JUST KILTS, Eskbank, Scotland presents
Scottish Clans and Tartans

Part 1: Clans ANDERSON - FRASER of LOVAT

Part 2: Clans GORDON - MacDONELL of GLENGARRY

This page: Clans MacDONELL of KEPPOCH - MacQUARRIE

Part 4: Clans MacQUEEN - WALLACE

MacDonell of Keppoch Clan MacDonell of Keppoch
Gaelic name: MacDhómhnuill
Crest Badge: A hand holding a cross
Motto: Per mare per terras (By sea and by land)

The MacDonells of Keppoch and Garrogach are descended from Alasdair Carrach, the 3rd son of John, 1st Lord of the Isles which therefore was a grandson of King Robert II. In 1431 Alasdair was forfeited for his part in the insurrection of Donald Balloch, and part of his lands were granted to Mackintosh, chief of Clan Chattan. This caused a long feud between the two clans, and John, 4th chief of Keppoch, wass deposed by the clan for delivering a clansman to the Mackintoshs. He was succeeded by his cousin Donald Glas, whose son Ranald assisted John of Moidart at the Battle of the Shirts in 1544.

Ranald, 9th chief of Keppoch, was an outlaw for most of his life and served in the Swedish army, while Donald Glas, 11th chief, served in the Spanish army. Alexander, 12th chief, and his brother were murdered in 1663, an event commemorated in Tobair-nan-cean (Well of the Heads) near Invergarry, where the heads of the seven murderers were washed before being placed before Lord MacDonell of Invergarry. 

Coll, 15th chief, known as "Collof the Cows", withstood all attempts of the Mackintoshes, assisted by government troops, to capture him, and for 40 years he held his lands in Lochaber by right of the sword. He was succeeded by his son Alexander, who, with his followers, joined Prince Charles Edward and were the first to strike a blow in the 1745 Rising. Keppoch died fighting single-handed at Culloden.

MacDougall Clan MacDougall
Gaelic name: MacDhùghaill
Crest Badge: On a cup an embowed arm in armour, holding a cross
Motto: Buaidh no bàs (To conquer or die)

The MacDougalls take their name from Dugall, eldest son of Somerled, from whom they are descended. Dugall´s son Duncan received from him the lands of Lorn and his grandson Alexander MacDougall married a daughter of the Red Comyn who was slain at Dumfries. 

In consequence the MacDougalls became bitter enemies of Robert the Bruce. When Bruce secured the throne, he retaliated on the MacDougalls for their opposition, and after their defeat, Alexander submitted to the King but his son John fled to England where he was appointed an admiral in the English fleet. He was later captured in the Western Isles and imprisoned first in Dumbarton and afterwards in Lochleven. On the death of Robert the Bruce, John of Lorn was released and his lands restored. He married a granddaughter of Robert the Bruce, and his son John was the last MacDougall of Lorn. He died without male issue, and his lands passed, through his daughters, to the Stewarts, Lords of Lorn, in 1388.

In 1457, John Stewart, Lord of Lorn, granted the lands of Dunollie to John MacAlan MacDougall. The clan was present at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in the 1715 Rising. On the failure of the Rising, the chief´s lands were forfeited but restored when the clan remained loyal to the Crown in 1745.

The eldest daughter of the chief uses to bear the title "Maid of Lorn".

MacDuff Clan MacDuff
Gaelic name: MacDhuibh
Crest Badge: A rampant lion, holding a dagger in his dexter paw
Motto: Deus juvat (God assists)

Tradition says that MacDuff was the patronymic of the Celtic Earls of Fife and that the first Earl was the MacDuff who opposed MacBeth assisting Malcolm to the throne of Scotland. Whether this is right or not - this ancient clan certainly played an important part of ancient Scotland. They had the right to crown the kings, leading the Scottish army and granting a sanctuary at MacDuff´s Cross at Newburgh in Fife.

When Robert the Bruce was crowned in 1306, Duncan MacDuff, Earl of Fife, who had married a niece of Edward I., opposed Bruce, but not he but his sister Isabel, Countess of Buchan, who was the wife of Bruce´s enemy Comyn, was imprisoned for sever years in Berwick. 

In 1353, the old earldom of Fife became extinct on the death of Duncan, 12th Earl, but nevertheless there are a lot of traces of prominent MacDuff or Duff families during the following centuries. In 1759, William Duff, Lord Braco, was created Viscount MacDuff and Earl of Fife in the Irish peerage, and in 1827 James, 4th Earl, was raised to the peerage of Great Britain as Baron Fife.

Alexander, Duke of Fife and Earl of MacDuff, was born in 1849. He was a successful financier and founder of the Chartered Company of South Africa. In 1889, he married Princess Louise, daughter of Kind Edward VII. and died in 1912. He was succeeded by his daughter Princess Alexandra Victoria, who married Price Arthur of Connaught.

