Clans of Scotland 2020

C L A N S

O F

HISTORY

TRACE YOUR FAMILY LINE

TARTANS CRESTS ANCESTRY

A supplement to

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EDITOR’S WORD

© CELTUS @ ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA FOR CC BY-SA 3.0/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/PAUL TOMKINS/ VISITSCOTLAND/CROWN COPYRIGHT 2019: SCOTTISH REGISTER OF TARTANS, ANCIENT DOUGLAS.

WELCOME If there’s one guaranteed way of sparking a bit of debate in Scotland, it’s mentioning that most hallowed of subjects: clans.

Few aspects of Scottish culture are as colourful or as fiercely protected as its clans. And so we tread with caution.

Over the next 32 pages, we’ve attempted to give a succinct overview of the clan system in Scotland – its origins, its evolution, its dismantling and, ultimately, its revival.

Whether you have Scottish heritage and want to find out more about your forbears and your ancestral lands, or simply want to read about some of Scotland’s most powerful families, we hope you come away feeling like you’ve learned a little something.

If you’re looking for your clan and they’re not here, then I apologise, we only had space for 10. On the positive side, it’s even more reason to do another guide in future, so feel free to contact me with your suggestions and stories.

CONTENTS 04 Scottish clan culture

Where and how it all began

26

Tartan traditions

30

Family roots

06 08 10 12 14 16 18

SALLY COFFEY

20

Editor

22 editor@scotlandmag.com

facebook.com/ScotlandMagazine

COVER IMAGE: Urquhart Castle with (left to right) Campbell, MacDonald, Stewart and MacLean clansmen © Jon Arnold Images/Alamy/ Mary Evans Picture Library

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Editor Sally Coffey Production Editor Jenny Rowe Words Sally Coffey, James Gracie, Chris Paton Publisher Caroline Scott Executive Chairman Paul Dobson Group Advertising Manager Natasha Syed Sales Team Jack Shannon

24

Are they an ancient invention or a romantic idea?

Find your ancestral home

CLANS Armstrong Campbell Douglas Kennedy MacDonald MacDougal MacGregor Maclean MacLeod Stewart

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The information contained in this supplement has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. However, where appropriate, you are strongly advised to check opening times, dates, etc, before making final arrangements. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded. The opinions expressed by contributors to Scotland are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Clans of Scotland 3

HERITAGE

The birth of CLAN CULTURE Scottish clans are celebrated the world over but what are the origins of this unique part of Scottish culture?

ew parts of Scottish culture evoke such a sense of patriotism and pride as its clans.

Clan tourism is now big business, with thousands of members of the Scottish diaspora – Scots who emigrated and their descendants – visiting their homeland each year to trace their ancestry.

Though the clan system in Scotland was well established by the 11th and 12th centuries, it’s possible that the seeds were sewn as far back as the 6th century, when the Celts began to put roots down in Scotland.

With the name ‘clan’ deriving from the Gaelic word ‘clann’, loosely meaning ‘family’ it is thought the early clans were basically extended family groups who shared a piece of land. This is not to say that they were all blood relatives: many clan members would have been related by blood but there were also septs – branches of the clan who bore no blood link to a chief but had ties nonetheless, or locals who pledged their allegiance and took on the clan name in return for protection.

Clans were bound by a collective loyalty to each other and their land – a kinship – and early clan names were often linked in some way to the area and landscape in which they lived: Clan Colquhoun, for instance, takes its name from the Gaelic place name ‘cuil cumhann’ (meaning ‘narrow corner’) on the western shores of Loch Lomond.

Clans were found in traditionally Gaelic lands – the Hebrides and the Highlands – indeed until recently, the Court of the Lord Lyon, which oversees all issues to do with Scottish heraldry, didn’t recognise any Lowland families as clans, though today the Scottish Government makes no distinction.

It’s also interesting to note that there were no clans on Orkney and Shetland (with the exception of Clan Sinclair who at one point became Earls of Orkney) which were held by

4 Clans of Scotland

Norway until the 15th century. However, it is thought there were clans with Viking origins, such as Clan MacLeod, who is said to be descended from a Norse-Gael leader, Leod.

Underpinning much of Gaelic clan culture was the idea of Duthchas, an ancient belief that people are connected to the land on which they are born, creating a sense of belonging.

Under Duthchas, clan chiefs were elected through a system of tanistry. Rather than inherit the title, the role of chief went to the best person for the job.

