Scottish Clans

Did you ever wonder why the O' prefix rarely occurs with indigenous Scottish names?  In episode 28 I relate what I have found about the origin of the O' and Mac prefixes and why there's not as many of them in Scotland, as opposed to Ireland, where they are much more common.

This is the first in a series of episodes on clan clusters.  What clans made up the confederation known as Clan Chattan?  How did the confederation come to be?  How were these clans connected?  Join me as I discuss this major Highland group.

Wrapping up the series on the Gallowglass, I discuss three more kindreds who operated as Gallowglass, one that you would expect and two that you wouldn't.

In the last episode we did an introduction to the Galloglass.  In this episode we discuss SOME of the prominent Galloglass kindreds, specifically the MacDonnells, MacDougalls (MacDowells), MacRorys, MacCabes, MacSheehys and MacCoys.  In the next episode we'll introduce some clans that are well-known but not as Galloglass. This is also available on iTunes and Spotify. Hope you enjoy! facebook.com/c...

The Gallowglass were some of the most fearsome fighters of their day.  Hailing from the Western Highlands and Isles, these clans of mixed Gaelic and Scandinavian descent provided the Lords and Chieftains of Ireland with elite infantry that became famous in western Europe for their prowess on the battlefield.

Our first visit to Ayrshire in this podcast, I relate the main events of the Montgomery vs. Cunningham feud.  This feud was inextricably entwined with the dynastic struggles and the religious conflicts of their nation.

In this second part of the series on the structure of a clan, I discuss what the membership of a clan would look like.  Did everyone who rallied to the chief's call bear the same surname?  Were they related to the chief in any way?  Check out this episode to see what I've read on this subject.

This episode is mostly in response to listener engagement and feedback.  Thanks to those of you who have pursued the conversation!  Your comments have been interesting and insightful.  I also added a little storytelling at the end.  Here's to the Border Reivers!

This is the first in a series where I discuss how a clan was put together.  This episode focuses on the chief and his retinue, to include: the military commander, the poet/historian, piper/harpist, and the physician.

This episode doesn't cover the whole length of the feud between these two prominent Scottish kindreds.  Rather, it relates the conflicts that happened in 1572 as related by Alexander MacGregor in "The Feuds of the Clans", published in 1907.  I might add that it seems like MacGregor's account is biased toward the Gordons.  Sorry.  Forbes, do you have any other sources for this time period?  Share t...

When John Campbell of GlenOrchy takes possession of lands in Caithness, the title of Earl of Caithness, and George Sinclair's widow as payment for the debt Sinclair owed him, George Sinclair of Keiss isn't having it.  That's his inheritance and he won't take this intrusion laying down.

Today we flesh out the histories of the MacFarlane and MacGregor clans in the first of a series on alliances.  These two clans shared more than neighboring territory across Loch Lomond.  They stirred up trouble together and fought through thick and thin. I also highlight a website that displays the current geographical distribution of surnames within the UK.  Here's the link: named.publicprofiler....

In the service of his king, General Wade spent time in the Highlands, taking notes on aspects of Highland culture that would be militarily relevant.  His report on this experience offers interesting insight into the culture of the clans, such as clan structure and cattle stealing. https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/geog/chapter8.htm named.publicprofiler.org facebook.com/clansofscotland

I've been working on a couple projects surveying the origins of the Scottish clans, as well as those in Ireland.  In doing so, I have seen certain trends that are worth mentioning.  Where do the oldest clans (in a form we would recognize today) come from?  How far do they go back?  Check out this episode to see what I've learned.

A jealous abduction, a heartbroken suicide, and a fatal loophole; the Gunn vs. Keith feud has all the elements of a blockbuster movie.

The Borders Reivers are not what you imagine when you think of Scottish icons.  They weren't kilted light infantry swinging claymores, charging into battle to the sound of the Highland pipes.  But their history is not less colorful, nor their stories any less exciting than their northern countrymen.  Join me as I discuss these raiding, feuding, daring Borderers and tell the tale of the Battle of D...

One of the bloodiest battles in Scottish history, Harlaw involved a multitude of clans and pitted the men of the western Highlands and Isles against the men of northeast Scotland.  Included in this campaign was the Battle of Dingwall, near Inverness, where the men of the Mackenzie, Mackay, Fraser, and Dingwall clans tried, unsuccessfully, to check the advance of the Lord of the Isles and his men. ...

Somerled, the founder of the Lordship of the Isles...or was he?  In this episode, I discuss some of the things I have found through reading "Kinship, Church and Culture".  Where did the Lordship of the Isles have its beginning?  This is a huge topic for those of you with MacDonald, MacDougall or MacRory ancestry.  I also discuss the connection between the MacRorys and the MacDonnells of Clan Ranal...

There is a difference in the way Highland clans and Lowland clans are presented in many of our clan sources.  This leads us to wonder how similar they really were.  Were the Lowland clans really more like English aristocratic families (with the exception of the Border clans, who are portrayed more like the Highland clans)?  I found some answers and look forward to sharing my research with you.

This episode is meant to help those of you who want to do some of your own research on the clans of Scotland.  There is a discrepancy between what is available on a general internet search and what the scholarly community has accomplished.  As long as we know what we're getting into, we can handle some of these flaws in the sources.

This has got to be one of the most exciting stories in Highland history.  Feuds, ambushes, sieges, plotting.  This story needs to become either a bestselling novel or a blockbuster hit.  The Stewarts of Appin are in the center of the story, with John, Lord of Lorn, trying to pass on his inheritance to an illegitimate son, Dugald, if he can live long enough to do it. Also, there is some information...

The Cameron vs Mackintosh feud is one of the most infamous and long-lasting feuds in Scottish history.  Who won?  Well, that depends on what perspective you take.  Which clan won the most battles that we have record of?  Which clan was in better shape when the feud ended?  Which clan achieved their objective?  These are the questions we seek to answer in this episode. Here is a link to the Scottis...

When someone wants to learn more about the Scottish clans, or about a specific clan, where do they go?  On an internet search, which websites pop up at the top of the list?  I look into this subject, describing and critiquing these sources.  What's your primary source to learn about the clans?  Find the Scottish Clans Facebook page and let me know there.

In all our discussion of Gaels, Britons, Angles, and Picts, let's not leave out the Norse and Normans, who founded many Scottish kindreds.  Remember that the Normans were originally Scandinavians who were invited by the king of France to settle in northern France (modern Normandy) to serve as buffers against further Viking attacks.  They integrated into French society, married local girls, and ado...

In this episode, I discuss the other, non-Gaelic ethnic groups that, along with Dal Riata, were the foundation of Scotland.  Which clans claim descent from them?  In the southwest of Scotland, from around the Loch Lomond area down through Galloway were the Britons of Clyde Rock (later of Strathclyde).  In the eastern Lowlands, the Germanic Angles established themselves at the expense of the earlie...