MacEwen Clan MacEwen
Gaelic name: MacEòghainn
Crest Badge: The trunk of an oak tree from which sprouts forth young branches.
Motto: Reviresco (I grow strong)

Although of ancient origin, there are only a few records of this clan. Fact is that the MacEwens already exists before 1450 as the MacEwens of Otter. According to another record of 1794, they had their possessions on the coast of Lochfyne near Kilfinan.

Eòghain na h-Oitrich (Ewen of Otter), who gave his name to the clan, lived at the beginning of the 13th ct. Under Gillespie, 5th chief of Otter, the estates were flourishing. Swene MacEwen, 9th chief, was the last of Otter. He granted lands of Otter to Duncan Campbell of Lochow in 1432 and resigned the barony of Otter to King James I. but it was returned to him with remainder of Celestine, son and heir of Duncan Campbell. 

In 1513 King James V. confirmed the baroncy of Otter to Colin, Earl of Argyll, and thereafter Otter remained in the possession of the Campbells. Without lands the MacEwens became a "broken" clan and found their way to many Scottish districts. A large number settled in Lennox country, others went farther away to Lochaber, Perth, Isle of Skye and the Lowlands.

MacFarlane Clan MacFarlane
Gaelic name: MacPhàrlain
Crest Badge: A warrior holding in his right hand a sword and in his left hand an imperial crown
Motto: This I´ll defend

The MacFarlanes settled mainly in the Loch Lomond district. Their progenitor was Gilchrist, brother of Maldowen, 3rd Earl of Lennox, who lived in the 13th ct.  His great-grandson was named Bartholomew, and from the Gaelic equivalent of this name - Parlan - the clan took its name. 

Duncan, 6th chief, obtained the lands of Arrochar from the Earl of Lennox and, by marriage in 1395, acquired many of the adjoining estates. When the last Earl of Lennox died without male issue, MacFarlane claimed the title and lands, but the earldom was conferred to Sir John Stewart of Darnley which led to an enmity between the families that ended only when a MacFarlane cadet married a daughter of the Earl of Lennox in the 15th ct.

In 1493 a MacFarlane of this line assumed the title of Captain of the Clan MacFarlane, and thereafter the clan supported the Earls of Lennox. Their war-like spirit took them to Flodden in 1513, Pinkie in 1547 and Langside in 1568, where they fought against Mary Queen of Scots and captured three of her standards. 

In the 16th and 17th ct. the clan was proscribed and deprived of lands and name. Some members emigrated to Ireland, and the last chief is believed to have emigrated to America in the 18th ct.

Macfie Clan Macfie
Gaelic name: MacDubh-shithe
Crest Badge: A rampant lion
Motto: Pro rege (For the king)

The ancient home of this clan is the Isle of Colonsay where they are recorded as Macduffies or MacPhees, a branch of the great Clan Alpine which is said to be descended from Kenneth MacAlpine, King of Scots. 

The early history of the Macfies is unknown. We know that a Donald Macduffie witnessed a charter at Dingwall in 1463, and Macfie of Colonsay was one of the principal chiefs who met Bishop Knox of the Isles and signed the Bond and Statues of Iona in 1609 which was an attempt to impose law and order in this area. 

In 1615 Malcolm Macfie of Colonsay joined the rebellion of Sir James MacDonald and was dispossessed. Some of the clan then followed the MacDonalds and others the Camerons of Lochaber supporting that clan at Culloden. 

A famous member of the clan was Ewen MacPhee who lived in the middle of the 19th ct. He was the last of the Scottish outlaws. He enlisted in the army but deserted as a result of a misunderstanding and settled with his family on an island on Loch Quoich. Recognising no law and no landowner he defended his home with firearms. He held it until, in his old age, he was ejected for sheep stealing.

MacGillivray Clan MacGillivray
Gaelic name: MacGhille-brath
Crest Badge: A stag´s head
Motto: Dunmaglas

This clan is considered to be one of the oldest branches of Clan Chattan confederation and came originally from Morven and Lochaber, where they were one of the principal clans in the time of Somerled, King of the Isles. Like other clans they suffered severely during the conquest by King Alexander II. in the 13th ct. This may be the reason why Gillivray, the progenitor of the clan, whose name means "son of the lover of knowledge", took protection from Farquhard Mackintosh, 5th chief of Mackintosh. 

