By his first marriage to Amy MacRuairidh, John, the 7th Lord of the Isles had a son called Ranald, and from him both the Houses of Glengarry and of Clanranald are descended. Although Ranald was technically the eldest and should have succeeded his father as Lord of the Isles, this title was passed to his younger half brother Donald, who was born to John's second wife, the Stewart Princess Margaret.  In return for being passed over as chief, Ranald was given part of the MacRuairidh inheritance brought into the family by his mother.
 
    Ranald himself had five sons: Allan of Clanranald, Donald, who founded the line of Glengarry; Alasdair Crarrach "The Warty"; Angus of Morar, and, Dugall of Sunart.  The 6th Chief of Clanranald, Dugall, was evidently such a cruel man that he was killed by his own clanspeople.  He was succeeded by his uncle, Alistair Allanson, who died in 1530, and his son, John of Moidart, who styled himself Mac Mhic Ailein, was then  invested as chief at the family seat of castle Tirrim.  When James V annulled all the charters given to clan chiefs, John led his clan in open rebellion and was imprisoned by the king.  A power struggle began as John's right to the chiefship and the estates was challenged by Ranald Gallda, the son of Alan MacRuairidh, the 5th chief of Clanranald (1481 - 1509).  When James V died in 1542, the Earl of Arran, acting as Regent for Mary, Queen of Scots, released the imprisoned chief - part of Arran's ploy  to counter the power of the Duke of Argyll.  The struggle ended at the battle of Blarnaleine in 1544 where Ranald fell.  John was later recognized by the Crown as the rightful Chief of Clanranald.  After his death in 1584, he was succeeded  by his son Alan, whose own  son, Donald, the 10th Chief, was  knighted by James VI.

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  It is thought that there is a connection between the Moidart MacDougalls and Clanranald.  It's possible that they are descendants or followers of Dugall of Sunart.