The chief’s role was to act in the best interests of the clan and in return clan members

in Edinburgh each year, which meant they suddenly had a need for money and so imposing rents on their clan members became increasingly appealing.

And James, like other monarchs before and after him used clan loyalties to his advantage and would befriend clan chiefs and offer them more land in return for bringing their clans to fight for the Crown.

The Jacobite Rising of 1745/6 and its fallout was one of the most pivotal moments in the history of clan culture. As Bonnie ‘Prince’ Charlie landed in Scotland in 1745, raising his father’s standard and staking his family’s claim to the Crown, many Scottish clans put aside their fierce rivalries and rose up to support him against an increasingly interfering Hanoverian monarchy under King George II. Of course, not all clans were loyal to the Jacobite cause, some like Clan Campbell backed the British Hanoverian government.

Though there were a few moments of victory for the Jacobites, ultimately their devastating defeat at the hands of the British at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 led to the dismantling of clan culture forever.

Following Culloden, clan chiefs who had shown support for the Jacobites had their land forfeited to the Crown. Over a period of a century or more, clan members were forced from their land and became dispersed, often as far afield as Canada and Australia.

Sometimes these removals, known as the Highland Clearances, were blatant and brutal, with people dragged from their land to make way for more profitable sheep farming, and sometimes tactics were more subtle, with the promise of new lives dangled in front of them.

It is the diaspora that resulted from this that feeds the romanticism for clan culture across the world and the yearning to return to the land where once they belonged. S

Over a century or more, clan members were forced from their own land and became dispersed to work on the land and offer their services in battle should the chief ever call upon them.

Unfortunately, chiefs frequently called their clans to battle – border disputes and fighting between rival clans was common. In almost all cases, allegiance to the clan came before allegiance to the country.

The instability that lead up to the forming of the Kingdom of Alba (modern-day Scotland) in the 9th century cemented the role of the clans in Scottish culture.

Under tanistry, the clan chief had no right to earn money from people living on the land, nor evict them, but the coming of feudalism from the 11th century onwards began to erode this central ethos by encouraging land ownership and the charging of rent.

Over subsequent centuries further measures were brought in to bring clans, who had grown more and more powerful, under control. King James VI insisted that clan chiefs attend court

© MARK GILLOW/ISTOCK

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THIS PHOTO: Glenfinnan Monument in the Highlands is a tribute to those that fought in the ‘45 Jacobite Rising

Clans of Scotland 5

CLAN

Armstrong This Borders clan was feared by most, including both the English and Scottish Crowns

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lan Armstrong is a Borders clan from Liddesdale and Langholm around the Debatable Lands on the Western Marches of the Borders.

The clan originated in Cumberland, England, but moved north in the 13th century, though there are at least two conflicting stories about its founder. One tells of an Anglo-Danish earl called Siward Digry (meaning ‘strong sword arm’), who was a nephew of King Canute, and the other tells of a man called Fairbairn, a member of the Scottish Court.

The clan had a fearsome reputation as it plundered the Western Marches.

It could muster 3,000 horsemen, which alarmed not just the English Crown, but the Scottish one as well. The most powerful Armstrong was Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, a notorious reiver, who in 1530 was captured and hanged on the orders of King James V. Today Gilnockie Tower, at 16th-century pele tower and Johnnie’s home, is open to visitors and houses the largest collection of Armstrong archives in the world. Astronaut Neil Armstrong visited Gilnockie when he was made Freeman of Langholm. Other places of interest include Hermitage Castle, where the 2nd Chief, Alexander Armstrong of Mangerton, was killed.

Clan Armstrong is armigerous, meaning that it does not currently have a clan chief recognised by the Court of the Lord Lyon. S

THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: Langholm and its surrounds is the

clan’s traditional seat; James V of Scotland; Hermitage Castle

OPPOSITE PAGE: Gilnockie Tower was home to Johnnie Armstrong

The clan tartan can be traced back at least to 1842, when it appeared in the controversial Vestiarium Scoticum of John Sobieski Stuart, which purported to be a reproduction of a 15th-century manuscript.

The clan crest is “an arm from the shoulder, armed, proper”, with the motto “Invictus Maneo” (“I remain unvanquished”).