About 1500 the MacGillivrays settled at Dunmaglass in Strathnairn adding considerably to their possessions in the following decades. They became very influential and took a permanent part in public affairs and local clan disputes. They too were active in the 1715 and 1745 Risings, losing their chief and many members at Culloden. The chief´s brother William MacGillivray survived the fierce battle and, assisted by another brother, was able to increase the family estate. On the death of his son there followed lawsuits over the succession which eventually in 1858 passed to the Dalcrombie line. They soon sold Dunmaglass to leave the clan landless in its own country by 1890. 

MacGregor Clan MacGregor
Gaelic name: MacGrioghair
Crest Badge: An erased lion´s head with a crown
Motto: S rioghal mo dhream (Royal is my race)

The MacGregors are one of the most famous Highland clans, and the principal branch of the Clan Alpine. They claim descent from Griogar, son of Alpin, who was King of Dalriata in the 8th ct. The home of the clan was on the border of Argyll and Perthshire including Glenorchy, Glenstrae, Glenlyon and Glengyle. The earliest lands of the clan in Glenorchy was previously owned by the Campbells and then bestowed on the MacGregors for services rendered to King Alexander II. in his Argyll conquest. 

For a long time the MacGregors kept possession of their lands by right of the sword, but the enmity of surrounding clans resulted in attempts to displace them so that there were a lot of bloody feuds. During these conflicts the Campbells were able to obtain grant of MacGregor lands with the result that the name of the clan was proscribed, and severe enactments were passed against them. The members were prosecuted and persecuted. Charles II. repealed the acts against the MacGregors because of their support, but when William of Orange succeeded him to the throne the proscription was renewed, and it was not until 1775 that the penal statutes against the MacGregors were finally repealed.

Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734), the celebrated freebooter and hero of Sir Walter Scott´s romance, was a son of Colonel Donald MacGregor of Glengyle.

MacInnes Clan MacInnes
Gaelic name: MacAonghais
Crest Badge: An arm holding a bow
Motto: Irìd Ghibht Dhè Agus An Righ (Through the grace of God and the King)

This is a Celtic clan of ancient origin. The earliest known territory was Morven, and they are said to have formed part of a branch of the Siol Gillebride, believed to be the original inhabitants of Morven and Ardnamurchan being constables of Kinlochaline Castle until 1645 when the stronghold was besieged and burnt by Coll Kitto MacDonald.

Hugh MacDonald, the Sleat historian of the 17th ct, states in his chapter about Morven that "the principal names in that country were MacInnes and MacGillivray" and then goes on to describe how Somerled led these clans and defeated the Norsemen expelling them from the district. 

Eventually broken up, the MacInneses of Morven acknowledged the Clan Dugall Craignish (Campbell) as their chief.

MacIntyre Clan MacIntyre
Gaelic name: Mac an t-Saoir
Crest Badge: A hand holding a skean with an affixed snowball
Motto: Per ardua (Through difficulties)

Mac an t-Saoir means "the son of the carpenter". However, a prominent member of the clan gives the derivation as from a MacDonald called Cean-tires because he possessed lands in Kintyre. His son John MacDonald acquired the lands of Deguish in Lorn and was known as John Mac-Cein-teire-Dheguish

A branch of the MacIntyres was a sept of the Campbells of Craignish. The principal family of the clan were the MacIntyres who held the lands of Glencoe on Loch Etive for several centuries until they were forced to part with them in 1806. Clan members emigrated to America.

The clan is notable for its versatility. The MacIntyres of Glencoe were hereditary foresters to the Stewarts, Lords of Lorn. The MacIntyres of Badenoch are descended from the bard MacIntyre whom William, 13th chief of Mackintosh, took under his protection in 1496. Another family were hereditary pipers to MacDonald of Clanranald, and the MacIntyres of Rannoch to the chief of Clan Menzies. 

Duncan MacIntyre was a famous Gaelic poet, born in Glenorchy in 1724. He was in government service during the 1745 Rising but was later imprisoned for a poem he wrote against the Act proscribing Highland dress.

MacIver Clan MacIver
Gaelic name: Mac Iomhair
Crest Badge: A boar´s head
Motto: Nunquam obliviscar (I will never forget)

This clan is said to have been part of the army of King Alexander II which conquered Argyll in 1221, for which they received lands in that district. They had come from Glenlyon, and in Argyll their principal lands were Lergachonzie, Asknish, Lassary and Cowal.

Once arrived in Argyll the clans history is obscure. In the 13th ct. branches of the clan left Argyll to settle in Lochaber, Glenelg and Ross and it would appear that the MacIvers were for some time a "broken" clan without estates. 

