Clan Donald

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Clan Donald
Clann Dòmhnaill, Na Dòmhnallaich
Finlaggan Castle
Septs of Clan Donald
Clan branches
MacDonald of Islay (historic chiefs)
Baron Macdonald (current chiefs)
MacAlister (senior cadet branch of Clan Donald)
Macdonald of Sleat (Clan Donald North)
MacDonald of Dunnyveg (Clan Donald South)
Macdonald of Clanranald (Clan Ranald)
MacDonald of Keppoch (Clan Ranald of Lochaber)
MacDonald of Largie (Clan Ranald Bane)
MacDonell of Glengarry (Clan Ranald of Knoydart & Glengarry)
MacDonnell of Antrim (MacDonnells of the Glens)
MacDonald of Ardnamurchan (Clan MacIain)
Clan MacDonald of Glencoe
MacDonald of Lochalsh
Allied clans
Rival clans
Clan MacLean
Clan Mackenzie
Kindreds

Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald (

Scottish Gaelic: Clann Dòmhnaill; Mac Dòmhnaill [ˈkʰl̪ˠãũn̪ˠ ˈt̪õː.ɪʎ]), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of coats of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, recognises under Scottish law the High Chief of Clan Donald. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs also held the title of Earl of Ross until 1476. Queen Mary of Denmark
is member of Clan Donald.

There are also numerous branches to the Clan Donald and several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, Clan MacDonald of Glencoe, and Clan MacAlister. There are also notable historic branches of Clan Donald without chiefs so-recognised, these are: the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg, Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh, and the MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan. The MacDonnells of Antrim are a cadet branch of the MacDonalds of Dunnyveg but do not belong to the Scottish associations and have a chief officially recognised in Ireland.

History

Origins

The Norse-Gaelic Clan Donald traces its descent from

House of Ivar, but this is commonly argued.[5]

Tradition gave Somerled a Gaelic descent in the male line,

Lords of the Isles, proclaims "Ceannas Ghàidheal do Chlainn Cholla, còir fhògradh," (The Headship of the Gael to the family of Colla, it is right to proclaim it), giving MacDonald's genealogy back to Colla Uais.[8]

However, a recent

R1a1 haplotype found in Scotland has been regarded as often showing Norse descent in the Britain and Ireland.[9]

Scottish-Norwegian War

In 1263

Aonghas Mor and his clan had technically been vassals of Haakon and so the king of Scots became their new overlord, as confirmed in the Treaty of Perth.[11]

Wars of Scottish Independence

Aongus Mor's son was Aonghus Óg of Islay who supported Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.[11] In recognition of Clan Donald's support King Robert the Bruce proclaimed that Clan Donald would always occupy the honoured position on the right wing of the Scottish army.[12]

15th to 16th centuries

Succession to the Earldom of Ross

The Battle of Harlaw as depicted in The Clan Donald volume 1 (1896), by A and A MacDonald, who assert that Donald of Islay and his army of Scottish Highlanders won a victory over the Duke of Albany and his army of Scottish Lowlanders, which resulted in the "total annihilation" of the Lowland army.[13] However, some historians say the battle was indecisive with no clear victor and the Oxford Companion to Scottish History (2011) states that Donald of Islay was "defeated at great cost at Harlaw".[14]

The title and territory of the Earl of Ross had originally been held by the Chief of Clan Ross but had passed through an heiress to the Leslie or Lesley family in the early 15th century.[15] However, Angus Og's grandson, Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles married Mariota, Countess of Ross (Margaret Lesley) who was the heiress of the Leslie Earls of Ross and he later claimed the position of Earl of Ross through this marriage.[16]

In 1411, Donald secured

John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan as the new Earl of Ross.[21]

