, but evidence of custody before the mid thirteenth century is lacking. In theory, these territories could have been awarded to the kindred following the Scots' acquisition of the Isles in 1266. On the other hand, the family's position in the Isles may have stemmed from its marital alliance with the Crovan dynasty, an affiliation undertaken at some point before RuaidhrÃ's apparent expulsion from Kintyre. If the family indeed acquired Uist after the events of 1266, it could cast further light on Ailéan's part in the quelling of the aforesaid Manx revolt. Whatever the case, Ailéan is not accorded any
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...
in contemporary sources.
[ Raven (2005) p. 59.]
An inventory of parliamentary documents from 1282 reveals that the Scottish Crown received a letter from the Norwegian king concerning the lands of Uist and
Eigg
Eigg ( ; ) is one of the Small Isles in the Scotland, Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the island of Isle of Skye, Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With ...
. Nothing further is known of the letter. One possibility is that the correspondence is evidence of a dispute over the islands in which members of Clann Ruaidhrà sought the Norwegian king's intercession. In 1285/1286, a servant of the
Spanish Crown
The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country.
The Spanish ...
appealed to Alexander III, accusing Ailéan of
piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
in the Hebrides.
Ailéan disappears from record by 1296, and seems to have died at some point before this date. At some point after his death, and before the death of Alexander III,
[ Findlater (2011) p. 69.] Isabella married
Ingram de Umfraville
Sir Ingram de Umfraville (''fl.'' 1284–1320) was a Scottish noble who played a particularly chequered role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, changing sides between England and Scotland multiple times, throughout the conflict.
Life
Ingra ...
as her second husband. Ailéan had three children: his sons
Lachlann and
RuaidhrÃ[ Holton (2017) p. viii fig. 2; Brown (2004) p. 77 tab. 4.1; Sellar (2000) p. 194 tab. ii; Roberts (1999) p. 99 fig. 5.2; McDonald (1997) p. 258 genealogical tree ii; Munro; Munro (1986) p. 279 tab. 1.] were illegitimate, whilst his daughter
CairistÃona was legitimate. It is possible that CairistÃona's mother was Isabella.
Although CairistÃona seems to have been Ailéan's heir, she was evidently supplanted by her brothers soon after his death. Ailéan's descendants continued to be factors in Scottish history well into the fourteenth century.
[ McDonald (2004) p. 181; McDonald (1997) pp. 130–131.]
Ancestry
Notes
Citations
References
Primary sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*}
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Secondary sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Ruaidhri, Ailean
Nobility from the Outer Hebrides
People from the Kingdom of the Isles
13th-century Norwegian nobility
13th-century Scottish nobility
Clann RuaidhrÃ
Medieval Gaels from Scotland
Members of the pre-1707 Parliament of Scotland
Norwegian military personnel
Scottish clan chiefs