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The Kingdom of the Isles comprised the Hebrides, the islands of the Firth of Clyde and the Isle of Man from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norse as the ''Suðreyjar'', or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the ''Norðreyjar'' or Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. The historical record is incomplete, and the kingdom was not a continuous entity throughout the entire period. The islands concerned are sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, although only some of the later rulers claimed that title. At times the rulers were independent of external control, although for much of the period they had overlords in Norway, Ireland, England, Scotland or Orkney. At times there also appear to have been competing claims for all or parts of the territory. The islands involved have a total land area of over and extend for more than from north to south. Viking influence in the area commenced in the late 8th century, and whilst there is no doubt that the Uí Ímair dynasty played a prominent role in this early period, the records for the dates and details of the rulers are speculative until the mid-10th century. Hostility between the Kings of the Isles and the rulers of Ireland, and intervention by the crown of Norway (either directly or through their vassal the Earl of Orkney) were recurring themes. Invasion by Magnus Barefoot in the late 11th century resulted in a brief period of direct Norwegian rule over the kingdom, but soon the descendants of Godred Crovan re-asserted a further period of largely independent overlordship. This came to an end with the emergence of Somerled, on whose death in 1164 the kingdom was split in two. Just over a century later the islands became part of the Kingdom of Scotland, following the 1266 Treaty of Perth. ==Geography== The principal islands under consideration are as follows: * The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea equidistant from modern England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. * The islands of the Firth of Clyde some to the north, the largest of which are Bute and Arran. * The southern Inner Hebrides to the west and north of the Kintyre peninsula, including Islay, Jura, Mull and Iona. * The Inner Hebrides to the north of Ardnamurchan, made up of the Small Isles (including Eigg and Rùm), Skye, Raasay and their outliers. * The Outer Hebrides, aka the "Long Island" to the west, separated from the northern Inner Hebrides by the waters of The Minch. These islands, often referred to as the Sudreys, have a total land area of approximately of which: * the Isle of Man is , 7% of the total〔("Physical Geography" ) Isle of Man Government. Retrieved 11 Jan 2011.〕 * the Islands of the Clyde , 7% of the total〔Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 2〕 * the Inner Hebrides , 50% of the total and〔General Register Office for Scotland (28 Nov 2003) ''(Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands )''. Retrieved 26 Feb 2012.〕 *the Outer Hebrides , 36% of the total.〔("Unitary Authority Fact Sheet – Population and Area" ) University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences. Retrieved 30 May 2010.〕 Anglesey in modern Wales may also have been part of the insular Viking world from an early stage.〔Etchingham (2001) p. 185〕 Orkney is some east-northeast of the Outer Hebrides, Shetland is a further further northeast and Norway some due east of Shetland. The total distance from the southern tip of the Isle of Man to the Butt of Lewis, the northern extremity of the Outer Hebrides, is approximately . 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kingdom of the Isles」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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