In 1564 Archibald, 5th Earl of Argyll, renounced all claims to the "calps" (gifts due to the chief). In 1572 his successor Duncan MacIver is described as MacIver of Stronshiray and Superior of Lergechonzie. In 1685 MacIver of Asknish and Stronshiray forfeited land for aiding Archibald, 9th Earl of Argyll in his rebellion against King James VII.  Following the Glorios Revolution of 1688, Archibald, 10th Earl, restored the estates of Iver to his son Duncan MacIver on condition that he and his heirs should bear the name and arms of Campbell. Therefore he was the last chief of the MacIvers, and Sir Humphrey Campbell who died in 1818 was the last in the male line of Duncan MacIver of Stronshiray. Branches of the clan in the north and in Lewis retained the old name.

MacKay Clan MacKay
Gaelic name: MacAoidh
Crest Badge: An arm holding a dagger
Motto: Manu forti (With a strong hand)

This powerful clan was known as Clan Morgan or Clann Aoidh. The former name is claimed from Morgan, son of Magnus, in the early 14th ct, the latter from his grandson Aoidh (Hugh). The MacKays are descended from the old Royal house of MacEth. 

When Donald, 2nd Lord of the Isles, invaded Sutherland in pursuit of his claim to the earldom of Ross, he was opposed by Angus Dubh and the Clan MacKay, who were defeated and Angus imprisoned. He, however, became reconciled and married Elizabeth, daughter of his captor, with whom he received many lands. Angus eventually was killed at the Battle of Drumnacoub in 1429. 

In 1626 Sir Donald MacKay of Farr raised an army of 3000 soldiers for service in Bohemia and afterwards in Denmark, and was created Lord Reay. The lands of Strathnaver were sold in 1642, and the remainder of the MacKays country was sold in 1829 to the house of Sutherland. 

Aeneas, grandson of the 1st Lord Reay, was colonel of the MacKay Dutch regiment and settled in Holland where his family were ennobled as Barons, and when the Scottish succession ceased, Baron Eric MacKay van Ophement became 12th Baron Reay. 

MacKenzie Clan MacKenzie
Gaelic name: MacCoinnich
Crest Badge: An inflamed mountain
Motto: Luceo non uro (I shine, not burn)

The MacKenzies claim to descend from Colin, progenitor of the Earls of Ross. He died in 1278 and was succeeded by his son Kenneth. In 1362 Murdoch, son of Kenneth and 3rd Earl, received the lands of Kintail from King David II.

In 1466 the MacKenzies defeated the MacDonalds in a battle at Blair-na-park. The clan supported King James IV. at Flodden in 1513, where the chief was captured by the English, and at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547 they fought for King James V. Colin, 11th chief, fought in the army of Queen Mary at Langside in 1568.

Kenneth, 12th chief, received, in 1607, a charter of the lands of Lochalsh and Lochcarron, and it is said that at this time all the lands from Ardnamurchan to Strathnaver were in the possession of the MacKenzies or their vassals. Kenneth was created Lord MacKenzie of Kintail in 1609.

Colin, 2nd Lord, was created Earl of Seaforth by James VI. in 1623, and was Secretary of State in Scotland to Charles II. Kenneth, 4th Earl, was nominated a Knight of the Thistle by James VII. whom he followed to France. William, 5th Earl, joined the Earl of Mar in 1715, was present at Sheriffmuir and later escaped to France. He was attainted and his estates forfeited. In 1726, he was pardoned by George I. and died in Lewis in 1740. Kenneth, his grandson, repurchased the forfeited estates and in 1771 was restored to the earldom of Seaforth.

MacKinnon Clan MacKinnon
Gaelic name: MacFhionghuin
Crest Badge: An erased boar´s head with a deer´s shankbone in the mouth.
Motto: Audentes fortuna juvat (Fortune assists the daring)

The MacKinnons, one of the branches of the Siol Alpine, claim to be descended from Fingon, a great-grandson of Kenneth MacAlpin. They held lands in Mull and Skye, and appear to have been vassals of the Lords of the Isles. In 1409, Lachlan MacKinnon witnessed a charter of Donald, 2nd MacDonald Lord of the Isles. Until the forfeiture of the Lordship, the history of the MacKinnons were also closely connected with the ecclesiastical history of Iona, whose last abbot was John MacKinnon, who died in 1550. 

In 1542, Chief Ewen MacKinnon received the lands of Mishnish and Strathardle from King James V. The clan was at the Battle of Inverlochy under Montrose in 1645. In 1646, the chief, Lauchlan, and the whole clan supported Charles II at the Battle of Worcester. Lauchlan´s son Donald emigrated to Antigua, where he died in 1720. 

The MacKinnons were out in the Rising of 1715 and again in 1745 in support of the Stuarts. After Culloden, the chief, old and infirm, was imprisoned in London but was allowed to return home in 1747. His son Charles had to part with the family estates after they had been in the clan´s possession for over four centuries. In 1808, the last chief of the main line died, and the chiefship passed to the family of Donald MacKinnon in Antigua.

