Medieval

SCARF article Early Medieval Argyll and Norse/Viking Argyll (AD 400 – AD 1100)

Defensive Motte established across the water at Bonawe near Inverawe - Dun mor Motte - https://canmore.org.uk/site/23520/dun-mor-bonawe, There is a memorial to a Campbell on the top. What was the necessity that caused this defensive structure to be established and maintained .. what were they protecting themselves against ?

Lands owned by the MacDougalls

the area of Argyll is mostly established as a name descriptive of this part of Scotland in the 1100s : from the Irish etymology
Airer - coast, shore, border
Gaedel : of the gaels

1230 Ardchattan Priory built by the MacDougalls for the Valliscaulian Order. It was also a sanctuary and retreat. Baile Mhaodain Kirk already existed at this time, with an ancient shrine and a holy well (Tobar Baodan or Baodan’s well)
This Priory was one of only 3 Valliscaulian establishments outside France.
The Prior was usually a MacDougall, latterly Campbells but little is known of the life of the monks.

1308/9 - King Robert the Bruce held the last "Parliament" for the gaelic speaking clan leaders at Ardchattan1

24 June 1314 - Robert the Bruce defeated King Edward II - Battle of Bannockburn

around 1315 - The MacDougall lands of Benderloch were given to the Campbells (first of Dunstaffnage, then Lochnell, Barcaldine, Ardchattan, Inverawe in turn)
- how the area was split up between the various septs of the clan, at this time and then afterwards, have yet to learn ..

1329 - Robert the Bruce died

1332–1357 : The Second War of Scottish Independence, also known as the Anglo-Scottish War of Succession was the second cluster of a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

1332 : 12 August : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dupplin_Moor Battle of Dupplin Moor, Perthshire. A massive defeat for the Scots. Fought between supporters of the infant David II, the son of Robert the Bruce, and rebels supporting the Balliol claim in 1332. It was a significant battle of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_War_of_Scottish_Independence Second War of Scottish Independence were any Ardchattan men involved in these battles, how do we find out?

1349 (and sporadically struck to the 1640's) - The Black Death did not affect Scotland so badly as the rest of Europe but approximately a 1/5 of Scotlands population were lost, as well as many thousands left with crippling mental and physical disabilities. Small communities were destroyed, land left untilled, and its effects were felt across the country for several hundred years.
We do not yet know how or if it hit any populations in North Argyll, or even Ardchattan. Whilst we are a long way away, much of the spread came from the military incursions that were so common at the borders, and this area was a common source of soldiers.
It killed 50 million people in the 14th century, or 60 per cent of Europe's entire population and, whilst Scotland was spared so much of its savagery, it ravaged the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and was spread into the rural areas by travellers and from the Low Countries by trading boats.

'In 1350, there was a great pestilence and mortality of men in the kingdom of Scotland, and this pestilence also raged for many years before and after in various parts of the world.' Scotichronicon, John of Fordun

Do you have any dates to add to this time ?


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