Garmoran facts for kids
Garmoran is a beautiful area in western Scotland. It's located at the southwestern edge of the Highland Region today. This historic region includes several well-known places like Knoydart, Morar, Moidart, Ardnamurchan, and the Small Isles.
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The Story of Garmoran
Early Rulers and Castles
Long ago, in the Middle Ages, Garmoran was an important area ruled by powerful lords. These rulers were from the MacRuari family. They were descendants of a famous leader named Somerled. Later, Garmoran became part of the much larger Lordship of the Isles.
One of the main homes for the lords of Garmoran was Castle Tioram. This strong castle stood proudly at the entrance to Loch Moidart.
Important Changes and Inheritance
In 1284, King Alexander III of Scotland faced a sad time when his son, the prince, passed away. The king needed to choose a new heir to the throne. He gathered all the important leaders of Scotland, including Ailin mac Ruaidhri, who ruled Garmoran. King Alexander asked them to accept Margaret, Maid of Norway as the next person to rule Scotland.
Ailin mac Ruaidhri died by 1296. He had a daughter named Christina, who was his only legal child who could inherit his lands. Ailin also had two sons, Ruaidhri and Lachlan, but they were not his legal heirs. When Christina inherited her father's large estates, she decided to give a big part of them to Ruaidhri.
New Leaders and Family Lines
In 1343, King David II of Scotland gave an important official document, called a charter, to Raghnall Mac Ruaidhrí. This charter officially granted Raghnall control over several islands, including Uist, Barra, Eigg, and Rhum. It also gave him eight "pennylands" in Garmoran. These pennylands were a way to measure land back then. They included Moidart, Morar, Arisaig, and Knoydart, along with their surrounding areas.
Sadly, in October 1346, Raghnall Mac Ruaidhrí was killed near Perth. This happened at Elcho Nunnery after an argument with Uilleam III, Earl of Ross. Raghnall was the last main leader of the MacRuari family.
His only heir was his sister, Amie mac Ruari. Amie later married John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, another very powerful leader. However, John of Islay later divorced Amie. People in the Gàidhealtachd (the Scottish Highlands) always said that Amie had given her husband no reason for the divorce. She lived on her own lands until she passed away.
Even though John of Islay divorced Amie, he managed to get a special document from the king that gave him rights to her lands, and Amie's name wasn't even mentioned in it! However, Amie and John's son, Ranald, later successfully asked for many of the MacRuari lands, including Garmoran, to be returned. Ranald became the ancestor of two important Scottish clans: Clan Macdonald of Clanranald and Clan MacDonell of Glengarry.