Mackintosh Clan Mackintosh
Gaelic name: Mac an Toisich
Crest Badge: A salient cat
Motto: Touch not the cat but a glove (=without a glove)

Mac an Toisich means "son of the chief". The founder of this clan is said to have been a son of MacDuff, ancestor of the Earls of Fife. They are one of the clans forming the Clan Chattan confederation, the chiefship of which came to the chiefs of Mackintosh through the marriage in 1291 of Angus, 6th Laird of Mackintosh, to Eva, heiress of Clan Chattan. 

The first mention of the Mackintoshes as Captain of Clan Chattan is in a charter granted to William Mackintosh by the Lord of the Isles in 1337 and confirmed by King David II. in 1359. In 1639, Mackintosh joined the Covenanters north of the Spey and formed part of the army opposing Cromwell in 1650. At the Glorious Revolution in 1688, the Mackintoshes supported the new government and refused to join Viscount Dundee. 

They too were prominent in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 on the government side, but Lady Anne, the wife of the chief, who was a Farquharson of Invercauld, , raised the clan for Prince Charles Edward in 1745, and her strategy was responsible for the famous Rout of Moy in 1746 when 1500 of the government´s troops were put to flight by a half dozen of "Colonel Anne´s" retainers. 

Following the death of the 18th chief in 1938, the chiefships of Clan Mackintosh and Clan Chattan were separated.

MacLachlan Clan MacLachlan
Gaelic name: Mac Lachlainn
Crest Badge: A castle with three towers
Motto: Fortis et fidus (Brave and trusty)

The MacLachlans are of ancient origin. About 1230, Gilchrist MacLachlan witnessed a charter granted by Laumun, ancestor of the Clan Lamont. In 1291, Gilleskel MacLachlan received a charter of his lands in Argyll from John Baliol, and in 1308 Gillespie MacLachlan was a member of the first parliament of Robert the Bruce in St. Andrews. During the 14th and 15th ct., the chiefs of the clan made grants to the Preaching Friars of Glasgow from their lands of Kilbride. 

The MacLachlans were adherents of the Lordship of the Isles until its forfeiture, when they became independent. For a branch of this clan a Campbell connection is argued which provided for some centuries the hereditary captains of the Campbell castle of Innischonnel, the chief fortress of Lochow. The Mac Lachlans of Coire-uanan in Lochaber were hereditary standard-bearers to Cameron of Lochiel.

In 1615, the MacLachlans formed part of the Earl of Argyll´s army that opposed the forces of Sir James MacDonald of Isla, and in 1689 they were with Bonnie Dundee at the Battle of Killiecrankie. During the 1745 Rising the clan supported Prince Charles Edward, and the chief was killed at Culloden. The estates of the MacLachlans were attainted, but in 1749 Chief Robert regained them, and from him are descended the later chiefs. 

There are several branches of that clan in Argyll, Perthshire, Stirlingshire and Lochaber.

MacLaine of Lochbuie Clan MacLaine of Lochbuie
Gaelic name: MacGhille Eoin
Crest Badge: A battle-axe with a laurel branch right and a cypress branch left.
Motto: Vincere vel mori (To conquer or die)

The MacLaines of Lochbuie were descended from Eachan Reaganach, brother of Lachlan, who was the progenitor of the MacLeans of Duart in the Isle of Mull. He received the lands of Lochbuie from John, 1st Lord of the Isles who was his brother´s father-in-law. Eachan´s son Charles was the progenitor of the MacLeans of Dochgarroch, a sept of Clan Chattan.

John Og of Lochbuie received charters from King James IV. confirming the lands and baronies held by his progenitor. He was killed with two of his sons in a feud with the MacLeans of Duart. The young surviving son, Murdoch, was taken to Ireland for safety. Returing home as a man, he captured Lochbuie Castle with the aid of his childhood nurse, who had recognized him. His son John Mor was an excellent swordman and fought before king and court in Edinburgh with a famous Italian fencer who had challenged all Scotland. He killed him.

The MacLaines always were strong supporters of the Stuarts, formed part in Montrose´s army and fought at Killiecrankie in 1689 under Viscount Dundee. In later years, they found scope for their military activities in the European and American wars of the 18th ct.

Donald, 20th chief of Lochbuie, was born in 1816. He amassed a fortune as an East India merchant and saved Lochbuie for the family by clearing all the debts. Today Lochbuie isn´t longer owned by the MacLaines.

MacLaren Clan MacLaren
Gaelic name: MacLabhruinn
Crest Badge: A lion´s head with a crown surrounded by laurel branches.
Motto: Creag an Turie (The Boar´s Rock)

The MacLarens are traditionally descended from Lorn, son of Erc, who landed in Argyll in the year 503, and are recorded in the 12th ct. as having lands in Balquhidder and Strathearn. In the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those giving allegiance to the English King Edward I., are three names identified as belonging to the clan - Maurice of Tyrie, Conan of Balquhidder, and Laurin of Ardveche in Strathearn. 

