Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. It has been that the Macdonalds of Sleat (though the undoubted male representatives of John, last Lord of the Isles, as well as of Donald, first Earl of Ross of the name of Macdonald, eldest son of John, by his second wife, Margaret, daughter of King Robert II. of Scotland), are not and cannot be the chiefs by right of blood of the whole Clan Donald and male representatives of Somerled, Thane of Argyll, while any of the representatives of John, first Lord of the Isles, by his first marriage with Amie Mac Ruari remains. This may now be accepted as a settled point, and one on which all unbiassed authorities are agreed.<br><br>It is, however, much more difficult to decide which of the other leading claimants are entitled to that high and distinguished honour.<br><br>There is the further difficulty to dispose of as to who is the present representative of the Old Earls of Ross, which title was unquestionably possessed by the Lords of the Isles since the marriage of Donald of Harlaw, second Lord of the Isles, to Lady Mary Leslie, daughter of Euphemia, Countess of Ross. The Earldom of Ross being in favour of heirs-general – a fact placed beyond question by the title having been first brought into the family of Macdonald by marriage with Lady Mary Leslie – it is now almost, if not quite, impossible to decide who the present representative of the ancient but long forfeited Earldom of Ross is.