A number of medieval ruins can be found in the largest of three islands on Ballygrant Loch in Islay’s Kilmeny parish.
This is the historic Eilean a’ Chàirne, knowne as Ellencarne where a meeting took place between the representatives of Henry the Eighth of England and a Macdonalds’ alliance led by Domnhnall Dubh (Dark Donald) in 1543.
This meeting was the ultimate attempt by Domhnall Dubh to re-instate the Islay-based Lordship of the Isles after their lands’ incorporation into the Scottish Crown following the lordship’s downfall in 1493. As the last Lord of the Isles' grandson, Domhnall Dubh had a legitimate claim to the lordship and as a consequence he was kept in captivity most of his life.
A brief escape had seen an attempt at a first rebellion which was quashed, resulting in his further imprisonment for thirty-seven years. His final escape saw him seek this last chance alliance with the Scottish king’s brother-in-law and his Irish allies, but unfortunately for him, neither English nor Irish support materialised, and the force of 2000 he mustered to sail from Ireland instead of the 10000 he had hoped for could not achieve much. Forced to turn back, he died of a fever in Ireland in 1545, destroying any hopes of the Lordship of the Isles ever being reinstated.
More information on visiting the area can be found here.