Kingdom of the Isles

The Kingdom of the Isles was a Norse–Gaelic kingdom comprising the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries. It is also called Sodor or the Sudreys, from its Old Norse name Suðreyjar, or "Southern Isles"; as distinct from the Norðreyjar or Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Some of its later rulers were referred to as kings of Mann and the Isles. The historical record is incomplete, and the kingdom was not a continuous entity throughout the whole period. At times it was independent of outside control, although for much of the period the Isles were a Norwegian dependency and its rulers had overlords in Norway, Orkney, or Ireland. At times there also appear to have been competing claims for all or parts of the territory. The islands have a total land area of over 8,300 square kilometres (3,205 sq mi) and extend for more than 500 kilometres (310 mi) from north to south.

Viking influence in the area began in the late 8th century. There is no doubt that the Uí Ímair (Ivar) dynasty played a prominent role in this early period, but the records for the dates and details of its rulers are speculative until the mid-10th century. Hostility between the Kings of the Isles and the rulers of Ireland, and intervention by the crown of Norway (either directly or through their vassal the Earl of Orkney) were recurring themes.

An invasion by Magnus Barefoot in the 1090s resulted in a brief period of direct Norwegian rule over the kingdom, but soon the descendants of Godred Crovan re-asserted a further period of largely independent overlordship. This came to an end with the rise of Somerled, on whose death in 1164 the kingdom was split in two. Just over a century later, the Isles were transferred from Norwegian overlordship to the Kingdom of Scotland, following the 1266 Treaty of Perth. Most of the territory continued as the Scottish Lordship of the Isles and Diocese of the Isles.