The story of the Lords of the Isles, ancient kings and clan confederacy, is told through striking photos and concise histories.
The Lords of the Isles were an ancient race of kings who ruled at the height of the Middle Ages over starkly beautiful lands of fiercely independent people whose loyalties shifted like the weather coming in from the seas. In the Footsteps of the Lords of the Isles: A Photographic Journey through the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland, their fascinating story is told through the lens of photographer Pat Trotter, who spent years traveling through this wild country, documenting its history and recording its magic.
The formation of this powerful confederacy of clans during the mid-twelfth century by a Norse-Gaelic warlord named Somerled is considered by many historians to be the most significant event in the history of the Western Highlands. The Lords of the Isles ruled for more than three centuries until James IV of Scotland seized their lands and revoked their titles in 1493.
In the Footsteps of the Lords of the Isles pays homage to the history and living legacy of the Lords through stunning photos depicting their territories, ruined castles, abbeys, priories, and other landmarks as they appear today, along with images of their descendants and others who maintain their traditional way of life--crofting, fishing, cattle and sheep herding--in this magnificent, remote land. Concise histories by Scottish historian and cultural guide Tom Miers of key locations in the Western Isles and Highlands, including Argyll, Garmoran, Iona, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Islay, Mull, Ross and Skye, and an epilogue by renowned scholar and historian David H. Caldwell complement Trotter's own essay and striking photographs. Readers can now experience the grandeur and allure of this medieval culture and the land and people as they are today.
