Hebrides, the Encyclopedia > Places > Britain, Ireland, France, and the Low Countries > British and Irish Political Geography Hebrides, the Hebrides, the (hĕbˈrĭdēz) [ key ], Western Isles, or Western Islands, group of more than 50 islands, W and NW Scotland. Less than a fifth of the islands are inhabited. The Outer Hebrides (sometimes also referred to as the Long Island) are separated from the mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the straits of Minch and Little Minch and by the Sea of the Hebrides; they extend for 130 mi (209 km) from the Butt of Lewis on Lewis and Harris to Barra Head island. Other islands are North Uist , Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, the Flannan Islands (Seven Hunters), and Saint Kilda (or Hirta). The Outer Hebrides comprise the council area of Western Isles.

The Inner Hebrides include the islands of Skye , Raasay, Rum, Eigg, Coll, Tiree, Staffa , Iona , Mull , Scarba, Colonsay , Oronsay , Jura, and Islay . They are divided between the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas. The climate is mild, the scenery is beautiful, and there are prehistoric and ancient historical remains and geological structures. Fishing, crop raising, sheep grazing, manufacturing of tweeds and other woolens, quarrying (slate), and catering to tourists are the chief means of livelihood. The original Celtic inhabitants, converted to Christianity by St. Columba (6th cent.), were conquered by the Norwegians (starting in the 8th cent.). They held the Southern Islands, as they called them, until 1266. From that time the islands were formally held by the Scottish crown but were in fact ruled by various Scottish chieftains, with the Macdonalds asserting absolute rule after 1346 as lords of the isles. In the mid-18th cent. the Hebrides were incorporated into Scotland.

The tales of Sir Walter Scott did much to make the islands famous. Emigration from the overpopulated islands occurred in the 20th cent., especially to Canada. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. History of the Outer Hebrides - Hebridean Hopscotch Holidays Hebridean Hopscotch Holidays About us History of the Outer Hebrides The Hebridean islands were settled early in the population of Britain and may have been peopled as early as 8500-8250 BC, when the climate improved sufficiently to sustain them. The 5000 year old stone circles of Callanish, on Lewis, pre-date Stonehenge and confirm early civilisation of the Outer Hebrides. Islands steeped in Scotland’s history Being distant from the mainland, there was always (and to some extent, still is) an element of mystery to the islands and their people. Celts settled much of Scotland and the Hebrides were invaded by the Vikings between 700 and 900 AD – coming formally under the rule of the Norse in 1098.

Consequently, you’ll find influences of both cultures – perhaps most noticeably in the use of language. The islands are a stronghold for Gaelic (Gàidhlig) and policies to preserve the language are resulting in a population that is increasingly bi-lingual. With a nod to Wikipedia, key events in history, include: About 6000BC – Destruction by fire of native woodland to provide grass and allow deer grazing. About 3000BC – Permanent farms established. Construction of temples and communal burial cairns at places like Callanish (Calanais). There is evidence of a farm settlement close by the stones at Calanish and the small houses of these people have been found throughout the Western Isles, including Dalmor in Lewis. The more striking great monuments of this period are the temples and communal burial cairns at places like Calanais. About 500 BC – larger, Iron Age, buildings, including circular dry-stone defensive towers which belonged to local chiefs. These brochs were also called Duns as at Carloway in Lewis, where considerable remains of a tower exist, and at Dun Sticir, Newtonferry, North Uist.

From 800 to 900 AD – Christianity became widespread through the islands. 9th Century AD – Vikings came to the islands, married local women and relinquished paganism. Lewis was part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles and officially part of Norway. The people were called the Gall-Ghaidheil,(Foreigner Gaels), referring to their mixed Scandinavian/Gaelic background. Today, the islands are still called Innse Gall in Gaelic, meaning islands of the foreigners. 1266 – Following the battle of Largs in 1263, defeat of the Vikings, lead to the islands being ceded to Scotland. 1300 onwards – The Lordship of the Isles became the most important power in north-western Scotland. Based on Islay, and descended from Somerled (Somhairle) Mac Gillibride,who had held the Hebrides and West Coast two hundred years earlier, they controlled all of the Hebrides. 1745 onwards – Following the rebellion, and Prince Charles Edward Stewart’s flight to France, Gaelic was discouraged, rents were demanded in cash and traditional dress became illegal. Many who could raise sufficient money emigrated to the Americas.

1800s – More people fled the country, as a result of the clearances by landlords. Several ‘land struggles’ have recently been commemorated by monuments in island villages. 1914-1918 – Many island men gave their lives during the Great War and more than 200 were lost when returning from service New Year’s Day 1919, when the Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire, sank just outside Stornoway harbour. 1918 – Lord Leverhulme bought the Isle of Lewis for £150,000 and a little later, also the Isle of Harris. He unsuccessfully attempted to develop industrial and fishing industries on the islands. Between 1923 and his death in 1925, both islands were relinquished by Leverhulme and his heirs. 1939-1945 – The Second World War resulted in the loss of many island men, mainly serving in the Royal and Merchant Navy. Afterwards, a further exodus of more local people emigrated to Canada, USA and mainland Scotland.

1950 to present day – Sustaining a relatively small population, notable commercial and industrial development has included oil and wind power construction equipment, fish-farming and defence. Crofting (small farming) has become less important to families, as they have taken first jobs in the many businesses and organisations of the islands. The post-war modernisation of the rest of Britain has also taken place in the Outer Hebrides. Full electrification, availability of television and some other projects requiring massive infrastructure took a little longer than in mainland locations, but today’s Hebridean is right up to date with latest technology and fashion. Contemporary architecture blends successfully with the traditional and sits well within the landscape. Old-fashioned values persist, however, so care and consideration for others means that life may be enjoyed to the full – within a low crime environment. Consequently, tourism has become the most important business of the islands, providing employment for local people and fabulous hospitality for visitors. Thanks to Wikipedia for Creative-Commons content and information. Change text size Scottish History Scottish History By Lynn McAlister, CMA Clan Historian In looking at the history of Scotland or Ireland, several things must be kept in mind.