Find out more: armstrongclan.info

6 Clans of Scotland

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SCOTLAND’S CLANS

Clans of Scotland 7

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CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: The clan fought on the Hanoverian side at the Battle of Culloden; Glencoe; the Massacre of Glencoe was a dark moment in the clan’s history

8 Clans of Scotland

SCOTLAND’S CLANS

CLAN

Campbell This clan showed unwavering loyalty to the Crown and were rewarded with a prestigious title

T

he name ‘Campbell’ means ‘crooked mouth’ in Gaelic, presumably a reference to the appearance of an ancestor. The clan is found mainly in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland, though cadet branches are also found throughout the country.

The earliest known Campbell is one Gilleasbaig of Menstrie, who lived in the 13th century. He was the father of Cailean Mór Caimbeul, allegedly a cousin of Robert the Bruce.

Throughout history the Campbells have supported the throne, and during the Jacobite Rising of 1745/46 they fought on the Hanoverian side at the Battle of Culloden.

The darkest moment in the clan’s history, however, came at the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, when 38 unarmed members of Clan MacDonald were killed

by Campbell troops to whom they had offered food and shelter. The reason? A direct order to punish the clan for the perceived lateness of the MacDonald chief swearing allegiance to William and Mary, after they ascended the throne in 1689.

In 1701 the Campbells became the Dukes of Argyll. The 3rd Duke, Archibald, built the present-day Inveraray Castle in 1743, which is now open to the public. S

There are four recognised Campbell tartans. The main Campbell tartan is also the tartan of the Black Watch (pictured). There are also tartans for the Campbells of Breadalbane; the Campbells of Cawder; and the Campbells of Loudoun.

TOP TO BOTTOM: A member of Clan Campbell throwing the hammer; Inveraray Castle

The clan crest is “on a boar’s head erased fess ways erased Or, armed Argent, langued Gules”. The motto is “Ne Oblivascaris” (“Forget Not”).

Find out more: ccsna.org

Clans of Scotland 9

CLAN

Douglas This Lowland clan has strong links to Robert the Bruce and its descendants boast some impressive titles

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lan Douglas is a Lowland clan, taking its name from the Gaelic ‘dubh glas’ meaning ‘black water’. In the early 12th century, ‘Theobald le Fleming’ was granted the Douglas lands in Lanarkshire, by the Abbot of Kelso, and his son was styled Lord of Douglas. He was the first man to assume the name.

The Douglases became one of the most powerful families in Scotland. Sir James Douglas, who died in 1330, was known as the ‘Black Douglas’ and fought beside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Independence. Shortly before Bruce died in 1329, he asked Sir James to take his heart in a casket to Jerusalem and place it in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. On his way to Jerusalem, Douglas fought against Moors in Spain, supposedly throwing the casket into their throng during battle, shouting “Lead on, Brave Heart!” However, Douglas was killed in the battle. Other stems of the clan are the ‘Red Douglases’ who were the Earls of Angus, the Drumlanrig and Queensbury Douglases, and the Morton sept.

The clan is armigerous, as it has no chief. Though there is no official clan seat, Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway has lots of Clan Douglas memorabilia, while Tantallon Castle in East Lothian was built for the 1st Earl of Douglas. S

THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: Tantallon Castle in East Lothian; Robert

the Bruce speaks to Sir James on his deathbed; Drumlanrig Castle

OPPOSITE PAGE: Sir James holds Bruce’s heart while fighting the Moors

The clan has two main tartans – the Ancient, which is in grey (pictured), and the Modern, which today is worn by the Royal Ghurkha Rifles.

The clan crest is “on a chapeau, a green salamander surrounded by fire”. The clan motto is “Jamais Arrière” (“Never behind”).

Find out more: clandouglassociety.org

10 Clans of Scotland

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SCOTLAND’S CLANS

Clans of Scotland 11

CLAN

Kennedy This clan, who ruled much of Ayrshire, employed extreme measures to get what they wanted

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THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: A portrait of King Robert III; the ruins of Crossraguel Abbey; Mary, Queen of Scots and her first husband, the Dauphin of France OPPOSITE PAGE: Culzean Castle

There are at least nine registered Kennedy tartans, with three of them being called Kennedy Ancient and three Kennedy Modern.

The clan crest is a “dolphin naiant proper” and the motto “Avise la Fin” (“Consider the End”).