In 1429 the

Donald Balloch MacDonald, who defeated Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar's royal army.[24] The armies of the MacDonald Lords of the Isles were the only magnate forces in Scotland capable of inflicting defeats on the Crown at this time.[20] The Battle of Inverlochy in 1431 is one example of this and the Battle of Lagabraad in Ross in 1480 is another.[20] James I finally conceded to Alexander's rule in the Isles and Ross. Thus, the MacDonald chiefs would succeed as the Earls of Ross: firstly Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, son of Donald of Islay and Mariota, Countess of Ross, succeeded to the earldom as confirmed by a charter dated September 1437, following the assassination of James I of Scotland in February of the same year.[25] Secondly, Alexander's son John of Islay, Earl of Ross who surrendered the earldom in 1475 to the King.[26]

According to 17th century historian Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet who himself was a younger son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, in 1455 the Battle of Skibo and Strathfleet took place where John of Islay invaded Sutherland but was defeated by the Clan Sutherland who were led by Robert Sutherland, brother of John Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland.[27]

Forfeiture of the Earldom of Ross and Lordship of the Isles

In 1475,

Henry VIII of England in an attempt to regain the Lordship of the Isles and although various attempts were made to restore the lordship, by 1545 all had failed.[11] The ultimate victors were the Crown's hard men in the north and west: Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly (chief of Clan Gordon), Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll (chief of Clan Campbell) and John MacIain of Ardnamurchan.[20] The various branches of the Clan Donald began accepting charters from the Crown in recognition of their separate holdings.[11] This was part of a royal policy that successfully kept the Clan Donald divided, and in doing so they were less of a threat to the central authority.[11]

The MacDonnells of

sept of Clan Donald. MacDonnell migration to the Glens and Rathlin Island increased in the early 16th century after the clan had rejected overtures from an increasingly powerful James IV, King of Scotland.[29]

17th century; Civil War and 1689–1692 Jacobite rising

Colonsay, Inner Hebrides; loss of the Lordship of the Isles fractured MacDonald unity

Loss of the Lordship of the Isles fractured Highland society and the MacDonalds in particular, who were left holding lands on either side of the Irish Sea, rather than a unified block of territory. Their attempts to re-establish control destabilised Western Scotland for generations; the charge of 'Slaughter under trust', later applied after the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692 was introduced in 1587 to reduce the endemic feuding that resulted. Opponents now had to use the Crown to settle disputes and it applied to murder committed in 'cold-blood' i.e. once articles of surrender had been agreed or hospitality accepted.[30] The first recorded use was the 1588 prosecution of Lachlan Maclean, whose objections to his new stepfather, John MacDonald, resulted in the murder of 18 members of the MacDonald wedding party.[31]

In 1568, the

Popery remained widespread.[32]
This excluded the MacDonalds from power and split them into Catholic and Presbyterian factions; this would have fatal consequences for the Glencoe MacDonalds in 1692.

Inverlochy Castle; a Campbell-dominated army camped here before their destruction on 2 February 1645 by a largely MacDonald force

The 1638-1651

Covenanter government sending an expeditionary force that joined the vicious and bloody Irish Rebellion. All sides committed atrocities, leading to a series of tit for tat responses, exacerbated by long-standing animosities; in 1642 on Rathlin Island, soldiers from a predominantly Clan Campbell-recruited unit led by Sir Duncan Campbell threw scores of MacDonnell women over the cliffs to their deaths on rocks below.[33][34]

Scotland initially stayed neutral in the First English Civil War but became involved in 1643; the shifting alliances only make sense if one understands that in Scotland, both Royalists and Covenanters agreed the institution of monarchy was divinely ordered but disagreed on the nature and extent of Royal authority versus that of the church.[35] This makes it hard to categorise clans as wholly 'Royalist,' 'Catholic' or later 'Jacobite.'

In 1644, Alasdair Mac Colla landed in Scotland with 1500 Irish troops to link up with the Scottish Royalists; Alasdair was from Clan Donald of Dunnyveg, which historically held lands in the western Scottish islands and North-East Ireland. They joined up with Montrose and played a leading role in the 1644-1645 campaign; this was highly successful, with victory at the Battle of Inverlochy leaving Montrose in effective control of Scotland.

