According to Angus and Archibald Macdonald, it seems likely that this mere fragment of Ranald's original lands was all that the senior branch of Reginald's descendants had left by the time of Allan, 2nd of Clanranald.

Of those, Alexander (son of Godfrey and nephew of Reginald) and John MacArthur (of Clan Arthur) were immediately seized and executed.

[7][9] The descendants of Godfrey gradually decayed in power after the death of Alexander, though they continued to hold the lands of North Uist.

The MS History of the Mackintoshes states that Roderick collected a band of men "accustomed to live by rapine, fell upon Inverness, pillaged and burnt the houses".

[12] In 1469, the John II, Lord of the Isles granted to his half-brother Hugh of Sleat, much of the lands that were originally held by Ranald.

[14] He was one of the main supporters of Angus, bastard son of John II, Lord of the Isles, during the Battle of Bloody Bay.

[15] Following Angus' death, Allan supported Alexander of Lochaslsh, who would have likely been thought of as the presumptive heir of the lordship of the isles.

From Lochaber they marched through Badenoch, joined by members of Clan Chattan and Rose of Kilravock, with the intent of harrying the lands of the Earl of Huntly.

The lands of Alexander Urquhart of Cromarty, who had opposed the Earl of Ross, were ravished and most of the booty carried off fell into the hands of the Macdonalds of Clanranald.

The following year the clan was ordered by the Government to indemnify Urquhart and his tenants for the loss they sustained in the rebellion; however it is not known if any restitution was ever made by the rebels.

During the reign of Allan's chiefship, a dispute arose between himself, John Cathanach Macdonald, 4th of Dunnyveg, and MacIan of Ardnamurchan, concerning the lands of Sunart.

Gaelic scholar Henry Whyte (Fionn), once recorded a story about Allan Macdonald's bitter feud with Hector Odhar Maclean, 9th chief of Duart.

Considered "the dread and terror of all the neighbouring clans," Allan made a name for himself by confining the chiefs of Macleod, Mackintosh, and Mackay of Strathnaver in Castle Tioram.

When Allan arrived at Aros, he boarded his galley and said, "Row, men, to Loch Suaineart [Sunart], and avoid a second meeting; quick, ere he doubles the point."

They landed at Salen, Loch Suaineart; withdrawing the wooden pins[,] the birlinn was soon in planks and on the shoulders of the men and soon launched on the waters of Sheilfoot, and Allan was in his castle as soon as Maclean arrived at his own; and thus saved his cattle by burning a few thatched houses.

When John Moidartach was finally released from prison Ranald Gallda was forced to flee from Clanranald lands and took refuge with Lord Lovat.

The whole district was plundered and the invaders planned to permanently occupy the newly won territories before they were forced to retreat with the arrival of the Earl of Huntly, Lovat, Grant and Ranald Gallda.

[22] John Moidartach's Clanranald supporters overtook Huntly and his followers near Kinlochlochy where the Battle of the Shirts was fought on 15 July 1544.

[22] On 3 August 1564 Mary, Queen of Scots, who was in Glen Tilt, wrote to Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, asking him to demolish a house of strength on an island in Loch Rannoch.

Allan married a daughter of Alasdair Crotach and his ill treatment of her was the cause of violent feuds between the Macdonalds of Clanranald and the Macleods.

The Macdonalds of Clanranald would have welcomed such an alliance as some years before, Lachlan Mor at the head of his clan and 100 mercenaries hired from the Spanish Armada had ravaged the islands of Rum and Eigg.

Working in co-operation with each other, the two Macdonald chiefs invaded Coll, Mull and Tiree, laying waste to the islands, and Donald returned to Castle Tioram with his galleys full of spoil.

The same year, and likely as part of this operation, Donald and John Og MacIain of Ardnamurchan sailed for Ulster at the head of 2,000 men.

[27] The surviving MacNeils fled to the remoter islands of the Barra Isles, where Murdoch was finally slain by the Macdonalds of Clanranald.

Popular legend has it that these regiments refused to charge when ordered to do so, due to the perceived insult of being placed on the left wing.

Seeking to cover his debts and to fund further extravagant spending, by the end the Chief still held only the ruins of Castle Tioram.

In 1769, the chief of the Macdonalds of Clanranald attempted to forcibly convert his tenants on South Uist to Presbyterianism, threatening to remove them from his lands.

[42] In 1772, over 200 Roman Catholics mainly from the Clanranald estates of South Uist, Barra, Eigg and mainland western Inverness-shire emigrated to Prince Edward Island.

[42] The immigrants first settled at Scotchfort on the northeast side of the island, which had been established by a prominent tacksman, John MacDonald of Glenaladale with the assistance of the Scottish Catholic Church.

[44] On Prince Edward Island, MacDonald of Glenaladale attempted to enforce what he thought were his feudal rights, and newly arrived settlers were encouraged only to be tenants on his lands.