Find out more: kennedysociety.net

12 Clans of Scotland

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here are conflicting accounts about Clan Kennedy’s origins. One story tells of Cêndetig who crossed from Ireland. Another tells of a Votadini prince called Cunedda, who settled in the southwest, while a third claims that the progenitor was a man from the Western Isles called Mackenede, meaning ‘son of Kenneth’.

Regardless of the exact origins, the family became a dominant force in southern Ayrshire, and as their power grew, so too did their influence. Sir James Kennedy (1376-1408) married Mary Stewart, daughter of Robert III of Scotland and in 1558 Gilbert Kennedy, the 3rd Earl of Cassilis, was present at the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Dauphin of France. However, it is the 3rd Earl’s son, also Gilbert, the 4th Earl of Cassilis, who is linked to one of the clan’s most notorious stories: the ‘Roasting of the Abbot’. In 1570, the 4th Earl coveted the lands of Crossraguel Abbey in Ayrshire, administered by Allan Stewart, and so he had Stewart tied to a spit and roasted over a fire until he signed over the lands.

Between 1777 and 1792, the present-day Culzean Castle was built by the 10th Earl of Cassilis. It is one of the showpieces of Scotland. The present clan chief is David Kennedy, 9th Marquis of Ailsa. S

SCOTLAND’S CLANS

Clans of Scotland 13

CLAN

MacDonald One of the oldest Scottish clans, the MacDonalds were once so powerful they ruled much of western Scotland

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THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: MacDonald of Clanranald tartan; monument commemorating the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692; the ruins of Armadale Castle OPPOSITE PAGE: Flora MacDonald

lan MacDonald (or Clan Donald) is one of Scotland’s largest clans, with over 40 tartans and incorporates the senior branches of Keppoch, Sleat, Clanranald, Glengarry and Glencoe.

Its origins, like those of Clan MacDougall, go back to Somerled, a warrior born about 1113. He was styled Lord of the Isles, and was killed at the Battle of Renfrew. His son was Dòmhnall Mac Raghnuill, whose son, in turn, gave the clan its name. The MacDonald lands covered most of western Scotland and the northwest seaboard, and the clan was so powerful that its chief wielded almost as much power as the king.

The Maclan MacDonalds will forever be known for the fate that befell them at the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, but the MacDonalds were no angels, frequently attacking and capturing Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, for instance – on one occasion in 1545 they stripped Urquhart of its furniture, canon and gate.

Perhaps the best known MacDonald was Flora, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie cross from the island of Benbecula to Skye after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Finlaggan Castle on Islay, and Armadale Castle on Skye, are considered the spiritual homes of the clan.

The current High Chief of Clan Donald is Godfrey James Macdonald of Macdonald, 8th Baron Macdonald. S

There are many official MacDonald tartans depending on the clan sept.

The main ones are MacDonald Ancient, MacDonald Modern and MacDonald Weathered.

There are numerous family crests, including “Or, a hand in armour fess ways holding a cross-crosslet fitchee gules” and “argent, a lion rampant gules, armed and langued azure”. The motto is “Per Mare per Terras” (“by sea and by land”).

Find out more: clandonald-heritage.com

14 Clans of Scotland

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SCOTLAND’S CLANS

Clans of Scotland 15

16 Clans of Scotland

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SCOTLAND’S CLANS

CLAN

MacDougall Like Clan MacDonald, this clan claims descent from Somerled, Lord of the Isles

A

fter Somerled, ruler of the Kingdom of the Isles, was killed in battle, his son Dougall held most of his father’s lands in Argyll and the islands. In turn, Dougall’s son, Duncan, was the first to be styled MacDougall, and from him the clan claims descent.

It was Duncan who founded Ardchattan Priory in 1230, where subsequent clan chiefs were buried up until the 1730s.

The clan fought alongside William Wallace during the Wars of Independence, but found themselves embroiled in a feud with Robert the Bruce. In fact, the MacDougalls defeated Bruce at the Battle of Dalrigh in 1306. For this, they forfeited their lands after his victory at Bannockburn in 1314.

Despite this, the MacDougalls were loyal supporters of the Stewart dynasty, fighting alongside ‘Bonnie Dundee’ at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689.

They remained loyal during the Jacobite Risings of the 18th century but often suffered because of it, mainly at the hands of the Campbells.

There are many variations of the spelling of MacDougall – McDougal, McDougle, Macdouall, Macoual, for example. Dunollie Castle in Argyll is the clan seat and the present chief is Madam Morag MacDougall of MacDougall, the 31st chief of the clan. S

There are three clan tartans - Modern, Ancient and Dress. Details of the Ancient were published in 1842 in the Vestiarium Scoticum, an enjoyable but entirely unreliable source of information written by John Sobieski Stuart.

