Tomb of Kings
WE CONTINUE a remarkable series of vintage photographs taken around Scotland’s west coast.
Passed to the Argyllshire Advertiser by one of our readers, they were taken by photographer George Gray of Stonehouse in Lanarkshire around 1880 to 1910.
The photographs are understood never to have been seen in public before and we are grateful to be granted access to this precious collection from a bygone era.
Look out for more photographs from George Gray’s collection in future editions of your
EVER since the seventh century, kings from different countries have been buried on Iona and this photo shows some of the many tombs.
The first king to be buried at St Oran’s Shrine was Ecgfrith the king of Northumberland in 685. He ruled over Northumberland when it was at the height of its powers but died in a bloody battle against the Picts known as the battle of Dun Nechtain. Many of his men also died in the fighting.
Disputed
Among other ancient dignitaries laid to rest there is Kenneth MacAlpine, generally thought of as being the first king of Scots, although this has been disputed. His dynasty ruled for most of the medieval period.
Kenneth died of a tumour in 858, aged 48. He had been born on Iona and returned there to be buried.
Somerled, the Lord of the Isles, was also buried on Iona. He was known as a warlord and broke the Norse rule of the Western Isles and Western Scotland although his Kingdom of the Isles, which included the Western Isles, Isles in the Firth of Clyde and the Isle of Mann, was short lived.
He was killed in the battle of Renfrew when he attempted to invade the Scottish mainland in 1164. He was buried in Iona but his body was later moved to Saddell where his son Ranald had founded a monastery.
Donald of Harlaw was the last king to be laid to rest on Iona in 1422. He was lord of the Isles and tried to take the Earldom of Ross, believing he had the strongest claim to the title. He invaded with an army of up to 10,000 men. The battle lasted from sunrise to sunset and both sides lost so many men that it was impossible to say who won but Donald and his men retreated back to the isles. Folklore suggests he became a monk after the battle and he died aged 45.
It’s not clear which tombs are in George Gray’s picture but they would have been men of great repute in their day. George would have come ashore as part of his travels to marvel at the small, holy island.