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THE GREAT
CLANS OF SCOTLAND
Each year almost
50,000 people from at least 40 countries across the world meet in
Scotland’s capital city Edinburgh, to celebrate Scottish culture,
heritage and family history. At the annual Clan Gathering, thousands
of people line the Royal Mile to watch the Great Clans of Scotland
proudly parading through the ancient streets of the nation’s capital
with pipes sounding and drums beating the march. Many of the clans
represented have a rich history, such as those featured in our
listing below;
 Baird:
From
the 13th century this surname has been associated with Lanarkshire
and also with the Aberdeen and Banff regions. Important families of
that name appear from the 14th century. The Bairds have long been
prominent in the legal profession as well as in national affairs.
John Baird was appointed Lord of Session with the title Lord Newbyth
in the 17th century. General Sir David Baird (1737 – 1829) entered
the Army in 1772 and served in India from 1780; he was severely
wounded and taken prisoner by Hyder Ali. He captured Pondicherry in
1793 and Seringapatam in 1799 and made a famous march across the
desert from the Red Sea to the River Nile in 1801. He commanded an
expedition to the Cape of Good Hope in 1805. Family motto -
Dominus fecit
(God Made).
 Bruce:
The
Bruces are descended from a Norman Knight who arrived in England
with William the Conqueror in 1066. The name Bruce derives from an
area of land in Normandy, France, now called Brix. The Bruces held
important lordships in the north of England and a branch of the
family settled in Annandale in the 12th century. King
Robert the Bruce (1274 – 1329), was crowned King of Scotland in
1306. In that same year he was defeated at Methven, and took refuge in
Rathlin. From 1307 he was actively engaged harrying the English, and
in 1314 won a decisive victory over Edward II at Bannockburn. Bruce
consolidated his kingdom and the war with England was closed by the
Treaty of Northampton in 1328. Bruce died at Cardross the following
year. Family motto –
Fuimus
(We have been).
 Cockburn:
The
Cockburns are a Border Clan.
The surname derives from a place name near Duns, in Berwickshire.
Sir Alexander Cockburn de Langton became Keeper of the Great Seal
of Scotland in 1390. Sir Alexander's son, also Sir Alexander, was
created Great Usher in the Scots Parliament. The Cockburns were
staunch supporters of Mary Queen of Scots, and in 1568 lost their
castle at Skirling, in Midlothian as a consequence of this. Sir Alex
J E Cockburn, the eminent Judge, was appointed Solicitor-General in
1850, Chief Justice in 1858 and Lord Chief Justice of England in
1859. He presided over many of the most important and notorious
trials in Victorian England, including the famous
Tichborne trial in
1873.
Family
motto -
Accendit cantu
(He excites us with song).
 Cunningham:
The
family takes its name from the district of Cunningham in Ayrshire.
The name derives from the Saxon "cuinneag" meaning "milk pail" along
with "ham" meaning "village". In the
12th century, the lands of Kilmaurs in Ayrshire were
granted to a Norman named Warnebald, whose descendants adopted the territorial name Cunningham. The Cunninghams received
additional lands thanks to their support of Robert the Bruce. It was
King James III that granted Sir William Cunningham the titles of
Lord Kilmaurs in 1462 and later earl of Glencairn in 1488. In 1653,
the 9th Earl of Glencairn raised an army in support of Charles II.
After the
Restoration in 1660, Charles II appointed him Lord Chancellor.Family
motto – Over Fork Over.
 Dalziel:
The
family takes its name from Dalziel in Lanarkshire. Thomas de Dalziel
swore allegiance to King
Edward I of England in 1296, but later,
appears to have changed sides and fought alongside King Robert the
Bruce at Bannockburn. It was a Robert Dalziel who was created Lord
Dalzell in 1628. Gen.
Sir Thomas Dalzell fought for
Charles I
during the Civil War. After
the Battle of Worcester in 1651, he was captured and sent to the
Tower of London. He escaped the following year and subsequently
traveled to Russia, where he served the Tsar as a general of cavalry
against the Turks and Poles. He returned in 1666, when he was
appointed Commander-in-Chief of the forces in Scotland by Charles
II. He was the first Colonel of the Scots Greys, the regiment that
defeated the Covenanters at the Battle of Rullion Green. Family
motto – I Dare.