The first, that "Scottish history is full of old controversies that engender heat....Irish history has been so turbulent that the interpretation of few of its events is agreed upon"1, the second, that history as a scientific study of supportable facts is, with one or two exceptions, a fairly modern concept. "[N]ot all civilizations have been equally concerned to know and write history as it really was"2, and oral societies like those of the Celtic groups naturally emphasized the things that were of importance to them: The Scots and other Irish used history as a record of war and genealogy, with an occasional miracle thrown in to show the saintliness of someone.3 Oral records could "rewrite" defeats4, and because the concept of kinship was so vital to Celtic societies, genealogies could be altered to accomodate new political or social situations, apparently without losing credibility. This has important implications for family history especially, and it should be kept in mind that not all members of any clan or family in Ireland or Scotland have any real genetic relationship to each other or the chief. With that said, much can be deduced from archaeological and other, non-documentary evidence.

Most modern historians agree that any understanding of the history of Scotland and its people must start with some knowledge of the land upon which it has been played out. Scotland is stunningly beautiful; it is also remarkably inhospitable. More than half of the land we now call Scotland is barren mountains, hills, and moors. The soil is poor and the climate harsh; agriculture has never been easy there, and in some places it is simply impossible. Until the 18th century, when drainage methods became known, even much of the best land was bog or marshland, and even today, after many improvements and changes over the centuries, some 80 per cent of Scotland's land surface is considered uncultivable.5 Another geological factor important in Scotland's history is the natural fault line that cuts across the country from the southwest to the northeast. This fault is often called the Highland line, and the different geology of the lands north and south of the fault, as well as the difficulties of moving between them, have had a profound impact on how society developed. In addition to the landscape, Scotland's history has been shaped by its proximity to the north of Ireland.

People have been crossing back and forth between Ireland and Scotland since the earliest times (it has been estimated that over half of the people living in Glasgow today are of recent Irish descent), and even Scotland's name was originally Irish: Until the tenth century Scotia meant Ireland.

In the tenth century Scotia was being used for the mainland of modern Scotland to the north of the Forth and Clyde....From about the middle of the eleventh century Scotia gradually came to mean the whole of modern Scotland.6 Of particular relevance to us, there are only twelve miles between Antrim in Ireland and Kintyre, the Scottish peninsula that was home to the Clan Alasdair [the MacAlasdairs], and there has always been migration and intermarriage between the two places.7 Some of the earliest MacAlasdair emigrants we know about went to Ireland in the 14th century as gallóglaich (mercenary soldiers) in the service of the MacDonnells.8 Three centuries later, a group of MacAlasdairs escaped to Ireland after their defeat at Dunaverty (Kintyre) in 1647.9 Another group, calling themselves Alexanders, settled there in the 17th century and became the Earls of Caledon.10 Of equal importance is Scotland's other near neighbour, England. It is essential to point out that the country we call Scotland is not, and never has been, a part of England; they are separate countries with very different histories and cultures.

However, the development of both countries was influenced by their relations with each other. During the Ice Age, Scotland was uninhabitable. The first people who came to Scotland seem to have arrived in the millenium after the glaciers receded. These people left little in the way of archaeological remains, but the available evidence tells us that they probably lived on the coast, were not agricultural, and may have been of differing cultures. "All we can say is that for long these peoples must have been few in number, and their lives must have been hard, dangerous, and short.*q 11 The first historical mention of people in Scotland was made by a Roman writer in 297 ad. The Romans had conquered southern Britain, and in the late first and early second centuries, they made several attempts to get hold of Scotland too. Some land gains were made but proved too difficult to hold, and the Romans finally gave up. Unlike most of Europe, the impact of Rome on Scottish culture was therefore slight12 (this was also true in Ireland). By the early 9th century, five groups can be identified in what is now Scotland. Each had its own language and "turf", although some cultural contact must have occurred.

The most mysterious of these were the Picts. We know very little about the Picts. We don't know what they called themselves: Pictii means "painted" or "tattooed" and was probably simply a Roman description. They appear to have descended from earlier settlers.13 There is some evidence that they were not a homogenous people but a federation of several different groups, some of which appear to have spoken a non-Indo-European14 language. They are known for the standing stones that they left around Scotland; these are marked by symbols, the meaning and purpose of which is unknown but which indicate a hierarchical, warring, and at least partly pastoral society. They were not populous. By 500 ad, the Picts were confined north of the Forth-Clyde line; by 7th century, east of the long mountain range that forms Scotland's spine.15 And then, "[q]uite suddenly, around the middle of the 9th century, the Picts...disappear[ed] into history as mysteriously as they had appeared."16 What became of the Picts is one of the enduring mysteries of Scottish history, but there are several possible factors.

An eighth century Pictish king seems to have occupied the Scottish throne briefly, but "[a]lmost immediately afterwards we find a Scot, Kenneth MacAlpin, ruling the Picts".17 MacAlpin's mother was probably a Pict, so this takeover may have been at least partly the natural result of intermarriage, but there is also some evidence that treachery was involved, possibly a slaughter of Pictish rulers. Whatever happened, the Picts simply ceased to exist as an identifiable people. Another important group in early Scottish history came from northern Ireland and called themselves Scotti. Gaels had been arriving from Ireland from about the 4th century, and they eventually formed two separate kingdoms. One group settled in Galloway, where for centuries they maintained a separate identity from that of Scotland. The other group settled in what is now Argyll. This group was an extension of the Dalriada kingdom in Antrim, and initially they were ruled from Ireland. By the late 6th century, however, the Dalriadic kings were located in Scotland. By the 9th C, the Scots had expanded to central Scotland and their Gaelic speech had spread almost as far as Edinburgh.

The culture from which the Dalriadic Scots came was tribal in nature18 and far from harmonious—rival tribes were frequently at war with each other (possibly related to royal succes-sion) and Dalriadic kings apparently fought other groups as well.19 South of Dalriada were British tribes, the northern half of the southern Celtic peoples. Originally located in southwestern Scotland and adjacent western regions of England, the Britons were divided by invading Angles and Saxons after the Romans left; those in the south were pushed into Wales and Cornwall; those in the north limited to Strathclyde. The British tribes spoke a language from which developed modern Welsh and the now-extinct Cornish. Of all the groups in ninth century, the Strathclyde British were faring worst;20 they had no organized kingdom, their princes fighting each other, and they failed to develop economically. East of the British tribes were the Angles. Unlike the other early peoples in Scotland, the Angles were not Celts; like the Saxons further south, they were Teutonic and spoke a Germanic language, which eventually became Old English.

