Prior to the 1266 Treaty of Perth, the Western Isles of Scotland were controlled by various Norse and Gaelic rulers who owed their allegiance to the Kings of Norway rather than the kings of Scotland.

The name Dunne is derived from a color - donn, the Gaelic word for brown. This is relatively unusual since the vast majority of Gaelic names are based on relationships, i.e. "Son of" or "Follower of".