Hebrides - The Hebrides under Norwegian control

Over 500 islands off the W coast of Scotland, UK; divided into the Inner Hebrides (notably Skye, Rhum, Eigg, Coll, Mull, Iona, Staffa, Islay, Jura) and Outer Hebrides (notably Lewis with Harris, the Uists, Barra), separated by the Minch; farming, fishing, Harris tweed, tourism.

They can be divided into two main groups:

Inner Hebrides, including Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, Staffa and the Small Isles Outer Hebrides, including Lewis and Harris, Berneray, North Uist, South Uist, Barra and St Kilda

The Hebrides as a whole are sometimes referred to as the Western Isles, but this term is more accurately applied just to the Outer Hebrides.

The Hebrides are probably the best-known group of Scottish islands, but other groups include the islands of the lower Firth of Clyde and the Northern Isles.

The Hebrides under Norwegian control

The Hebrides began to come under Norwegian control and settlement already before the 9th century AD. The Scottish acceptance of Magnus III as King of the Isles came after the Norwegian king had conquered the Orkney Islands, the Hebrides and the Isle of Man in a swift campaign earlier the same year, directed against the local Norwegian leaders of the various islands.

The Norwegian control of both the Inner and Outer Hebrides would see almost constant warfare until being ultimately resolved by the partioning of the Western Isles in 1156. The Outer Hebrides would remain under the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles while the Inner Hebrides broke out under Somerled, the Norse-Celtic kinsman of both Lulach and the Manx royal house. Although the Inner Hebrides, from 1156 known as the Kingdom of the Hebrides, still nominally was under the sovereignty of Norway, the leaders were Scottish in language and culture rather than Norse.

After his victory of 1156 Somerled went on to two years later seize control over the Isle of Man itself and become the last King of the Isle of Man and the Isles to rule over all the islands the kingdom had once included.