Most of them were in England, to which they gave name ("Angle-land"), but some had swept up from northern England to occupy the south-eastern part of what is now Scotland. Once established there, they began pushing into British lands, but they were unable to overcome the Scots, their eastward expansion was halted by the Picts. Losses from the Picish defeat were so heavy that it effectively ended their western expansion as well;21 by the 7th century, the Angles were largely confined to the Lothians.22 The fifth historical group in Scotland were the Norsemen, or Vikings. The Vikings were without question the most formative influence in 9th and 10th century Scotland. They came to Scotland slightly later than the other groups; their arrival was violent and their impact is still felt. Scotland's Vikings came first as raiders in the late 8th century.

In the 9th century, they took Orkney and Shetland (the Northern Isles) as bases for further raiding to Ireland and Iceland23 and the Isle of Man was also a "favourite base for plundering expeditions".24 Late in the 9th century, however, Vikings began to settle in parts of Scotland, often on the sites of dispossessed Scottish or Pictish settlements.25 Eventually they held all of the northern and western islands and adjacent sections of the mainland; they also established themselves in Ireland and northern England. Norse colonization threatened the earlier groups. Pictish society in the Northern Isles was "totally submerged",26 and the Scots takeover of mainland Picts may have been facilitated by a Viking defeat. Ultimately more significant, Norse control of the Northern and Western Isles, Ireland, and northern England effectively cut Scotland off from the rest of the world.

Dalriada's Antrim tie was severed, and the Scottish church, which early in 8th century had nominally accepted Roman usages in the place of Celtic, developed characteristics of ritual and discipline quite out of line with those practised elsewhere—not because they wished to flaut Roman canon law but because they simply didn't know what was expected.27 The Norse presence also influenced Scotland's linguistic development. Although the Gaelic language in Scotland must have undergone minor changes over the preceding five centuries, there is "no clear proof of separate Scots Gaelic development in language before the 10th century AD".28 The native language(s) of the Northern Isles were completely replaced by the Norse tongue—in the Shetlands, a form of Norse was spoken until very recently, and the English spoken in the Northern Isles today is markedly different from that of the rest of Scotland in cadence and (especially in Shetland) vocabulary. Although Gaelic ultimately triumphed in the Western Isles, the Norse impact can still be seen in place names, notably on the Isle of Lewis, where 4/5 of the place names are Norse.29 Finally, the Viking era played a part in bringing Scotland's different people groups together.

Norse raiders provided a common enemy, and the encirclement that cut the different peoples off from related groups elsewhere forced them to look inward. Eventually, Scotland's newest settlers were absorbed into the cultures they had once threatened. Two of the main reasons for this were the Norse adoption of Christianity and intermarriage with local people (some of the Gaelic families of today descend from assimilated Norsemen, including the MacAulays and the MacAskills). Sometimes military conquest by native leaders turned the tide in favour of Gaelic culture. A good example of this, and one that is particularly relevant to MacAlasdairs, was Somerled. Somerled was originally the ruler of Argyll, under the nominal control of the Norse King, whose sister he married. Despite these Norse ties, he was indisputably a Gael, claiming descent on his father's side from the kings of Dalriada, and by the time of his death in 1164, he had restored many of the inner Hebrides (Western Isles) to Gaelic control, defeating their Norse ruler, Godred, and adding them to his mainland kingdom.

From him descended the MacDonald Lords of the Isles, who "continued to enjoy semi-autonomous rule" long after the Hebrides were ceded to Scottish crown in 1266, and the beginning of the Lordship of the Isles contributed to the return of "the ancient Gaelic language and culture" in the Hebrides.30 Somerled is important to MacAlasdairs because our family descends from his grandson, Alasdair Mòr (d. 1299), and originated in Kintyre - part of Somerled's original lands of Argyll. Even after the Norse had been conquered or assimilated, their influence lingered in Scotland for centuries. The Western Isles and Kintyre belonged to the Norse king until the 13th century, although they were too far from Norway to be controlled by him in practice. The Orkneys and Shetlands remained in Norse hands for much longer, and Scottish control over the Northern Isles did not begin until the reign of James IV (1488–1513). Many 20th century Shetlanders still do not consider themselves to be Scots.

The northern parts of mainland Scotland, Ross and Caithness (then including Sutherland), were not formally Norse after the 11th century, but they were much more accessible from the Norse Orkneys than from Edinburgh, and for all practical purposes they also remained under Norse control. The formation of modern Scotland can be said to have started about ad 843, when Kenneth MacAlpin, king of the Scots, became also king of the Picts, uniting the two peoples into the kingdom of Alba. By 1034, the Picts, Scots, Lothian Angles, and Strathclyde Britons all owed common allegience to an Alban king,31 and by time of Malcolm Canmore (1058–93), all but the Norse peoples were giving allegience to the same royal house.

Despite their common allegiance to one king, however, these peoples could not be called a state as we know it; nobody inside or outside of Alba considered its various peoples to be unified or homogenous; there was no uniform legal code—the Celtic regions had one set of laws, Galloway another, and the Angles their own, although disputes were probably decided by force of arms more often than not—32 and the various groups occasionally warred with each other as well as with outsiders. Scotland, in fact, was much less an identifiable state than a confederacy of peoples with distinct characteristics and traditions, each prone to rebellion and to internecine war, held together only by allegiance to the person of the king.33 Although the basic ingredients were in place, the fusion of Scotland's disparate peoples would take centuries. The Vikings had provided a common enemy, but dynastic power-plays, the organisation and work of the church, and feudal administration in 12th and 13th centuries all played significant parts in the process of forging one people from several, a process solidified in later times by continuing conflict with England. In 1066, William of Normandy usurped the English throne.

