Somerled - Aftermath

Aftermath

In the wake of Somerled's demise, his once vast sea-kingdom fragmented as various would-be successors vied for dominance. Although Dugald may have been able to hold onto the kingship for a short while, before the end of the year the Chronicle of Mann records that his maternal-uncle, Ragnvald Olafsson, violently seized control of Mann and gained the kingship. Immediately afterwards, Godred arrived in the Isles after almost a decade spent in exile, defeated (his brother) Ragnvald with Norwegian assistance, and secured himself upon the throne. In time, Godred appears to have regained most of the northern Hebrides and Skye. The Hebridean territories lost to Somerled in 1156, however, appear to have been retained by the latter's descendants. It is more than likely that this domain was divided amongst his surviving sons, although contemporary sources are silent on the matter. The precise allotment of lands is unknown. Although the division of lands amongst later generations of descendants can be readily discerned, such boundaries are unlikely to have existed during the chaotic 12th century. It is possible that the territory of Somerled's surviving sons stretched from Glenelg in the north, to the Mull of Kintyre in the south—possibly with Angus ruling the northernmost region, Dugald centred in Lorne (with possibly the bulk of the inheritance), and Ranald in Kintyre and the southern islands.

Although the Scots may have originally welcomed the collapse and reordering of Somerled's sea-kingdom, his death triggered decades of instability in the region, and the Norwegian intervention on Godred's behalf signalled that Scotland was not the only external power with interests in the region. The void left by Somerled's death was soon seized upon by Walter and his succeeding-son, Alan, who continued their family's westward expansion. Internal conflict wracked Somerled's descendants in the decades following his demise. Locked in conflict with his brother Angus, Ranald appears to have forged an alliance with Alan to gain an upper-hand. Either through this alliance, or through the exploitation of the internal conflict amongst Somerled's descendants, the steward's family appears to have secured Bute by about 1200.