The clan crest is “On a chapeau Gules furred Ermine, a dexter arm in armour embowed fess ways couped Proper, holding a cross closslet fitchée erect Gules”. The motto is “Buaidh no Bàs” (“Victory or Death”).

Find out more: macdougall.org

THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: The Battle of Killiecrankie; Ardchattan Priory, Strathclyde; William Wallace OPPOSITE PAGE: The MacDougall Highland costume and kilt

Clans of Scotland 17

CLAN

MacGregor This clan name was famously banned, yet its most renowned clansman became something of a folk hero

C THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: Loch Awe; Rob Roy MacGregor; Balquhidder cemetery OPPOSITE PAGE: Clan MacGregor catching salmon

lan Gregor (to give it another name) is traditionally descended from Grigor, a son (or brother) of Kenneth MacAlpin, first King of the Scots, hence the clan motto, ‘royal is my race’. The first recognised clan chief was Gregor of the Golden Bridles in the early 14th century, followed in about 1390 by his son Ian Camm One Eye. The MacGregor lands surrounding Loch Awe had been granted to the Campbells by Robert the Bruce in the 14th century, meaning that the MacGregors were restricted to Glenstrae, at the northeast end of the loch, from where they raided Campbell cattle.

In 1603 to avenge the death of two of their own, between 300 and 400 members of Clan MacGregor, with the help of MacFarlanes, attacked members of Clan Colquhoun at Glen Fruin, killing 140. In direct response, King James VI issued an edict proscribing the name of MacGregor, meaning that anyone found using it would be executed. They were banned from travelling in groups of four or more and those that killed a MacGregor were rewarded for their actions.

The most famous MacGregor was Rob Roy MacGregor, born in 1671. He had Jacobite sympathies, and plundered and robbed at will. His story is romanticised in Sir Walter Scott’s novel Rob Roy, which turned him into a folk hero. Rob Roy MacGregor died in 1734 and is buried in Balquhidder churchyard in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, where his grave can be visited. S

There are four main MacGregor tartans, including the MacGregor Red and Black (pictured), first mentioned in about 1819. There is also a Dance tartan, which can only be used by Highland dancers.

The clan crest is a “lion’s head erased proper, crowned with an antique crown Or”. The clan motto is “‘S Rioghal Mo Dhream” (“Royal is my race”).

Find out more: clangregor.com

18 Clans of Scotland

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SCOTLAND’S CLANS

Clans of Scotland 19

CLAN

Maclean One of the oldest clans in Scotland, this family can trace its roots right back to the 11th century

T

he chief of Clan Maclean is Sir Lachlan Maclean, and his seat is Duart Castle on Mull. The clan takes it name from its first recognised chief, Gilleain na Tuaighe, meaning ‘Gilleain of the Battle Axe’, who was born in the early 13th century, though its roots can be traced back even further.

The Macleans fought on the side of Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, though not all its battles were against the English. The Macleans also fought the Mackinnons, the Camerons, the MacDonalds and the Campbells.

To avoid conflict, inter-clan marriages were often arranged, such as the one between clan chief Lachlan Cattanach Maclean and Lady Elizabeth Campbell, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Argyll, in the 16th century. The marriage was an unhappy one, so much so that Lachlan marooned Elizabeth on a rock in the sea, hoping she would drown. However, she was rescued and returned to the Campbells. He was later murdered by Elizabeth’s brother.

Duart Castle, with its huge curtain walls, is a great place to learn more about the clan’s history. It is open to the public from April to October and a visit to Mull is always worth the short journey from Oban or Ardnamurchan. S

The clan has two recognised tartans.

The dress tartan bears a resemblance to the Royal Stewart tartan, but the Maclean version is older. The hunting tartan is Scotland’s oldest recorded tartan, and is predominantly green, with navy and white stripes.

The clan crest is a “tower embattled argent”, with the motto “Virtue Mine Honour”.