In the 14th ct., when the earldom of Strathearn became vested in the Crown, the MacLarens were reduced from being proprietors of their lands to perpetual tenants. Nevertheless they remained loyal to the Crown and fought for King James III. at Sauchieburn in 1488, for James IV. at Flodden in 1513, and for Queen Mary at Pinkie in 1547. They too appear in the Rolls of the Clans in 1587 and 1594.

They obviously were a war-like clan and were involved in a lot of fierce feuds. The greater part of the clan followed the Stewarts of Appin, others the Murrays of Atholl. The clan was out in the 1745 Rising and suffered severely at Culloden. MacLaren of Invernenty was taken prisoner but made a remarkable escape near Moffat when being taken to Carlisle, an incident described in Sir Walter Scott´s "Redgauntlet". 

MacLean Clan MacLean
Gaelic name: MacGhille Eoin
Crest Badge: A tall tower with battlements
Motto: Virtue mine honour

The Clan MacLean is descended from Gilleathain ny Tuaidh (=Gillean of the Battleaxe), in the 13th ct. He had two sons, the first being Lachlan Lubanach who was the progenitor of the MacLeans of Duart and Eachan Reaganach, progenitor of the MacLaines of Lochbuie. 

The MacLeans were supporters of the MacDougalls of Lorn, but later transferred their allegiance to the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles, and became one of their most powerful vassals. They fought at the Battle of Harlow in 1411, where their chief was killed. On the forfeiture of the Lordship of the Isles in 1493, the MacLeans became independent.

During the 16th and 17th ct., the MacLeans were one of the most important clans in the Western Isles. In 1632, Lachlan MacLean of Morven, who was the heir of Hector MacLean of Duart, was created a baronet. MacLeans fought under Montrose at Inverlochy in 1645 and at Inverkeithing in 1651. In the latter battle occurred a famous incident when seven brothers in the clan died to protect their chief, each as he fell shouting: "Another for Hector!". The sacrifice was unavailing because Sir Hector was killed too. 

Then they supported Viscount Dundee at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, and joined the Earl of Mar in 1715. Sir Hector, chief in 1745, was imprisoned in London for two years, but the clan appeared at Culloden under the Duke of Perth.

MacLeod Clan MacLeod
Gaelic name: MacLeòid
Crest Badge: A bull´s head between two flags
Motto: Hold fast

The Clan MacLeod is descended from Leod, son of Olave the Black, who was King of the Isles and lived in the 13th ct. Leod´s two sons, Tormod and Torquil, were the founders of the two main branches of the clan. From Tormod came the MacLeods of Glenelg, Harris and Dunvegan, and from Torquil the LacLeods of Lewis, Waternish and Assynt. The latter were dispossessed in the 16th ct.

Tormod supported Robert the Bruce in the Independence War of the early 14th ct., and about 1343 Malcolm, son of Tormod, received a charter from King David II. granting him lands in Glenelg. John, 6th chief of Glenelg, supported the Lord of the Isles at Harlow in 1411. In 1498, King James IV. granted the lands of Duirnish and Trotermish to Alexander, 8th chief of Glenelg, and in this charter his father, William, 7th chief, was described as MacLeod of Dunvegan.

A distinguished chief was Roderick MacLeod, 16th of Dunvegan, known as "Rory Mor", who, in 1595, took a group of men to Ulster in Ireland to take part in O´Neill´s revolt. Knighted by King James VI. in 1603, he was held in high esteem by the clan, and his death in 1626 was the subject of the famous pibroch "Rory Mor´s Lament", composed by Patrick Mor MacCrimmon.

The MacLeods supported King Charles I. and II. and were present at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, when the clan was almost wiped out. This may account for the MacLeods not taking part in the later Jacobite Risings.

MacMillan Clan MacMillan
Gaelic name: MacGhille-Mhaolain
Crest Badge: Two hands brandishing a two-handed sword
Motto: Miseris succurrere disco (I learn to succour the distressed)

There are several origins suggested for the Clan MacMillan, and the fact that they were found in widely separated areas makers the problem even more difficult. One source suggests a connection with Clan Chattan, while another claims descent from the Buchanans because both names have an ecclesiastical origin (MacMillan means "son of the tonsured" which could be monks). 

The clan was in the Loch Arkaig district in the 12th ct., when it is alleged they were removed to the Crown lands round Loch Tay. About two centuries later they were driven from Lawers, and the greater number settled in Knapdale, while others travelled farther south. The Galloway branch is claimed to be of the latter MacMillans.