 Douglas:
One of
the most powerful families in Scotland, the first documented Douglas
was a William de Douglas in the 12th century in Morayshire. Although
a much earlier origin of the name is thought to derive from the
Gaelic dubhghlais meaning ‘black water’. In 1330 “Good Sir
James Douglas” was killed in Spain, attempting to take Robert the
Bruce’s heart on a crusade to the Holy Land. In the 14th
century the Earldom of Douglas was created, and William, the first
holder was also Earl of Mar. From his son were descended the Earls
of Angus and the Queensbury branch. James Douglas, 4th
Earl of Morton succeeded to the title and estates in 1553. He was
prominent in the assignation of Rizzio, and joined forces against
Mary Queen of Scots. In 1572 he was elected Regent of Scotland, but
in 1581 was beheaded for his alleged part in the Darnley Conspiracy.
Family
motto –
Jamais
arričre
(Never behind).
 Elliot:
The
Elliots are one of the great 'riding clans' of the Scottish Borders.
Their arrival in Teviotdale can be traced back to the reign of
Robert the Bruce. James the 15th Chief was killed with James IV at
the Battle of Flodden in 1513. From 1565, a bloody clan feud
developed between the Elliots and the Scotts, after Scott of
Buccleugh executed four Elliots for stealing cattle. The Elliot
family held the lands of Reheugh, Larriston, Arkleton and Stobs.
From the Stobs branch were descended Lord Heathfield, and Gilbert
Elliot who was Governor-General of India. George Armstrong Eliott
was appointed Governor of Gibraltar in 1775, and his four years’ defence of the Rock (1779 – 1783) is one of the most glorious
achievements in British history. In 1787 he was created Lord
Heathfield and Baron Gibraltar.
Family
motto – Fortiter et recte (With strength and right).
 Erskine:
The
family takes its name from the lands of Erskine in Renfrewshire,
just south of the River Clyde, which was held by Henry de Erskine in
the reign of Alexander II. The Erskines were supporters of Robert the
Bruce, and it was Bruce's son, David II, that appointed Sir Robert
de Erskine Keeper of Stirling Castle. Robert later became Lord Great
Chamberlain of Scotland 1350 – 1357. His grandson was created Lord
Erskine and from this branch was descended the Earls of Kellie. The
6th Lord Erskine was granted the Earldom of Mar in 1565,
known as "Bobbing John" for his regular switching of loyalties;
after raising an army of over ten thousand for James VIII, he led
the Jacobite Rising of 1715.
Family
motto -
Je Pense Plus (I think more).
 Fletcher:
The
name originates from the French fleche meaning arrow.
Families of that name are found all over Scotland as they followed
the clan for whom they made the arrows, so we find them associated
in Argyllshire with the Campbells and the Stewarts, and in
Perthshire with the MacGregors. The famous Scottish patriot Andrew
Fletcher of Saltoun (1653 - 1716), strongly opposed the
Act of Union
which in 1707 dissolved the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, of
which he was a member, and merged it with the English Parliament at
Westminster. During the 1745 Jacobite Uprising, Fletchers fought on
both sides. In the early 1800’s, hundreds of Fletcher clansmen and
women were cleared from the Scottish Highlands by the Campbells of
Breadalbane to make way for sheep grazing with many emigrating
overseas.
Family
motto -
Dieu pour nous (God for us)
 Gow:
The
name Gow derives from the Gaelic gobha, meaning armourer or
blacksmith, and the son of the smith would therefore be Mac
gobhann, known today as MacGowan. The Gows are a part of the
Clan Chattan. At the Clan Battle fought on the North Inch of
Perth
in 1396, the hero of the fight was the Gobha Chrom – the
crooked smith – said to be “small in stature, bandy legged, but
fierce” he together with nine members of the Clan Chattan were all
that remained alive when the battle was over. Neil Gow, the Prince
of Scottish Fiddlers, was born at the Perthshire town of Inver in
1727. He was a born musician and his services were in great demand
for the fashionable gatherings throughout Scotland and England. He
was especially renowned for his reels and strathspeys and many of
his own compositions remain popular to the present day.
Family
motto – Touch not the cat bot a glove.
