page_title: Coll
section_title: Early history
hierarchical_section_title: Coll / History / Early history
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of Dùn Beic, on the Inner Hebridean island of Coll. The original source gives the caption: Caption General View from the south east.
context_page_description: Coll is an island located west of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and for Breacachadh Castle. It is in the council area of Argyll and Bute.
context_section_description: In the 6th century, an Irish invasion led to the establishment of the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata, which included Coll. Dál Riata was divided into four kin-groups, of which the Cenél Loairn ruled Coll, Mull, and the adjacent mainland, which together consequently became known as Lorn, after them. Coll shared the history of Lorn for the next 1000 years, becoming part of the Kingdom of the Isles under Norwegian dominion, then the MacDougall subdivision of that kingdom after Somerled. 
  Coll, like other Hebridean islands, has several crannógs (artificial islands) located in some of its lochs, dating from this early period. It is difficult to estimate the exact age of these islands, but several are thought to date to the Norse period; local traditions describe three - Dùn Anlaimh, Dùn an Achaidh, Dùn Dubh - as having been Norse strongholds which survived until they were attacked by the Macleans. 
  The 1266 Treaty of Perth transferred the Norwegian crown dependency to the Scottish king. Following the MacDougall defeat in the dispute between king John Balliol and Robert de Bruys (they had backed the former), the position of sheriff of Argyll was created to have shrieval authority over Lorn, and the MacDougall lands were merged into the Lordship of the Isles. Though MacDougall authority was restored in 1357, by king David II, the MacDougall heir had 3 years previously, quitclaimed any rights to Mull (including Coll), which therefore remained with the Lord of the Isles.
caption: Dùn Beic (in about 1900), one of several Dùn on Coll traditionally claimed to have been Norse strongholds.
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