MacMillan of Knap was considered to be the chief of the clan, and when the Knapdale MacMillans died out, the chiefship passed to the family of Dunmore, an estate on the opposite side of Loch Tarbet, which also died out.

There were MacMillans in Lochaber too, who followed Cameron of Lochiel, and others of Urquhart and Glenmoriston who followed Grant of Glenmoriston. An Argyllshire branch is descended from the Lochaber MacMillans. 

By degree of Lyon Court, the chiefship passed to the representative of the Laggalgarve line in 1951.

MacNab Clan MacNab
Gaelic name: Mac an Aba
Crest Badge: A warrior´s head
Motto: Timor omnis abesto (Let fear be far from all)

The Clan MacNab, a branch of the Siol Alpine, is of ecclesiastical origin, being termed in Gae´lic "Clann-an-Aba (children of the abbot)". They claim to descent from the abbots of Glendochart in Perthshire, where the clan lands were for several centuries. As early as the 12th ct. they were an important clan, but they joined the MacDougalls in their disastrous fight against the later King Robert the Bruce.

After Bannockburn, the MacNabs lost all their lands except the Barony of Bovain in Glendochart, which was confirmed to them by a charter from David II. to Gilbert MacNab in 1336. At the end of the 15th ct., Finlay, 4th chief, added greatly to the family estates. Finlay, 6th chief, mortgaged most of his lands to Campbell of Glenorchy, but the clan refused to acknowledge Glenorchy´s superiority. In 1606, Finlay, 7th chief, entered into a bond of friendship with his cousin Lachlan MacKinnon of Strathardle, which is often quoted as proof of their common descent.

The MacNabs, under their chief "Smooth John", supported the Stuarts during the Civil Wars, and the chief was killed at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. In 1745, the then chief sided with the government but the clan supported Prince Charles Edward. Francis, 12th chief, was the last chief in the direct male line. He was a moted eccentric and, in Highland dress, was the subject of Raeburn´s famous portrait.

MacNaughton Clan MacNaughton
Gaelic name: Mac Neachdainn
Crest Badge: A tall tower with battlements
Motto: I hope in God

The progenitor of this ancient clan, whose name means "son of the pure one", is alleged to be Nachtan Mor, who died in the 10th ct. The clan is supposed to be one of those transferred by King Malcolm IV. from the Province of Moray to the Crown lands in Strathtay in Perthshire in the 12th ct. About a century later, they held lands on Loch Awe and Loch Fyne, and in 1267 King Alexander III. appointed Gilchrist MacNaughton and his heirs keepers of Fraoch Eileen Castle in Loch Awe. They also held the castles of Dubh-Loch in Glenshira and Dunderave on Loch Fyne. 

Donald MacNaughton opposed Robert the Bruce and as a result lost most of his possessions, but in the reign of David II. the fortunes of the MacNaughtons were somewhat restored by the grant of lands in Lewis. Chief Alexander, who was knighted by King James IV., was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Nevertheless the MacNaughtons remained loyal to the Stuarts, and after the Restoration, the then chief Alexander was knighted by King Charles II. His son John MacNaughton fought at Killiecrankie in 1689. About 1691 the estates passed out of the family, having been forfeited to the Crown.

The last chief of Dunderave died in Edinburgh in 1773 as a retired Inspector-General of Customs, and after a gap of 50 years, the chiefship fell to the MacNaughtens, a branch of the family that had settled in Ireland in the reign of Elizabeth I.

MacNeill Clan MacNeill
Gaelic name: MacNèill
Crest Badge: A rock
Motto: Vincere vel mori (To conquer or die)

There were two main branches of the Clan MacNeill - the MacNeills of Barra and the MacNeills of Gigha. The clansmen were vassals of the Lord of the Isles, and in 1427 Gilleonan MacNeill received a charter of Barra and the lands of Boisdale in South Uist. This charter was confirmed by King James IV. after the forfeiture of the lands of the Lords of the Isles. 

The MacNeills of Barra supported the the MacLeans of Duart, while the MacNeills of Gigha followed the MacDonalds of Isla. Because of the feud between the MacLeans and the MacDonalds the two branches of the MacNeills were often fighting on opposing sides.

General Roderick MacNeill of the Barra branch was the last of the direct male line. He had to part with the small island, which he sold in 1838. The chiefship was successfully claimed by Robert MacNeill, who re-acquired parts of the island in 1938 and restored Kisimul Castle, the MacNeill´s 13th ct. stronghold which was abandoned in the 18th ct.

