Garmoran is an area of westernScotland. It lies at the south-western edge of the presentHighland Region. It includesKnoydart,Morar,Moidart,Ardnamurchan, and theSmall Isles.
The medieval lordship of Garmoran was ruled by theMacRuaris, descendants ofSomerled, and later formed part of theLordship of the Isles.Castle Tioram, at the entrance toLoch Moidart, was one of the residences of the lords of Garmoran.
In 1284 when his son the prince died, Alexander III called Ailin mac Ruaidhri, the ruler of Garmoran, (along with all the Earls and Barons of Scotland) to make them acceptMargaret, Maid of Norway as the heir.[1] Ailin had died by 1296, by which time he had fathered two illegitimate sons, Ruaidhri and Lachlan, andChristina, his sole legitimate heir. However, when Christina succeeded to the extensive estates of her father she resigned a large proportion of them to Ruaidhri.[2][3]
In 1343, King David II issued a charter toRaghnall Mac Ruaidhrí, granting him the islands of Uist, Barra, Eigg and Rhum (Ywest ... Barra ... Egghe ... Romme) and eight pennylands of Garmoran (Garw Morwarne), which were defined as 'Moidart (Mudeworth), Morar (Mordhowor), Arisaig (Aresaig) and Knoydart (Cundeworth) with their pertinents'.[4]
In October 1346, Raghnall Mac Ruaidhrí was assassinated atElcho Nunnery nearPerth as the result of a quarrel withUilleam III, Earl of Ross. Raghnall was the "last chieftain of the MacRuaris"[5] andAmie mac Ruari, who marriedJohn of Islay, Lord of the Isles, was his sole heir.[6] John of Islay later divorced her although the "unvarying tradition" of theGàidhealtachd recorded in the late 19th century was that Amie had given her husband no grounds for doing so and lived on her own on her estates until her death.[7] The divorce annulled John of Islay's rights to her lands, although he managed to procure a royal charter to them in which her name is not even mentioned.[8][9] Their son Ranald successfully petitioned for the return of much of the Macruairi lands including Garmoran. He became the progenitor ofClan Macdonald of Clanranald andClan MacDonell of Glengarry.[7][10]
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