Ranald MacDonald (founder of Clanranald) facts for kids

Ranald MacDonald was a very important person in Scottish history. He was the main ancestor of two famous Scottish family groups, the MacDonalds of Clanranald and the MacDonells of Glengarry. Think of him as the founding father for these powerful clans!

Ranald was the son of John MacDonald, who was known as the Lord of the Isles. The Lord of the Isles was a very powerful leader in Scotland during the 1300s. Ranald's mother was Amie MacRory.

Who Was Ranald MacDonald?

Ranald MacDonald lived a long time ago, in the 1300s. He was a key figure for many Scottish families. His father, John, gave Ranald control over lands called Garmoran. These lands had come into the family through Ranald's mother, Amie.

This gift of land might have been a way to make up for Ranald not getting the main family inheritance. That main inheritance went to his half-brother, Donald. Donald was the oldest son from John's second marriage. Later on, some other lands called the Uists were taken from Garmoran and given to Ranald's younger brother, Godfrey.

Ranald's Legacy

Ranald MacDonald passed away in 1386 at a place called Tioram Castle. He was buried on the island of Iona, which is a very old and special place in Scotland.

A stone cross-shaft was found on another island, Texa. It has a message written in Latin that says: HEC EST CRUX REGNALDI JOHIS DE ISLA. This means "this is the cross of Ranald, son of John of Islay." The cross also shows a picture of a warrior from the Scottish islands, holding an axe. This picture might be one of the very first images we have of a MacDonald family member!

From Ranald came the two big family groups we mentioned earlier: the MacDonalds of Clanranald and the MacDonells of Glengarry. His legacy lives on through these important Scottish clans.