The Anglo-Saxon court, including its royal family, fled to Scotland. Scotland's king Malcolm III married one of these refugees, Margaret, whose brother Atheling had claim to English throne. Margaret and her son David introduced changes that would radically alter Scotland and effect the lives of its people. The greatest impact of Margaret, who had grown up in Europe and was deeply pious, was on the Scottish church. After centuries of isolation from the rest of Christendom, the church in Scotland completely lacked central organisation and an effective hierarchy; they observed Easter at a different time, and their clergy were not all celibate. Furthermore, important positions in the church were in some places held by laymen, resulting in corruption of various kinds.34 Margaret introduced reforms, carried on by her son after her death, that brought the Scottish church fairly rapidly back in line with the church elsewhere. The reorganized church brought uniformity to worship around the country and proved to be a factor in the establishment of central control. Under Malcolm III we also see the beginnings of the Scottish/English conflict. The border between the two countries had always been changeable, and a struggle began between William and Malcolm for control of Northumbria.

The following centuries would involve the frequent making of contracts, usually with Scotland owing some sort of homage to English king, and the immediate breaking thereof, by both sides, and the conflict was not finally settled until Scotland's King James VI became king of England as well in 1603. Some of Scotland's less emotionally involved modern historians have pointed out that Scotland's ambitions were largely to blame for conflicts btw 1136-2217. The English king's claim to homage from Scotland had some historical legitimacy, but in general it lay dormant when there was peace; when trouble arose, however, it was re-exerted and enforced. Medieval Scottish kings allied themselves with the French, England's traditional enemy, and conflict inevitably ensued that might otherwise have been avoided.35 Malcolm and Margaret's son, David I, became king in 1124. He had spent most of his life at the English court and married an English heiress. Anglo-Norman ways of governing were familiar to him, and he naturally transplanted them to Scotland. To begin with, he gave large tracts of land to his Anglo-Norman followers and installed Anglo-Normans in most of the important church and state offices.

Eventually, the Celtic earls who formed backbone of the native Alban aristocracy were also brought into the new system. This kept the Celtic system alive in the areas they controlled, and, through intermarriage with Anglo-Norman families, helped to infused the feudal society with some of the older traditions.36 David I and his followers were largely responsible for the set-up in Scotland of the feudal system then current in England and Europe. In a feudal society, land is granted by the king or a landowner to a vassal, in a legal arrangement that includes privileges and responsibilities for both side. Vassals were obligated to provide their overlords with military assistance and counsel when needed, to pay tributes of money or agricultural goods, and to enforce the king's laws on the people under their jurisdiction. In return, the vassals expected the protection of the king or overlord and the security of knowing that, except in cases of treason, his land would not be taken from him. Vassals with large holdings often sub-letted, their tenants becoming vassals to them with the same responsibilities and privileges, resulting in a clear hierarchy whereby the tenant at any level was responsible to his lord.

The vassal did not own his land; he was, in a sense, a caretaker of land which ultimately belonged to the king.37 The spread of feudalism radically changed the structure of Scottish society. One result was that royal control over outlying areas increased. Because of the vassal's responsibility enforce the king's wishes on his land and to punish those inclined to rebel, grants of land in difficult areas to loyal followers of the king helped him to bring these places into line. Local laws began to be replaced by more uniform laws, contributing to a sense of uniformity across the land.38 Some areas, of course, remained outside of the king's control. Much of the far north continued to be ruled from Orkney; Galloway rebelled repeatedly against the newcomers and new system (the Galwegian legal code was in force until the 14th century)39; Moray had always had strong, and often rebellious, leaders of its own. The Western Isles were still technically Norse, but in practice they were ruled by virtually independent leaders of their own (notably the Lords of the Isles), beyond the reach of either Norse or Scottish control.

One of the major results of feudalism was the widening of the gap between Highland society and that of the Lowlands. In the Lowlands, feudalism and more central control were fairly easily accepted. The Lowland peoples were a mix of various earlier cultures and other, more recently arrived groups. With the spread of the Norman language and the influence of the reorganized church, older groupings were losing their distinctiveness and a sense of unity and similarity had begun to grow. Furthermore, the reality of English attacks tended to make Lowlanders, especially in the Borders, more willing to pay tribute to overlords who promised to defend their homes and land.40 The Highlands were a different matter altogether. The difficult terrain and complete lack of infrastructure (roads, etc.) in this part of Scotland had resulted in a very different situation from that found in Lowlands society. Highland geography had always kept invaders out, and it did much to prevent the reach of royal control. But more than that, the people were different. Things that had helped to unite the Lowlanders—reorganization of the church, more uniform laws, increasing local and even international trade—had not penetrated the Highlands.

With little to attract incomers, the Gaelic tribes in the Highlands had remained completely homogenous, maintaining their pastoral economy and a social structure based on the old groupings of family and kin. Communities were more cut off from each other; they "were small because the supply of food was small; they were isolated because of the great difficulties of communication."41 The geography of the Highlands makes a small chieftainship over a population held together by kin a natural political unit.... The creation of larger political units would be easier in the Lowlands.42 "Not until the seventeenth century did the Scottish kings begin to have some control in these difficult parts, and not until the measures taken after the Risings in 1715 and 1745 did the government secure effective control."43 Increasingly, Lowlanders viewed Highlanders as a different people altogether. Feudalism was a very effective way to run a country—as long as the person at the top of the pyramid, the king, is strong.

Until the end of the 13th century, Scotland was ruled by a succession of "unusually able kings".44 In the spring of 1286, however, King Alexander III was killed in what might be considered a medieval traffic accident—he was thrown from his horse—and Scotland was plunged into chaos. Alexander had no surviving children, and his only direct descendant, his three-year-old Norwegian granddaughter, did not survive the journey to Scotland. The issue of descent was decided with the assistance of the English king, on the condition that he be acknowledged as Scotland's overlord, but the king he chose was overthrown and, after a seven-year struggle, Robert the Bruce became King Robert I of Scotland a free from vassalage to England or anyone else. This conflict is called the Wars of Independence. The Bruce apparently ruled well, and most of Scotland supported him, but his death in 1329 was followed by a period in which the deepest impression made on visitors to Scotland was one of lawlessness and violence.45 No king for two centuries following Robert was able to keep the English out, rule over the whole country, or provide law and order.

