Like his predecessor Ailín II, he showed absolutely no interest in extending an inviting hand to oncoming French or English settlers.
He has, moreover, gained a reputation amongst modern scholars as being one of the more conservative Gaelic rulers in thirteenth century Scotland.
The Mormaer even sent his son Maol Choluim with the king's expedition to Moray in 1232.
[1] Nevertheless, in 1238 Alexander distrusted him sufficiently to remove the Castle of Dumbarton from his control, giving the Scottish king an important foothold in the Mormaerdom.
He married c. 1230 Elizabeth or Beatrix (b. c. 1210), the daughter of Walter, High Steward of Scotland, and wife Beatrix of Angus, and had two known sons (Maol Choluim and Donnchadh), and one daughter, Ada of Lennox, wife of Sir Malcolm Beg Drummond, 6th Thane of Lennox, Chief of Clan Drummond (b. aft.