- The sovereignty of the Gael to the Clann Colla,
It is right to proclaim it;
They were again in the same battalions.
The heroes of Fodla.- The sovereignty of Ireland and of Scotland
Of the sunny lands
Was possessed by the sanguinary sharp-bladed tribes,
The fighting champions.- The government of the entire tribes was obtained
By John of Isla.
Alexander, the lord of hospitality, obtained
The profit of kings.- Donald, John, and two Angus',
Who were hospitable and joyful,
Four that gained tribute from kings.
And to whom the Gael submitted.- Donald and Ranald to kings
Never did give;
Somerled, who was not deceived by flattery,
The chief of heroes.- Four from Somarled of the blue eyes
Up to Suibhne;
Four whose dignity was not obscure.
It is right to remember them.- Six from Suibne before mentioned
To king Colla;
Wine they had on the banks of the Bann
In angular cups.- Were I to enumerate all those connected with him
Of the nobles of the Gael,
I might give every generation up to Adam,
Such as no other man has attained.- This is a sketch of the genealogies of the Gael,
As I have promised;
This tribe with whom no comparison should be made,
And to whom sovereignty was due.
Age of our Lord 1173, the year that Gillespie, son of Alexander of Isla, died, and his body was interred at Rosmarkie, viz., the brother of John of Isla, son of Alexander, and the father of Alexander, son of Gillespie, who was killed by Mac Ceaain in Oransay of Colonsay; and the daughter of Mac Phee of Lochaber was the mother of this Gillespie, son of Alexander of Isla.
Age of the Lord 1437. In this year the King of Scotland, viz., King James the First, was treacherously killed in the town of Perth by his father's brother, viz., the Earl of Athole.
At the same time died Angus, bishop of the Hebrides, son of Donald of Isla, son of John, son of Angus Og. His full noble body was buried, with his crozier and his episcopal habit, in the transept on the south side of the great choir, which he selected for himself while alive.
Donald of Isla had another son, a monk, and it was in his time that Baile-an-Mhanuidh in Uist was given to the church, anno Domini 1440.
In this year died Mary Leslie, Countess of Ross and Lady of the Hebrides, viz., the wife of Donald of Isla.
I have given you an account of everything you require to know of the descendants of the Clanns of the Collas and Clann Donald to the death of Donald Dubh at Drogheda, viz., the direct line who possessed the Hebrides, Ross, and the Rough Bounds of Scotland. This Donald was the son of Angus (that was killed by his own harper Mac I Chairbre), son of John of Isla, son of Alexander, son of Donald of Isla, son of John of Isla, son of Angus Og, and I know not which of his kindred or friends is his lawful heir. Except these five sons of John, son of Angus Og, whom I set down to you, viz., Ranald and Godfrey, the two sons of the daughter of Mac Dugall of Lorn, and Donald, and John Mor, and Alexander Carrach, the three sons of Margaret Stuart, daughter of the Earl of Fife, and governor or King of Scotland.
The race of Ranald, Lord of Clanranald, viz., the House of Oilen Tirim, and the laird of Glengarry.
Godfrey left no offspring, except a few poor people who are in north end of Uist.
The offspring of Donald of Isla, the eldest son of Margaret Stuart, was Alexander of Isla, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Islands. This Alexander married Margaret Livingston, daughter
Alexander had other children, viz., Hugh, by a daughter of Gilpatrick Roy, son of Rory, son of the Green Abbot, son of the Earl of Ross, whose surname was of the Rosses. He had for patrimony the third part of Lewis, and other lands upon the mainland. It is he that was killed in the parts of Garioch when along with Mac Donald, viz., Donald of Isla. For there were four that went out of the army before any part of the main force went with them, viz., Norman Macleod and Torquill his brother, Lochluinn mac Gillemhaoil and Gilpatrick mac Rory. Gilpatrick mac Rory and Lochluinn mac Gillemhaoil were killed, but Norman and Torquill escaped safe from the pursuit.
It was this Hugh, son of Alexander, that plundered Orkney, and William Macleod of Harris and the youth of the Hebrides were along with him in that expedition. Hugh had Donald Gallach, son of Hugh, by the daughter of the Coroner of Caithness, and she was of the Gunns. Hugh had other good children, viz., Donald of Harris, son of Hugh, and the daughter of Macleod of Harris was his mother; and John, son of Hugh, and the daughter of Mac Ceaain of Ardnamurchan was his mother; but that John left no issue, and Gillespie, son of Hugh possessed the lordship; and other sons who are not mentioned here. Donald Gruamach was son of Donald Gallach, and Donald Gorm, son of Donald Gruamach, and Catherine, daughter of Alexander, son of Allan, laird of Clanranald, was his mother, whose descendants still possess the lordship.
Gillespie, son of Alexander of Isla, whose mother was daughter of Mac Phee of Lochaber, and Alexander, son of Gillespie, who obtained possession of the earldom of Ross, and Donald, his son, died without issue.
John Mor, son of John, son of Angus Og, the Tanist to Mac Donald, married Mary Bisset, and it was with her the seven Tuaths of the Glens came into the possession of the Clan Donald.
Alexander Carrach, the third son, married the daughter of the Earl of Lennox, but she bore no children to him. Angus, son of Alexander, whose mother was a daughter of Mac Phee, but she was not married to him. Alexander, son of Angus, from whom are descended the race of Alexander, son of Angus in the Braes of Lochaber.
There you have the descendants of these four sons of John, son of Angus Og.
[Here in R. B. come three poems, as detailed on the opposite page].