Our History
A brief history of Carna
A small island with a remarkable past, stretching from ancient kingdoms to Viking rule, clan warfare and a family stewardship that continues to this day.
Early life on the island
Back in the 1850s, Carna’s flatter, more cultivable land supported a population of 17 households, growing crops, keeping livestock and fishing to survive. The island sustained a self-sufficient community for generations, and you can still see the remains of a tidal fish trap on the east side of the island today.
The Kingdom of Dalriada
Carna was originally part of the Kingdom of Dalriada, which in the late 6th to early 7th century stretched across roughly the west coast of Scotland and Ulster in Ireland, forming one of the earliest Gaelic kingdoms in the British Isles.
The Viking age
That world changed with the Viking invasions, beginning in 795 AD. Norse forces went on to control territory from Shetland to the Isle of Man and the east coast of Ireland, bringing the western isles firmly into their sphere of influence for several centuries.
The Lordship of the Isles
Viking rule waxed and waned until Somerled decisively seized power in 1156, establishing the hybrid Norse-Gaelic dynasty known as the Lordship of the Isles. This realm nominally acknowledged the King of Scots as overlord but in practice functioned with complete autonomy.
Clan Donald emerged as the ruling family of the Lordship, and the clan gathered on Carna prior to the Battle of Inverlochy in 1431, where they defeated the royal army. When a plot with the English against the Scottish Crown was later uncovered, the title and estates were forfeited to the Scottish king, a title now held by Prince William.
Not everyone accepted this. Domhnall Dubh, grandson of a former lord, launched an insurrection from Carna in 1543 with English backing in an attempt to reclaim the Lordship. He died two years later, his ambitions unfulfilled.
Recent History
The island subsequently passed to the Duke of Argyll, changing hands several times through the 18th century before being purchased by Canon Newton in 1881. His descendants, the Milward-Oliver family, still own it today. Since 1870 Carna has been in the care of a conscientious and dedicated family who continue to balance making the island economically viable with protecting and restoring its remarkable natural richness and diversity.
