enteenth year. We can then work the results of our genealogical
conjectures into the general history of the northern counties.

Alexander II, like his predecessors, was in the year after his
accession immediately confronted with a revolt headed by Donald Ban
MacWilliam the younger, another of the descendants of Ingibjorg of
Orkney, widow of Earl Thorfinn and first wife of Malcolm Canmore. The
scene of the rising was, as usual, Moray; and Donald was aided not
only by the inhabitants of that province, but also by a large force
of Irish mercenaries. This rebellion, however, was speedily crushed by
Ferchar Mac-in-tagart of the family of the Lay Abbots of Applecross
in the west of Ross, a county to which Henry, the eldest son of Harold
Maddadson had in vain laid claim.

Differences which threatened to break out between Scotland and England
were speedily settled, and the young king, as we have seen, married
Joanna, sister of King Henry III of England, in 1221. Alexander next
conquered the district of Argyll in 1222, and in the same year reduced
Caithness to subjection on the occasion of Bishop Adam's murder, and
he shortly afterwards put down two rebellions, the one in Moray, as
above stated, and the other in Galloway, a district which, however, he
did not finally conquer till 1235, although Mac-in-tagart was knighted
for a victory there in 1215, and soon after, by 1226, became Earl of
Ross.[1] In 1236, as a punishment for burning to death the Earl of
Atholl, in revenge for the defeat of a member of their family at a
tournament, the Bissets were deprived of their estates near Beauly,
and fled to England, where they endeavoured to embroil that country
again with Scotland. In this they failed, and a treaty was signed
between the two nations that neither should make war on the other
unless it were first attacked itself.[2]

Argyll, Galloway, and Moray being subdued and settled, and the old
Earldom of Caithness broken up, and divided among trustworthy feudal
tenants holding their lands by military service from the Scottish
king, the whole of the mainland of Scotland may now be said to have
been effectively incorporated into one kingdom under the Scottish
Crown. Ecclesiastically, also, the whole realm was divided into
dioceses, whose bishops were appointed by consent of the king.

The dream of Malcolm II at last was realised.

The western islands of the Hebrides, however, still owed allegiance to
the king of Norway, who was t