Nobles constantly feuded with each other, and smaller lairds followed their example (although much of the turmoil in the Highlands may well have been more the result of inner-clan competition than feuding between rival clans, as is generally believed now46); cattle and sheep rustling were so common that James G. Leyburn calls these activities "almost one of the recognised sports of the time"; those who lost stock in this way appealed to their lairds, who would often help them to regain more than they had actually lost.47 Earlier kings had created feudal baronies in attempt to control the Northwest, but now these lords were among the most turbulent,48 and for a long time, "the Highland cheiftains ruled their own lands as a land apart".49 Sometimes they went too far, however, and when the Lords of the Isles came into conflict with the Mackenzies, James IV took action against them—although the MacDonald attempts to gain control of the earldom of Ross (which they had been after for some times) probably had something to do with it.

The Lordship of the Isles was forfeited and its confederacy broken up in 1493.50 In this the MacAlasdairs played a role—the Castle of Tarbert, of which a branch of the MacAlasdairs had been made caretakers, was used by the king as a naval base for his campaigns against the Lords of the Isles.51 The Highland and Island clans and their connection to their Irish brethren caused other problems in this period, for English rulers as well as Scottish. In the 14th, 15th, and especially the 16th centuries, "the Irish helped the Islesmen and Highlanders against the Scottish government; the Islesmen and Highlanders helped the Irish against the English government",52 which was at this time attempting to pacify and anglicize them. Furthermore, emigration from western Scotland to northern Ireland had continued, and the influx of Gaels from Scotland was working against England's goal of "civilizing" Ireland.53 Meanwhile, the Border clans in Scotland were as uncontrollable as the Highland ones.

In their lands, as in the Highlands, royal control was limited by the nature of the land and difficult communications, and the constant conflict with England made these clans even more likely to take military action rather than wait for the courts and governments to resolve conflicts.54 "Since the crown was not strong enough to put down the rivals, it stood aside and let them fight it out."55 Everything began to change in 1603, when King James IV of Scotland inherited the English throne as well. [It should be noted here, since my account of Scotland's history and the MacAlister ties to Ireland will have to be continued at a later date, that emigrants from the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland to northern Ireland are not a part of the group we sometimes call the Scotch-Irish. The Scotch-Irish people were Lowlanders, came from the Border areas (both Scottish and English), and considered themselves to be distinct from the Irish they settled among.56 They did not speak Gaelic or wear kilts.

Many of the Scotch-Irish were part of the Ulster plantations of the 17th and 18th centuries, from which Highland and Island Scots were specifically excluded.57 Descendants of the Scottish (and Irish) MacAlasdairs are not, therefore, "Scotch-Irish".] Bibliography Dickinson, W. Croft: Scotland from the Earliest Times to 1603, rev. and ed. by Archibald A.M. Duncan (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1977). Dollarhide, William: "The Origins of British and Scottish Borderers to America, 1717 - 1775", Genealogy Bulletin, No. 34 (July-August 1996). Grant, Neil: Scottish Clans and Tartans (London: Country Life Books, 1987). John Keay and Julia Keay, eds.: Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland (Hammersmith, London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994). Leyburn, James G.: The Scotch-Irish: A Social History (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1962).

MacLysaght, Edward: The Surnames of Ireland, fourth edition (Co. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, Ltd., 1991) and More Irish Families (Co. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, Ltd.) Mitchison, Rosalind: A History of Scotland, second edition (London: Methuen & Co., 1982). Smout, T.C.: A History of the Scottish People 1560-1830 (London: Fontana Press, 1969). Thomson, Derick S., ed.: The Companion to Gaelic Scotland (Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1983). Way, George, and Romilly Squire: Collins Scottish Clan and Family Encyclopedia (Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994). Footnotes G.R.Elton: The Practice of History (London: Fontana Press, 1967), p Mitchison, p.11 Leyburn, p.328 MacLysaght, More Irish Families, p.23 Michael F.

McAllister: "The Battle of Dunaverty", in Macalister, compiled by members of the Clan McAlister Grant, p.148 Ibid., pp.19-20 Keay, p.775 With a few exceptions, all of the world's languages are believed to have developed from five "proto-languages" or language families. Most of the European languages, including English, Russian, French, and Gaelic, belong to the Indo-European family of languages. How a non–Indo-European language would have ended up in prehistorical Scotland is an interesting question. Mitchison, p.4 Scotland profile - Overview - BBC News Scotland profile - Overview Read more about sharing. Close share panel Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom. Since 1999, when legislative powers were devolved to a reconstituted Scottish Parliament, it has enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. There are three distinct regions: the Highlands and Islands, a densely populated Central Belt, which includes the main cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the Southern Uplands bordering England.

The Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides island groups lie to the west, with the Orkney Islands and Shetland Isles to the north. Once part of Norway, Shetland is nearer to that country than to Edinburgh, and retains a Norse character. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption "The Athens of the North": Scotland's ancient capital, Edinburgh At a glance Politics: Scotland acquired its own parliament with devolved powers from the UK parliament in London following a 1997 referendum. Voters in 2014 opted to remain as part of the United Kingdom. although 45% favoured independence Culture and identity: Scottish engineering and scientific know-how played a major part in Britain's industrialisation and overseas expansion Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring English is spoken everywhere, and Gaelic speakers make up around 1.3% of the population, mainly in the northwest and the Hebrides. The old language of the south, Scots, sometimes described as a dialect of English, still heavily influences the usage of Scottish everyday speech. During the 19th century, Scotland became an industrial powerhouse, with mining, shipbuilding, heavy engineering and manufacturing supplying the needs of the expanding British Empire.