 Hamilton:
This
family is said to be descended from Walter Fitz Gilbert, who was
granted the lands of Cadzow by Robert the Bruce. James of Cadstow
was created Lord Hamilton in 1445, and married Princess Mary, the
daughter of James II in 1474.Their son was created Earl of Arran in
1503, and stood next in line to the crown of Scotland.
The
4th Earl of Arran became the keeper of both Edinburgh and Stirling
Castles, and was created a Marquess in 1599. For his support of King
Charles I, the third Marquess was created a Duke in 1643. In 1648
the Duke led a Scottish Army into England, but was defeated at the
Battle of Preston by the troops of Oliver Cromwell. Together with
his king he was beheaded in London in 1649.
Family
motto – Through.
 Hay:
The
family of Hay has many branches through Scotland, and can trace
their history back to
the Norman princes de La Haye who were part of William
the Conqueror's army that swept into England in 1066.
Sir William Hay was created Earl of Errol in 1453, and this branch
held the office of Hereditary Constable of Scotland from the time of
King Robert the Bruce.
The
family still retains that title, giving them precedence in Scotland
second only to the royal family. In the 15th century, Sir Gilbert
Hay fought alongside Joan of Arc in France. On returning to
Scotland, Sir Gilbert was killed alongside King James IV and many
other Scots at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Supporters of Mary
Queen of Scots, the Hays rejected the Reformation. In 1806 Charles
Hay, son of John Hay of Cocklaw, was raised to the Bench with the
title of Lord Newton.
Family
motto –
Serva
jugum
(Keep the yoke).
 Henderson
and Mackendrick:
The name Henderson is in Gaelic mac Eanruig (son of
Henry), sometimes anglicised to McHenry, Henryson, Mackendrick, etc.
The clan claim descent from the Pictish prince Big Henry, son of
King Nechtan, who arrived in Kinlochleven, just north of Glencoe
around 900AD. Renowned for their size and strength, the Hendersons
became the personal body guards of the chief of the Clan MacDonald
of Glencoe and suffered the consequences of this in 1692 at the
bloody Massacre of Glencoe. Alexander Henderson was the most
prominent Presbyterian divine of his time, drafting the Solemn
League and Covenant in 1643. He later became Moderator of the Church
of Scotland and is buried in Greyfriar's churchyard, Edinburgh.
Family
motto –
Sola virtus nobilitat
(Virtue alone enobles).
 Johnstone:
There
are several “John’s towns” in Scotland, however the earliest record
of it being used as a surname is in 1174 by one John of Johnstone in
Annadale, Dumfrieshire. Later in 1296, Sir John of Johnstone of
Dumfries pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. Although at
that time Perth was known as St Johnston and an area of East Lothian
was called Jonystoun it was the fighting Johnstons of the Western
Borders who would become the most powerful group of Johnstons in
Scotland. During the Civil War, the Clan Johnstone supported the
Royalist cause of King Charles. In 1633, King Charles I rewarded
this loyalty by granting the title of lordship to the Johnstone
chief. By the 1700’s the Clan Chief of the Johnstones had been
elevated even further, from the rank of Lord to Earl of Annadale and
Secretary of State.
Family
motto – Nunquam non paratus (Never unprepared).
 Lennox:
Lennox was one of the ancient divisions of Scotland, and comprised
the present county of Dumbarton, with portions of Stirling, Perth
and Renfrew. The Sheriffdom of the district was granted to Mathew,
Earl of Lennox in 1511. Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley (1545 – 1567)
was the second son of the Earl of Lennox. He was created Duke of
Albany and in 1565 he married Queen Mary, who had him proclaimed
King of Scotland. The marriage was an unhappy one, and his part in
the murder of Rizzio estranged him from the Queen. He was on the
point of leaving the country when he was murdered at the
Kirk-o’-Field in 1567. He was the father of the future King James VI
and I. Family motto – I’ll defend.
 Leslie:
The clan takes its name from Leslie in Aberdeenshire where it was
firmly established by the 12th century. George Leslie of
Leslie was created Earl of Rothes in 1447.