Find out more: maclean.org

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THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: Bruce’s army defeats the invading English Army at Bannockburn; the Maclean Highland costume and kilt; Maclean’s Cross on the Isle of Iona OPPOSITE PAGE: Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull

SCOTLAND’S CLANS

Clans of Scotland 21

22 Clans of Scotland

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CLOCKWISE FROM FAR RIGHT: John JR MacLeod; St Clement’s church on Harris bears MacLeod carvings; an engraving of Dunvegan Castle

SCOTLAND’S CLANS

CLAN

MacLeod Legend says a former chief of this clan, which held much of Skye, was gifted a flag by his fairy lover, which protected the clan in battle

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lan MacLeod is descended from a man named Leòd, who was said to belong to the Norse family that ruled the Isle of Man in the 13th century. He owned lands on Harris and Skye, and married a daughter of the Norse ‘seneschal’, or governor, of Skye, who owned the lands round Dunvegan.

There are two main branches, the MacLeods of Lewis, which acquired land on the mainland as well as the island of Raasay, and the MacLeods of Harris, who acquired Glenelg on the mainland, and built Dunvegan Castle on Skye.

The best known artefact in Dunvegan is the Fairy Flag, said to have been given to a clan chief by his fairy lover, and which legend says can be used to summon up magical powers when needed. Tradition states that it was used to defeat the MacDonalds in battle.

The MacCrimmons were the hereditary pipers to the chiefs of the clan at Dunvegan. They were so famous that they founded a piping school at Boreraig on Skye, now a deserted township.

Famous MacLeods have included Scottish biochemist John James Rickard Macleod, co-discoverer of insulin. The present clan chief is Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod. S

The clan has two main tartans. The MacLeod of Lewis (pictured), also known as the MacLeod Dress, and the MacLeod of Harris, also known as the MacLeod Hunting. The latter is derived from the Mackenzie tartan.

TOP TO BOTTOM: Looking across Loch Dunvegan to the castle;

18th-century Chief Norman MacLeod of Clan MacLeod in Highland costume

The clan crest is a “bull’s head cabossed sable, horned Or, between two flags gules, staved at the first”.

The clan motto is “hold fast”.

Find out more: clanmacleod.org

Clans of Scotland 23

CLAN

Stewart Many of Scotland’s kings and queens were descended from this powerful clan

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The clan tartan is the Royal Stewart, which is also the tartan of Her Majesty the Queen. Officially, it cannot be worn without the permission of the Queen, but in practice it can be worn by anyone, especially those who don’t have a tartan of their own.

The clan crest is “a pelican Argent, winged Or, in her nest feeding her young, Proper”. This is based on the crest of the Earls of Galloway, another cadet branch.

Find out more: stewartsociety.org

24 Clans of Scotland

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THIS PAGE TOP TO BOTTOM: Mary, Queen of Scots; Robert II of Scotland; Queen Anne on her deathbed OPPOSITE PAGE: Castle Stalker has long been connected to the Stewarts of Appin

lan Stewart (or ‘Stuart’) was Scotland’s most successful clan, eventually establishing the monarchies of Scotland and then Britain. The clan was descended from a family that came over from Brittany with William the Conqueror, and one of them, Walter Fitzalan, moved north and became steward to King David I of Scotland. One of his descendants, Walter, 6th High Steward, married the daughter of Robert the Bruce, and from this union came Robert II, Scotland’s first Stewart king.

At the Union of the Crowns in 1603, King James VI of Scotland became King of England and Ireland as James I and the Stewart line only ended in 1714 with the death of Queen Anne, the first ruler of Great Britain and Ireland. The most famous Stewart, of course, was the tragic Mary, Queen of Scots, who was beheaded on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I in 1587.

Clan Stewart is armigerous, meaning it has no chief. However, it has many cadet branches, including the Stewarts of Appin, made famous by the ‘Appin Murder’ of 1752. Colin Campbell, a government factor, was shot dead by an unknown sniper (thought to be Alan Breck Stewart). Alan escaped, and another clan member, James Stewart, was hanged for murder. In his novel Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson featured the killing. S

SCOTLAND’S CLANS

Clans of Scotland 25

Words by SALLY COFFEY

TARTAN traditions Much of what we think we know about Scottish clan culture was actually a romantic invention of the 19th century

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f you’ve ever walked along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile you’ll be familiar with the many tartan shops selling the clan dream, but what many tourists might not realise is that most clans didn’t really have their own tartan until they were assigned them in the 19th century.

Prior to the late 18th century, to outsiders the Highlands were viewed as a lawless, barbaric land and the clans associated with them as little more than savages. Only a series of cultural changes in the wake of the Battle of Culloden began to change all that.

