Statute of Iona ( English Statute of Iona ) - an agreement in 1609 imposed by King James VI to nine leaders of the Scottish mountain clans ( MacDonald , McQuarrie , McPhee and others). The agreement was signed on Iona Island off the west coast of Scotland after Lord Ochiltree ’s punitive expedition to the Hebrides in 1608 .
By signing the Iona Statute, clan leaders took the oath of obedience to the King of Scotland and Scottish laws. The agreement prohibited many things that were the essence of Gaelic culture. In particular, it was prescribed to expel stray musicians who traveled around Ireland and Scotland, praising the leaders of the clans, since, according to Jacob, their songs reminded people of hostility between clans.
It was also forbidden to carry firearms, drunkenness and the sale of wine and whiskey. The clan leaders were instructed to teach the elder sons, their successors, the English language. This clause of the agreement was dangerous because future clan leaders lost touch with their own culture. In addition, the clan leaders were given personal responsibility for maintaining order and following the laws of the kingdom by members of their clans.
The Statue of Iona was an important stage in the centuries-old struggle of the kings of Scotland for the inclusion of the country's mountainous regions in the unified state structure of Scotland and the elimination of the autonomy of the country's Gaelic regions. Following the Aion’s statute, more stringent royal measures followed: personal reporting of clan leaders to the royal council was introduced in 1610 , and in 1616 non-English speakers were prohibited from acquiring property in the Hebrides.