When Neil MacNeill, the last chief if the Gigha branch, was killed in 1530, the chiefship passed to the MacNeills of Taynish, and in 1590 Hector MacNeill of Taynish repurchased the lands of Gigha, which had been sold in 1554. In 1780 Gigha again was sold to the MacNeills of Colonsay, who had obtained the Isle of Colonsay from the Duke of Argyll in 1700. The island remained with the MacNeills until 1904.

MacNicolson Clan MacNicol (Nicolson)
Gaelic name: MacNeacail
Crest Badge: A hawk´s head
Motto: Sgorra Bhreac (Grey ridge)

In the Statistical Account of Scotland of 1841, Reverend William MacKenzie wrote about Assynt: "Tradition and even documents declare that Assynt was a forest of the ancient Thanes of Sutherland. One of these Thanes gave it in vassalage to ome Mackrycul." This "Mackrycul" has been identified as Gregall, who is also mentioned in an early genealogy of the MacNicols but on the marriage of Torquil MacLeod with the daughter of the last of the MacNicol chiefs, Assynt passed to the MacLeods.

Andrew Nicolson was a Norse baron who distinguished himself at the Battle of Largs in 1263. The MacNicols seem to have removed to Skye, where they settled at various places on the island. Nicolson of Scorrybreac always was regarded as the chief of the clan in the west, and these lands remained in the family for several centuries. Though its history is meagre, the clan was certainly of some importance on Skye. Reverend Donald Nicolson, chief of the Scorrybreac family at the end of the 17th ct., was minister of Trotternish and resigned in 1696 only because of his opposition to the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. 

There were Nicolsons in Glenorchy too who were said to be descended from a Nicol MacPhee who left Lochaber in the 16th ct.

MacPherson Clan MacPherson
Gaelic name: Mac a´ Phearsoin
Crest Badge: A salient cat
Motto: Touch not the cat but a glove (=without a glove)

MacPherson is a name of ecclesiastical origin, meaning "son of the parson". The clan formed a branch of the Clan Chattan confederation and disputed its leadership with the Macintoshes.
There seem to have been several families, but the family of Cluny in Inverness-shire emerged as the most important. 

Andrew MacPherson is recorded in Cluny in 1603. In 1609 he signed the Clan Chattan Bond, taking on the burden of the Brin and other families of the MacPhersons. In 1640, Donald MacPherson of Cluny was a faithful royalist. 

In 1745 the MacPhersons were active under their chief Duncan on the Stuart side, and during the 1745 Rising, Ewen MacPherson of Cluny with 600 clansmen joined Prince Charles Edward. He acted with great gallantry at several engagements, but did not arrive in time to take part in the Battle of Culloden. However, he helped the Prince to escape capture. Consequently, the house of Cluny was burnt to the ground and for nine years the chief remained in hiding, mainly on his own estate, in a shelter of trees and brushwood constructed on the side of Ben Alder. In spite of a reward of 1000 pounds he was never captured and ultimatively escaped to France in 1755. The estates of Cluny were, of course, forfeited, but in 1784 they were restored to Ewen´s son Duncan. Cluny Castle was rebuilt and remained the home of the chief until 1932.

MacQuarrie Clan MacQuarrie
Gaelic name: MacGuadhre
Crest Badge: A bent arm out of a crown, holding a dagger
Motto: An t´Arm breac dearg (The red tartaned army)

The MacQuarries are one of the branches of the great Clan Alpine, and when King Alexander II. invaded the Western Highlands in 1249 he was joined by Cormac Mor, chief of MacQuarries, but it is not until the death of John MacQuarrie of Ulva in 1473 that there is any authentic record of the clan.

In 1493, John´s son Dunslaff was chief and the clan lands were the island of Ulva and part of Mull. After the forfeiture of the Lordship of the Isles, the clan acquired independence and then followed the MacLeans of Duart, although supporting Donald Dubh MacDonald in his effort to restore the Lordship of the Isles in 1503. In 1505, the MacQuarries, with their leaders, the MacLeans of Duart, submitted to the government, and in 1517 Dunslaff MacQuarrie was included in the petition of Lachlan MacLean of Duart for a free remission for all offences, which was granted by the Privy Council. 

The MacQuarries never recovered from the blow suffered in 1651, when Chief Allan MacQuarrie and most of the clan were killed at the Battle of Inverkeithing by Cromwell´s troops. Lachlan, 16th chief of Ulva, who had entertained Dr. Johnson and Boswell in 1773, was forced to sell all lands in 1778. He died in 1818, aged 103, and was the last-known chief.

Major-General Lachlan MacQuarrie was Govenor of New South Wales in Australia from 1809 to 1821 and is commemmorated in Ulva.
 

Part 1: Clans ANDERSON - FRASER of LOVAT

Part 2: Clans GORDON - MacDONELL of GLENGARRY

Part 4: Clans MacQUEEN - WALLACE


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