One of the people often credited with romanticising the Highlands was one Walter Scott, a writer whose historical novels, based partly on fact, entwined with folklore and no small amount of creative licence, painted Highland clans as impassioned patriots.

Born in Edinburgh, Sir Walter Scott (as he later became known) first became enthralled by stories of Highland clans as a child when he visited his grandparents on their farm in Sandyknowe in the Scottish Borders. Here, his grandmother, Barbara, regaled him with tales of Borders reivers and skirmishes between the English and Scottish.

His grandmother’s tales, together with later trips to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, fired his imagination and Scott began to write about the Scottish landscapes he visited and the epic tales associated with them.

His poem, The Lady of the Lake, set amid the Trossachs and first published in 1810, became a literary sensation. Novels followed, including Waverley, set just before the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and Rob Roy (part of the Waverley series of novels) set in the lead up to the 1715 Jacobite Rising, which turned an outlaw of the MacGregor clan into a folklore hero. Soon readers wanted to visit the wild, dramatic landscapes that Scott described so well and literary tourism in Scotland began to take off. Scott’s influence on the romanticising of the Highlands is undeniable – he stage-managed a visit to Scotland

by King George IV in 1822, the first time a reigning monarch had set foot north of the border since King Charles II came to be crowned King of Scots. But he did not achieve it single-handedly.

Romanticism in Scotland was an artistic and intellectual movement that sprang up in the late 18th century, at the same time as Romanticism was making waves in other parts of Europe.

Soon readers wanted to visit the wild, dramatic landscapes that Scott described and literary tourism began to take off

It took hold here, perhaps in a response to the logical and high-thinking Scottish Enlightenment that had dominated for decades. Peers of Scott included the national bard Robert Burns, who wrote largely in the Scots language, and who revised traditional folk songs in his own inimitable style, and Thomas Carlyle, the philosopher who encouraged poetic thought.

The works of Ossian, a supposed narrator of epic poems passed down in Gaelic through generations, were also influential, and contributed to the worldwide Gaelic revival, though it is now thought that Ossian is a fictitious character, made up by the poet James Macpherson to tell the folk tales he himself had collected.

But there is another figure that cemented the view of the Highlands as a desirable place to visit and helped paint the clans as powerful, respectable units: Queen Victoria.

From the moment Victoria first visited Scotland in 1842 she was hooked, writing in her diary: “The impression Edinburgh has made upon us is very great; it is quite beautiful, totally unlike anything else I have seen.”

It wasn’t long before Victoria began to venture into the Highlands, visiting a hunting lodge in rural Aberdeenshire, which would later become Balmoral Castle, built to her husband’s vision, of which she greatly improved: “Every year my heart becomes more fixed in this dear Paradise,” she wrote in 1856.

Victoria and Albert were known to travel the Highlands incognito but it was more overt images of them arriving at Balmoral by private train from London that made the Scottish Highlands a very fashionable place to visit indeed. In 1848 Queen Victoria visited the Braemar Gathering, held near Balmoral, and after that became a regular attendee, giving her very public endorsement of the revival of Highland games, which had stalled after the Battle of Culloden.

Though today Highland games, which take place across Scotland from May to September, are huge spectacles that include fully-kilted clan members, old games such as the caber toss and the tug ‘o’ war, together with piping bands and dancing competitions, this wasn’t always the case.

Traditionally, Highland games were used to find the strongest fighters for a clan chieftain, or even the best pipers and dancers to add prestige to their clan. The Victorian revival, which added flamboyance, made them popular with country house gatherings, but today they are huge

Images of Victoria and Albert arriving at Balmoral made the Scottish Highlands a very fashionable place to visit

community events where all are welcome, attracting visitors from across the world.

But is it really true that clan tartans are a 19th-century invention? Well, yes and no. While tartan was certainly worn by clans in the early part of the 18th century, there is scant evidence that tartans specific to a clan existed prior to the 1745 Jacobite Rising.

Before this, clans would have worn simple checked tartan patterns, woven locally so that colours, extracted using dyes from plants, bore some relation to the area in which they were made.

Writing for the Scottish Tartans Authority, the late James D Scarlett MBE, described the evolution of clan tartan thus: “The Jacobite Army in the 1745 was organised in clan regiments and in such a long and mobile campaign some re-equipment must have been necessary so, however the men may have been dressed at the outset, it is probable that a considerable degree of uniformity must have ensued which resulted in clan regiments eventually wearing uniform tartans that became Clan Tartans by a natural process.”