These industries declined in the second half of the 20th century, and the modern Scottish economy was transformed with the discovery of North Sea oil deposits in 1966, and a rapid development of the service sector. Devolution and national identity A referendum on Scottish independence was held in September 2014. Fifty five percent of voters opted to remain as part of the United Kingdom, while 45% favoured independence when asked the referendum question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" The referendum was the culmination of a long campaign by nationalists. Pressure for increased autonomy during the 1970s and 1990s led to the passing of the Scotland Act in 1999 by the Labour government of Tony Blair, with Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar as the architect of the legislation. Following a referendum in 1997, a Scottish Parliament elected by a system of proportional representation was re-established in Edinburgh, with primary lawmaking and limited tax-raising powers.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Like the other constituent nations of the UK, Scotland has its own international football team The Scottish National Party (SNP), which has a majority in the Scottish Parliament, agreed to a referendum on full independence in 2014 at talks with the British government. The vote itself saw a 55% vote to remain within the Union. Scots are proud of their national identity and despite a relatively small population of around five million, a very large diaspora exists not only in England but also worldwide, especially in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The relatively high degree of Scottish autonomy is reflected in other areas: Scotland competes as a separate team in international football, rugby and other sports. A distinct Scottish identity is ensured by a Scottish Premier League in football, and leading clubs such as Glasgow's Rangers and Celtic regularly qualify for the European Champions League. Celtic were the first UK club to win this competition's predecessor, the European Cup, in 1967. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Glen Coe: The Scottish Highlands are famed for their dramatic vistas and no less dramatic history Hebrew Nations - Hebrew Scotland Hebrew Scotland Hebrew Scotland Ancient Scotts Only Ate Kosher Animals!

A significant portion of the inhabitants of Scotland were descended from Israelites. Amongst other signs of their ancestry they traditionally refused to eat pork. Duration 18.43 minutes. To Read Text Please Scroll Down Contents: 7. Conclusion 1. The Ten Tribes Go Westward The Ten Lost Tribes had been exiled by the Assyrians. A portion were taken directly overseas to Spain and other areas whence they reached the British Isles. Others were taken into the Assyrian Empire where they linked up with, or became identified as the Cimmerians, Scythians, and Guti or Goths. These peoples moved northwards and after that, by stages, to the west eventually reaching Western Europe and the British Isles. We can trace the migrations of these peoples and also find in their customs and namesakes evidence of their Hebraic ancestry. The present article deals with the maintenance of culinary interdictions derived from the Mosaic Law. The emphasis is upon Scotland. ==== ==== 2. The Scythians Avoided Swine. Herodotus (vol.3 bk.4;63, ca. 450 BCE) tells us that the Scythians had an aversion to swine.

# Such are the observances of the Scythians with respect to sacrifice. They never use swine for the purpose, nor indeed is it their wont to breed them in any part of their country (Herodotus vol.3 bk.4;63). ==== ==== 3. Scythians and the Scotts. The Declaration of Arbroath From the Scythians emerged a portion of the settlers of British Isles in Celtic times as well as those who came later with the Anglo-Saxon invasions. The Scottish and part of the Irish also had traditions that they descended from the Scythians. Craig White tells us: The Scots were also known as Scithae, Scitae, Scuitae and Scotae to the old writers... the Greeks called the Scythians Skuthes, According to 'The Descent of the Gaels' by James Grant, an Edinburgh Advocate, and published in 1814, the early Scots were known as Scyths. That, according to Grant, was the confirmed opinion of such old Roman writers as Radulphus,Claudian, Isidore and others.

This particular Gaelic branch of the Celtic incomers is supposed to have come direct to Scotland through Scandinavia, and acquired the designation of Scyths because they were nomads, wanderers, without a settled home. (McCormick, J . 'The Origin of the Scots'. The Covenant People, Vancouver c1960: 2-3) By 1320 CE the Scottish had concluded a successful war against England. They issued a declaration of Independence in the form of a letter to the Pope. This is known as The Declaration of Arbroath. The original was written in Latin. Here are extracts from an English Translation : # Most Holy Father and Lord, we know and from the chronicles and books of the ancients we find that among other famous nations our own, the Scots, has been graced with widespread renown. They journeyed from Greater Scythia by way of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Pillars of Hercules, and dwelt for a long course of time in Spain among the most savage tribes, but nowhere could they be subdued by any race, however barbarous.

Thence they came, twelve hundred years after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, to their home in the west where they still live today. The Britons they first drove out, the Picts they utterly destroyed, and, even though very often assailed by the Norwegians, the Danes and the English, they took possession of that home with many victories and untold efforts; and, as the historians of old time bear witness, they have held it free of all bondage ever since. In their kingdom there have reigned one hundred and thirteen kings of their own royal stock, the line unbroken by a single foreigner. # ==== ==== 4. The Irish Also Once Kept the Law! The inhabitants of Scotland are actually a combination of different peoples. The very name Scotland is derived from the Scotti who originally came from Ireland and conquered part of what is now western Scotland. The Irish also had traditions suggesting Israelite Descent and of having once kept the Mosaic Laws. LOUIS HYMAN, for instance, wrote a history book entitled: "The Jews of Ireland", Published jointly by the Jewish Historical Society of England, London and Israel Universities Press, Jerusalem, Israel, 1972.

Hyman had lived in Ireland and had been a JP there. He knew his subject. On p.1 Hyman reports: "It is stated in very old copies of The Book of Invasions and other ancient documents that it was the Mosaic law that the Milesians brought into Errin [i.e. Ireland] at their coming; that it had been learned and received from Moses in Egypt by Cae Cain Beathach, who was himself an Israelite, who had been sent into Egypt to learn the language of that country by the great master Fenius Farsaith, from whom the Milesian brothers, who conquered Errin, are recorded to have been the twenty second generation in descent; and it is stated in the preface to Seanchas Mord that this was the law of Errin at the time of the coming of St.Patrick". The above source implies quite strongly that the Milesians were of Israelite Descent and that before becoming Christians (in the time of Patrick) they had kept the Mosaic Law. The Milesians, according to Irish Tradition, were the last of the "native" groups to arrive in Ireland.