Later
Leslies took up the career of professional soldiering, fighting in
Germany, France and Sweden. Alex Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, served
in the Swedish Army for 30 years. He was knighted by King Gustavus
Adolphos of Sweden in 1606, and appointed Field Marshall some years
later. Returning to Scotland he commanded the Covenanting Army but
was defeated by Cromwell at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650. After the
restoration of the monarchy he was created Lord Newark. In 1680 the
7th Earl of Rothes became Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
Family
motto – Grip fast.
 MacDonell
or MacDonald of Clanranald:
The largest of
the Highland clans, the Norse-Gaelic Clan Ranald was descended from
Ranald, son of John, Lord of the Isles. The Lord of the Isles had
its own parliament and at one time was powerful enough to challenge
the kings of Scotland. Their territory was principally along
Scotland’s northwest coast. In the Wars of Scottish Independence the
MacDonalds fought alongside Robert the Bruce. Following the Battle
of Bannockburn in 1314, King Robert the Bruce proclaimed
that
Clan Donald would always occupy the honoured position on the right
wing of the Scottish army. The MacDonalds were involved in both the
1715 and 1745 Jacobite Uprisings. Bonnie Prince Charlie even landed
in Clanranald territory in 1745, and it was Flora MacDonald who helped
him escape to Skye after his crushing defeat at the Battle of
Culloden the following year.
Family
motto –
Per mare per terras
(By sea and by land), also My hope is constant in thee.
 MacDougal
or MacDougall: The Clan MacDougal is descended from the eldest son Dougal or Dugald, of
the princely House of Somerled, King of the Hedbrides. As eldest
son, Dougal inherited his father's lands in Argyll and Lorn, as well
as the islands of Mull, Jura, Tiree and Lismore. Through marriage
the MacDougalls were related to the Clan Comyn, so when Robert the
Bruce murdered the Red Comyn in his bid to become king, a bloody
feud erupted.
In the
17th century during the Civil War the clan supported the
Royalist cause, which led to them losing much of their lands; these
were subsequently returned when the Stuart monarchy was restored. The MacDougalls built Ardchattan Priory near to Oban in Argyll, and the
clan chiefs were buried there until the early 1700’s.
Family
motto - Buaidh no bas (To conquer or die).
 MacQuarrie:
The
ancestral home of the Clan MacQuarrie is the tiny Inner Hebridean
island of Ulva, off Scotland’s northwest coast. The first recorded
Clan Chief was John Macquarrie of Ulva, who died in 1473. In 1651
the clan suffered heavily at the Battle of Inverkeithing. Supporters
of King Charles II of England, the Scots Royalist forces were
decimated by the well disciplined Parliamentarian New Model Army of
the English. Allan Macquarrie of Ulva, chief of the Clan MacQuarrie
and most of his followers were killed in the battle. Maj-Gen Lachlan
MacQuarrie joined the Black Watch in 1777, and after serving in
North America, India and Egypt was appointed Governor of the convict
settlement of New South Wales. The colony was in a critical
condition when he arrived, but under his wise government the colony
prospered. Known as the Father of Australia, he laid out Sydney, but
in 1821 was forced to return to Britain due to ill health. Family
motto – Turris fortis mihi Deus (God is to me a tower of
strength).
 Maclean:
Tradition tells that this powerful clan was descended from
Gilleain-nan-Tuagh (Gillian of the Battle Axe),
a descendant of the Kings of Dalriada. Gillian fought against King
Haakon of Norway at the Battle of Largs in 1263.
The first recorded mention of the
Macleans of Duart is in a Papal Dispensation of 1367, which allowed
the Maclean Clan Chief to marry Mary MacDonald, the daughter of the
Lord of the Isles. The Isle of Mull off Scotland’s northwest
coast was the principal home of the clan, with the MacDonald dowry
supplying the funds to purchase substantial parcels of the island.
The Macleans supported King Charles I
against the Parliamentarians. Sir Hector Ruadh Maclean and five
hundred of his clansmen were slain at the Battle of Inverkeithing in
1651 by Cromwell’s New Model Army. In 1876 Sir Harry Maclean
resigned his commission in the British Army to join the army of the
Sultan of Morocco. He enjoyed a romantic career and became military
leader and personal advisor to the Sultan. Family motto – Virtue
Mine Honour.
