Lordship of the Isles

Module Leader: Dr Iain MacInnes

This module will take a thematic approach to the history of the Lordship of the Isles across the medieval period. This sprawling medieval lordship, overseen by the MacDonald family, grew during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries to dominate much of the Highlands and Islands region. Across this period the MacDonalds advanced their position from regional Highland magnates to major Scottish nobles, all the while struggling to balance the demands of this dual role and find their place within a changing Scottish kingdom beset by war, internal discord and political machination. Covering the periods of the Scottish Wars of Independence and the reigns of Scotland’s Stewart kings, this module will provide a detailed focus on a key, but often overlooked, aspect of medieval Scotland’s history.

Indicative Content

• Somerled of Argyll – the first “Lord of the Isles”?
• The Lordship and the Irish Sea World
• The Lordship and the Scottish Crown
• The Lordship and England
• Secular Power – Lordship in the Isles
• Religious Power – Bishops, Clerics and the Lords of the Isles
• Symbols of Religious and Secular Power – Iona and Finlaggan
• The Naval and Military capabilities of the Lordship
• Literary and Artistic Tradition in the Lordship
• After the Fall – West Highland Lordship after the Forfeiture of 1493

Coursework

• Essay 1 – 1500 words, 30%
• Essay 2 – 3500 words, 70%