They were to rule over Ireland for about 800 years and comprised about 30% of the population. We see from the above sources quoted by Hyman that the Milesians of Ireland had a tradition that they were descended from Israelites and had once observed the Laws of the Bible. The Milesians were also known as Hiberi, and as Scotti. It was these that later conquered and in part settled in Scotland. Later we find evidence of an aversion to swine and other animals forbidden by the Mosaic Law. These prohibitions existed throughout Scotland both amongst Highlanders and Lowlanders. They were not kept everywhere with the same stringency but an awareness that such taboos existed or had once been the practice appears to have been ubiquitous. We do not know when or how these taboos began but they appear to have preceded Christianity. They were also concomintant with a feeling of Israelite ancestry. Many amongst the Scottish did not eat certain foods because they had a tradition not to and they associated this practice with the Bible. This is an indication of Israelite ancestry. ==== ==== 5. THE SCOTTISH-ISRAELITE FOOD TABOOS: Sources.

Donald A.Mackenzie, in "Scottish Folf Lore and Folk Life. Studies in Race, Culture, and Tradition", U.K., 1935, ch.1, is the main source for this article. Mackenzie (1935) examined the existence of food prohibitions amongst the Scottish. His findings were that: In northeast England (bordering Scotland), "fishermen dislike reference being made to the pig in connection with their work" In Scotland an aversion to the pig is deep rooted even now and was much stronger in the past. This aversion exists amongst both Highlanders and Lowlanders. "There are still thousands of Highlanders and groups of Lowlanders who refuse to keep pigs or to partake of their flesh". MacKenzie quotes from Sir Walter Scott ("The Fortunes of Nigel"): "Sir Munko cannot abide pork, no more than the King's most sacred majesty, or my Lord Duke Lennox, nor Lord Dalgarno...But the Scots never eat pork strange that! Some folk think they are a sort of Jews." "The Scots [i.e.

Lowlanders] till within the last generation disliked swine's flesh as an article of food as much as the Highlanders do at present". Also from Sir Walter ("The Two Drovers") we have an account of execration in Gaelic of a Highlander cursing some Englishmen who had been ridiculing him: "A hundred curses on the swine eaters, who know neither decency nor civility!" James-vi of Scotland (who became James-i of Great Britain) "hated pork in all its varieties" 2 In the English Civil War, a song against Scottish partisans of the Rump Parliament (1639-1661) went: "The Jewish Scots that scorns to eat The Flesh of Swine, and brewers beat, 'twas the sight of this Hogs head made 'em retreat, Which nobody can deny." "Why do Scotchmen hate swine's flesh?".... "They might borrow it of the Jews"... "The same prejudice, though infinitely abated, still subsists. Yet it is not known that swine have been regarded as mystical animals in Scotland.

Early in the seventeenth century the aversion to them by the lower ranks, especially in the north, was so great, and elsewhere, and the flesh was so much undervalued, that, except for those reared at mills, the breed would have been extirpated". A certain Captain Burt on duty in Scotland in 1730 wrote: "Pork is not very common with us, but what we have is good. I have often heard that the Scots will not eat it..........It is here a general notion that where the chief declares against pork, his followers affect to show the same dislike..." Mackenzie says that, "Burt also refers to the Scottish prejudice against eating eels..." 3 Dr.Johnson (1773): "The vulgar inhabitants of Skye, I know not whether of the other islands, have not only eels but pork and bacon in abhorrence; and accordingly I never saw a hog in the Hebrides, except one at Dunvegan". Rev. L.

Grant (1793): "the deep rooted prejudice against swine's flesh is now removed..." Dean Ramsay (1793-1872): "The old aversion to the `unclean animal' still lingers in the Highlands....I recollect an old Scottish gentleman who shared this horror, asking very gravely, `Were not swine forbidden under the law and cursed under the gospel'?" John Toland (1714): "You know how considerable a part of the British inhabitants are the undoubted offspring of the Jews and how many worthy prelates of this same stock, not to speak of Lords and commoners, may at this time make an illustrious figure among us....A great number of 'em fled to Scotland which is the reason so many in that part of the Island have a remarkable aversion to pork and black puddings to this day, not to insist on some other resemblances easily observable.." 4 We see from the above sources that Biblical Food taboos existed throughout Scotland and that they were associated with the Jews. D.A. MacKenzie continued to discuss the swine taboo in chapter ii of his work.

He claimed that the taboo preceded Christianity and that the coming of Christian missionaries to Scotland actually weakened the prohibition. Mackenzie stated that after examination it appeared to him that in ancient Scotland there were two different cults or attitudes, one of which regarded the pig with abhorrence while the other revered it. The Picts in northern Scotland had two clans, one called the Clan of Orcs [i.e. pigs] and the other The Clan of Cats. Ancient pictures of wild boars have been found engraved on rocks. A first century BCE grave in Scotland contained what appears to have been a pig offering and other finds indicate the consumption of swine.. MacKenzie connects the pig taboo with the Galatians in Galatian Anatolia. These were a small group of Galatians (also called "Galli") who had gravitated to Anatolia (modern Turkey), conquered Phrygia and formed their own kingdom called Galatia in which they ruled over the natives. Lucian ("De Dea Syria") wrote concerning the Galli of Galatia: "They sacrifice bulls and cows alike and goats and sheep; pigs alone which they abominate, are neither sacrificed nor eaten.

Others look on swine without disgust, but as holy animals". ==== ==== 6. Other Suggested Explanations Pausanius drawing upon a source from the 300s b.c.e. said that the Galatae in Anatolia ceased to eat pork because Attis the god of the region had been slain by a boar. Attis is connected with the cult of the Great Mother and MacKenzie supposes that the Galatae adopted this cult. Later, he suggests, mercenaries from the Celtic west who came into contact with the Galatians of Galatia also received the pig taboo and somehow through them it reached Scotland 5. At all events, the ultimate source of this pig taboo came from the Middle East. Mackenzie brings numerous sources showing that in Gaul, in Ireland, in other parts of Britain, pigs were both plentiful and respected. The boar was a favourite symbol. Pigs were reared for meat all over the Celtic area and the Continental Celts even had a developed industry curing swine meat which they sold to the Romans and were famous for. Archaeological findings often reveal preserved swine flesh in various receptacles.