 Napier:
Tradition says the Napiers were descended from the old Celtic Earls
of Lennox. It is thought that the name derives from the occupational
name of "naperer", one who looked after the linen in the royal
household. John de Napier is first named in a land charter of 1280.These
lands at Kilmahew in Dunbartonshire were subsequently held by
Napiers for 18 generations, before finally being sold in 1820. John
assisted in the defence of Stirling Castle in 1303, and a descendent
went on to become Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1401.
The 7th Laird of Merchsiton, John Napier, (1550-1617) is
famous for inventing a hydraulic screw for clearing coal pits of
water, a calculating machine, a battle tank or two, and the system
of logarithms that so revolutionised mathematics. His son Archibald
accompanied James VI to London in 1603 when he became king of
England. Family motto – Sans tache (Without stain).
 Malcolm:
The
family of Malcolm had settled in the counties of Stirling, Dumbarton
and Argyll by the 14th century. The name however, derives
from a much earlier date, to the followers of the Irish Saint
Columba who established the first monastery on the Scottish Isle of
Iona. ‘Maol’ derives from the gaelic meaning ‘shaven head’ or
‘monk’, and so ‘Maol Chalum’ is a monk, or disciple of Columba. In
the 18th century the chief of the Clan MacCallum, Dugald
MacCallum of Poltalloch adopted the name Malcolm. It is unclear why
Dugald did this, but it could be that he considered the two names
interchangeable, perhaps through distant ancestral links. Admiral
Sir Pulteney Malcolm entered the Royal Navy in 1778, and in 1798
captured three Spanish gunboats in Manila Bay. While
Commander-in-Chief of the St.Helena Station, 1816-17, he won the
‘warm regard’ of Napoleon. Family motto – In ardua petit (He
aims at difficult things).
 Robertson:
The Robertsons, or Clan Donnachaidh (children of Duncan), were
descended from the Celtic Earls of Atholl, who in turn were from a
line of the kings of Dalriada. ‘Stout Duncan’ was a minor land-owner
and clan chief in Highland Perthshire in the early 1300’s. Although
the clan appears to have been loyal to the Bruce and Stewart royal
dynasties, they also earned a reputation as raiders and feuders in
medieval Scotland. The change of name can be dated to the fourth
chief of Clann Dhonnchaidh, Robert Riabhach (Grizzled)
Duncanson. It was Robert who tracked down, and brought to justice,
the murderers of King James I in 1437. The
Robertsons were involved in both the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite
Uprisings. During the 18th and early 19th
centuries the Robertson Chiefs refused to ‘clear’ their fellow
clansmen in favour of the more profitable sheep. Family motto –
Garg ‘n uair dhuisgear (fierce when roused).
 Rose:
The
chief branch of the clan was the Roses of Kilravock who are recorded
in Inverness in the 13th century, and the charter
confirming the possession of the Barony on Kilravock is dated 1293.
The family is Norman in origin, and settled in Scotland after a
brief period in England. The Roses were supporters of Robert the
Bruce, and it was Sir William Rose in 1306 that captured Invernairn
Castle for him during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Kilravock
Castle was built by Hugh Rose, the 7th Laird in 1460.
During the Jacobite Uprising the Clan Rose supported the British
government. Sir Hugh Rose (1803-1885) was in command of the Central
Field Force during the Indian Mutiny, where he fought many successful
actions, capturing 150 pieces of artillery, taking 20 forts,
capturing Ratghur, Shanghur, Chundehree, Jhansi and Calpese. His skill and daring were largely
responsible for saving Britain’s Indian Empire.
Family
motto – Constant and true.
 Wallace:
The
Wallace family originates from the Scottish Lowland area of
Strathclyde, near to Glasgow. Family members can also be traced
across Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Like other Lowland families it
appears that they had taken to the new Norman fashion of adopting a
surname. The first recorded use of the name can be dated to the
signing of a land charter by Richard Walensis in 1160. The most
famous son of the family is of course Scotland’s patriotic and
romantic leader, Sir William Wallace, “the Hero of Scotland”, who
was born at Elderslie in 1274. In 1297 he led the Scots patriotic
forces against King Edward I of England. He won the Battle of
Stirling Bridge and drove the English garrisons out of Scotland, but
was defeated at Falkirk in 1298. He kept up a guerrilla war until
1305 when he was captured by treachery and executed. Family motto –
Pro Libertate (For liberty.
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