Following the Battle of Culloden, tartans were seen as badges of identification, and the Hanoverian monarchy sought to undermine clan culture with a series of measures, including the Dress Act of 1746, which banned the wearing of tartan.

Though this act was repealed in 1785, enthusiasm for the wearing of clan tartan had waned until the historic visit by George IV in 1822 in which the king dressed in Royal Stewart tartan, thus instigating the tartan revival.

As many historic tartans had been lost over the years, 19th-century tailors began to reinvent tartans and assigned a specific tartan to each clan.

Today clans often boast several tartans, depending on why they are being worn – clan tartans, for instance, can be worn by anyone, while dress tartans are worn by Highland dancers and there are even mourning tartans. Though you can trawl the shops on the Royal Mile for the more famous of the clan tartans, for a level of authenticity you’re best off consulting the Scottish Tartans Authority, which lists all the official tartans of each clan.

But remember, though they may be associated with your clan today, it’s unlikely your clan tartan is anything like what your 18th-century ancestors would have worn. S

© RUTHBLACK/JARIN13/ISTOCK/THE PICTURE STUDIO/MARGIT777/SHUTTERSTOCK

Clans would have worn simple tartan patterns, woven locally so that colours bore some relation to the area they were made in

ANCESTRY

FAMILY ROOTS Genealogy expert Chris Paton reveals how to pinpoint the homelands of your clan ancestors

here is a popular notion that many Scots belong to a particular clan, usually pertaining to the surname by which they go. In reality the clan system has long disappeared from the country, largely the result of the catastrophic defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle Culloden in 1746.

Much of what passes for clan-based ephemera these days, including specific clan tartans and badges, is actually a fairly recent phenomenon from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The word ‘clan’ comes from the Gaelic ‘clann’, meaning ‘children’, but its meaning was wider than simply sharing a blood relationship with the head of a particular territorial family. A clan was also a social unit, welcoming outsiders who pledged fealty to the chief – with many adopting the clan surname out of respect – who would fight and defend the honour of their chief and brethren when called upon to do so. Although the system declined rapidly from the mid-18th century, many stories and traditions were preserved and perpetuated by emigrants in the new lands to which they travelled, as well as by some who remained behind, with many clan associations today doing superb work in collating their relevant histories.

To trace the lands and identities of forebears from across the Highlands, Islands and Lowlands, a good starting point is to work through the most recent generations via the records and resources hosted on the ScotlandsPeople platform. If you find a connection to one of the great clans there, many additional resources exist where you may find further mentions of your families. For example, the National Library of Scotland hosts many clan histories, while Electric Scotland has additional guides and histories.

There are other resources that hold records from some of the great clan territories, such as the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, as well as various county archives.

30 Clans of Scotland

Many ancestral clan seats have their own private archives, such as Inveraray Castle, home to the earls and dukes of Argyll of the Campbell clan.

With much of the Gaelic culture of the Highlands and Islands being orally based, additional resources such as the Seallam Visitor Centre on the Isle of Harris can also assist, with access to unique stories and information passed down by word of mouth, as well as through documentation.

VisitScotland is the website of Scotland’s national tourist board, and offers a background to the clan system with details of ancestral seats for clan chiefs and popular ancestral tours. The site also offers information on accommodation, and various events and activities to incorporate into your trip to Scotland.

On any visit, do try to include the Culloden Visitor Centre near Inverness, to shed a tear at one of the most emotional museum experiences that you will ever encounter, and to honour and remember a way of life now long sadly gone. S

ABOVE: The clan crest at the ancestral home of the Campbells of Cawdor bears the heraldic motto: “Be mindful”

RESEARCH RESOURCES ScotlandsPeople scotlandspeople.gov.uk National Library of Scotland archive.org/details/ scottishfamilyhistory Electric Scotland electricscotland.com/webclans/ index.html National Records of Scotland nrscotland.gov.uk

Inveraray Castle slhf.org/directory-organisation/ argyll-papers-inveraray-castle Seallam Visitor centre hebridespeople.com/visitor-centre VisitScotland visitscotland.com/see-do/researchyour-ancestry/clans/ Culloden Battlefield nts.org.uk/visit/places/culloden

© CLAUDINE VM/ISTOCK

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