6 [Later the Scots-Irish in Ulster and in the USA in the South appear to have put quite an emphasis on pig-raising and to have preferred it in many cases to other occupations. The raising of pigs came to be considered a typical feature of Scotch-Irish "Cracker" culture. ]. All of these areas had frequent contact with the region of Scotland and their influence is enough to explain all evidence (which in fact is not so plentiful) of pig meat in ancient Scotland. On the other hand, the suggestion of influence on Scotland from the Galatian area in distant Anatolia is unconvincing. Despite Pausanius we cannot be really sure that the Galatians did not bring their pig taboo with them to Anatolia instead of adopting it there. At all events, why should only far-away Scotland have been influenced by the Galatians of the east? Another point is that a good portion of the population of Scotland only arrived there well after ca.200 BCE. They came to Scotland via Ireland or via Spain or via Scythia and the north. Different groups settled in different areas yet the pig taboo was accepted all over Scotland by a good proportion of the populace and the prohibition was deeply entrenched in popular consciousness.

Eels, and hare, are also forbidden by the Mosaic code and the Scotts had prejudices against all of these and refused to eat them though they are popular foods amongst the neighbouring English. The obvious place to look for the source of these prohibitions is in a past exposure to and acceptance of the Mosaic Law and this was the source to which observers in the past usually traced them. It is interesting to note that from time to time certain fish and fowl which the Mosaic Code (of Ancient Israel) does permit came under a ban but only in the case of those expressly prohibited by the Law of Moses did the taboo last or become widely accepted. "Julius Casar found that the ancient Britons tabooed the hare, the domestic fowl and the goose. The hare is still taboo to many Scots". In Western Brittany the hare was also tabooed. 7 The hare is forbidden by the Bible. Domestic fowl and geese are permitted but many birds are forbidden and the details may have become confused. It should be noted that abstaining from foods prohibited by the Mosaic Law may have physiological advantages conducive to long-term physical and emotional stability.

Not only in Scotland but THROUGHOUT THE BRITISH ISLES the early Christians often adopted aspects of "Old Testament" law. Amongst the early British Christians there existed a conscious identification with the Jews and ancient Levis. Some of the Biblical practices had proven parallels in ancient Druidical pre-Christian custom which taken together with other facts proves that at least a portion of these people were of Israelite descent. More on this subject is to be discussed elsewhere. It should be noted that alongside the Hebraic practices there were also pagan and Later Christian ones. Some of these were quite barbaric and idolatrous. ==== ==== 7. Conclusion Inhabitants of the British Isles in general had some kind of attraction to Hebrew Practices. This was especially noticeable in Scotland. Several different explanations exist for this phenomenon. An instinctive Remembrance of Israelite Ancestry is the one answer that actually answers the question: Aspects of the Mosaic Law were kept in Scotland because the people felt themselves obliged to keep them since they too had once received these laws. See also #3. Duncan Long: Additional Scottish-Hebrew Food Taboos?

Extract: As a child, I was told that my grandfather (whose last name was "Duncan" -- which I inherited as my first name) had told my mother and her siblings that they should never drink milk with meat (including fish). Now the milk/fish thing had nothing to do with Mosaic food laws. However drinking milk with beef would. I don't know that this was necessarily a Scottish belief -- it might even have come from his reading of the Bible given that he was a Christian. But it might be something worth checking out to see if there's another link there. References 1. Donald A.Mackenzie, in "Scottish Folf Lore and Folk Life. Studies in Race, Culture, and Tradition", U.K., 1935, ch.1. 2. MacKenzie p.43 quotes Grifford. 3. MacKenzie p.45 4. Leon Poliakov ("The Aryan Myth", 1974 ch.3 p.44 ) quotes from John Toland, 1714, "Reasons for Naturalising the Jews in Great Britain and Ireland". 5. Mackenzie p.66.

the Hebrides facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about the Hebrides The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright The Columbia University Press the Hebrides (hĕb´rĬdēz), Western Isles, or Western Islands, group of more than 50 islands, W and NW Scotland. Less than a fifth of the islands are inhabited. The Outer Hebrides (sometimes also referred to as the Long Island) are separated from the mainland and from the Inner Hebrides by the straits of Minch and Little Minch and by the Sea of the Hebrides; they extend for 130 mi (209 km) from the Butt of Lewis on Lewis and Harris to Barra Head island. Other islands are North Uist , Benbecula, South Uist, Barra, the Flannan Islands (Seven Hunters), and Saint Kilda (or Hirta). The Outer Hebrides comprise the council area of Western Isles.

The Inner Hebrides include the islands of Skye , Raasay, Rum, Eigg, Coll, Tiree, Staffa , Iona , Mull , Scarba, Colonsay , Oronsay , Jura, and Islay . They are divided between the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas. The climate is mild, the scenery is beautiful, and there are prehistoric and ancient historical remains and geological structures. Fishing, crop raising, sheep grazing, manufacturing of tweeds and other woolens, quarrying (slate), and catering to tourists are the chief means of livelihood. The original Celtic inhabitants, converted to Christianity by St. Columba (6th cent.), were conquered by the Norwegians (starting in the 8th cent.). They held the Southern Islands, as they called them, until 1266. From that time the islands were formally held by the Scottish crown but were in fact ruled by various Scottish chieftains, with the Macdonalds asserting absolute rule after 1346 as lords of the isles. In the mid-18th cent. the Hebrides were incorporated into Scotland.

The tales of Sir Walter Scott did much to make the islands famous. Emigration from the overpopulated islands occurred in the 20th cent., especially to Canada. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. MLA World Encyclopedia © World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. Hebrides (Western Isles) Group of more than 500 islands off the w coast of Scotland . They divide into the Inner Hebrides (Skye, Rhum, Eigg, Islay, Mull) and the Outer Hebrides (Lewis, Harris, North Uist, and South Uist). First inhabited in the 4th millennium bc, Picts settled on the islands from the 3rd century ad, and the Scots arrived later. In the 8th century, the Vikings invaded and the Hebrides became a Norwegian dependency. In the 13th century, Norway ceded the islands to Scotland. Less than 100 of the islands are inhabited. Industries: fishing, farming, woollen clothing.

Question: Scotland acquired the 'Hebrides' in 1266 from which country?
Answer: Norway