Editing North Uist (section)

===Lordship of Garmoran===
{{main|Garmoran}}
[[File:Teampull na Trionaid 20090608 from north.jpg|thumb|The ruins of [[Teampull na Trionaid]], an [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] [[nunnery]] and "college of learning" at [[Carinish]] said, in the [[Red Book of Clanranald]], to have been founded by [[Bethóc, Prioress of Iona|Bethóc]], daughter of [[Somerled]], and rebuilt and enlarged by [[Amy of Garmoran]], after her divorce from [[John of Islay, Lord of the Isles]].<ref>Bill Lawson (2004), ''North Uist in History and Legend'', Birlinn. Pages 79–81.</ref>]]
At the turn of the century, [[William I of Scotland|William I]] had created the position of [[Sheriff of Inverness]], to be responsible for the Scottish highlands, which theoretically now extended to Garmoran.<ref>Dickinson W.C., ''The Sheriff Court Book of Fife'', Scottish History Society, Third Series, Vol. XII (Edinburgh 1928), pp. 357-360</ref><ref>''The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707'', K.M. Brown et al eds (St Andrews, 2007–2017), 15 July 1476</ref> In 1293, however, King [[John Balliol]] established the [[Sheriffdom of Skye]], which included the Outer Hebrides. Nevertheless, following his usurpation, the [[Skye]] sheriffdom ceased to be mentioned{{refn|group="note"|in surviving records, at least}}, and the Garmoran lordship (including Uist) was confirmed to [[Ruaidhrí Mac Ruaidhrí|the MacRory leader]]. In 1343, King [[David II of Scotland|David II]] issued a further charter for this to [[Raghnall Mac Ruaidhrí|the latter's son]].<ref>''Regesta Regum Scottorum VI'' ed. Bruce Webster (Edinburgh 1982) no. 73.</ref>

In 1346, just three years later, the sole surviving MacRory heir was [[Amy of Garmoran]]. The southern parts of the Kingdom of the Isles had become the [[Lordship of the Isles]], ruled by the [[Clan Donald|MacDonald]]s (another group of Somerled's descendants). Amy married the MacDonald leader, [[John of Islay, Lord of the Isles|John of Islay]], but a decade later he divorced her, and married the king's niece instead (in return for a substantial [[dowry]]). As part of the divorce, John deprived his eldest son, [[Ranald MacDonald (founder of Clanranald)|Ranald]], of the ability to inherit the Lordship of the Isles, in favour of a son by his new wife. As compensation, John granted Lordship of the Uists to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey, and made Ranald Lord of the remainder of Garmoran.

However, on Ranald's death, his sons were still children, and Godfrey took the opportunity to seize the Lordship of Garmoran. Furthermore, Godfrey had a younger brother, Murdoch, whose heirs (the [[Siol Murdoch]]) now claimed to own part of North Uist. This led to a great deal of violent conflict involving Godfrey's family (the [[Siol Gorrie]]) and those of his brothers. Surviving records do not describe this in detail, but traditional accounts report an incident where the Siol Gorrie dug away the embankment of a Loch, causing it to flood a nearby village in which the Siol Murdoch lived (and hence drown them); the accounts claim that the floodwater formed Loch Hosta.<ref>Townsend, Mike. (2015). ''Walking on Uist and Barra''. pp. 76 - 77.</ref>

In 1427, frustrated with the level of violence generally in the highlands, together with the insurrection caused by [[Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany|his own cousin]], King [[James I of Scotland|James I]] demanded that highland magnates should attend a meeting at [[Inverness]]. On arrival, many of the leaders were seized and imprisoned. Alexander MacGorrie, son of Godfrey, was considered to be one of the two most reprehensible, and after a quick [[show trial]], was immediately executed.<ref name="G65">{{Citation | author1=Gregory, Donald | title=History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland, from A.D. 1493 to A.D. 1625, with a brief introductory sketch, from A.D. 80 to A.D. 1493 | publisher=Edinburgh, W. Tait | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DaoHAAAAQAAJ | access-date=11 May 2012 | year=1836 }}, p. 65</ref> As Alexander had by now inherited Godfrey's [[de facto]] position as Lord of Garmoran, and in view of Ranald's heirs being no less responsible for the violence, King James declared the Lordship forfeit.