Inverlochy and the entire Montrose campaign is often presented as a clan battle between Campbells and MacDonalds; while there is certainly some truth in this, many others were involved. Its persistence in Gaelic folklore was partly driven by deliberate policy, since Montrose used it as a means of recruiting. Ultimately the campaign ended in failure and division since Mac Colla's objective was to regain territories in the Western Highlands, Montrose's to move south and aid Charles. The two split; Mac Colla's ravaging of Campbell lands was still remembered with deep bitterness 300 years later.

The Massacre of Glencoe took place in 1692, 38 unarmed MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were murdered when an initiative to suppress Jacobitism was entangled in the long-running feud and MacIain who was the chief of the MacDonalds of Glencoe, was late in signing an oath of allegiance to William III of England.[36] The event served as part of the inspiration for "The Red Wedding" as featured in books and TV series Game of Thrones.[37]

18th century and Jacobite risings

Jacobite rising of 1715

Clan Donald grave marker at the site of the Battle of Culloden

During the Jacobite rising of 1715 the MacDonalds supported the Jacobite cause of the House of Stuart. Men of Clan MacDonald of Keppoch,[38] and the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir on 13 November 1715 where chief Allan MacDonald of Clanranald was killed.[39] The Clan MacDonald of Glencoe also fought at Sherriffmuir.[40]

Jacobite rising of 1745

During the Jacobite rising of 1745 the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry along with the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch and the MacDonalds of Glencoe fought as Jacobites at the Battle of Prestonpans on 21 September 1745.[41]

The Clan MacDonald of Clanranald,[42] along with the Clan MacDonald of Glengarry,[43] and Clan MacDonald of Keppoch,[43] fought as Jacobites at the Battle of Falkirk Muir on 17 January 1746

The Clan MacDonald of Glencoe,[40] Clan MacDonald of Clanranald,[42] and Clan MacDonell of Glengarry,[44] fought as Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746, as did the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch whose chief, Alexander MacDonald of Keppoch, was killed.[45]

The

Clan MacDonald of Sleat branch had fought for the Jacobites in the 1715 rebellion, however they actually formed two battalions (Independent Highland Companies) in support of the British Government during the 1745 rebellion and as a result the Sleat possessions remained intact.[46] However, according to A and A MacDonald these two companies were more of a hindrance than help to the Government as they were made up of officers and men who were in entire sympathy with the Jacobite Prince Charles Edward Stuart.[46]

Chief

In 1947, the Lord Lyon King of Arms granted the

Kinloch Lodge on Skye with his wife, the food writer Claire Macdonald (m. 1969).[49]

Historic chiefs

The following is a list of some of the early chiefs of Clan Donald.[50]

Name Died Notes
Dòmhnall Dubh
 1545 Rebelled against the king of Scots but made an alliance with the king of England.
Aonghas Òg
 1490 '
Bastard
' son of John of Islay. Last MacDonald Lord of the Isles.
John of Islay, Earl of Ross 1503 Fought at the Battle of Bloody Bay against his son.
Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross 1449 His second son was Celestine of Lochalsh, 1st of the Macdonald of Lochalsh branch and third son was Hugh of Sleat, 1st of the Macdonalds of Sleat branch.
Dòmhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles
 1422/3 Fought and was victorious at the Battle of Harlaw.
John of Islay, Lord of the Isles 1380 John married firstly Amy of Garmoran, heiress of Clann Ruaidhrí and their eldest son was Ranald MacDonald (founder of Clanranald). John married secondly Margaret Stewart, daughter of Robert II of Scotland. The senior descendants of John's second marriage would succeed as the Lords of the Isles. His second son from his second marriage was John Mòr, 1st of the MacDonells of Antrim branch and third son was Alastair Carroch of Keppoch, 1st of the Macdonald of Keppoch branch.
Aonghus Óg of Islay 1314×1318/c.1330 Fought at the Battle of Bannockburn. In addition to his other sons, he had an illegitimate son, Ian Fraoch, who became the 1st of the Macdonalds of Glencoe.
Domhnall of Islay ×1318? His parentage is uncertain. He appears to have been a contender for the chiefship and may have acted as chief. He may have been the MacDonald chief killed at the Battle of Faughart in 1318.
Alexander Og MacDonald, Lord of Islay
 1299? There are two views as to when this eldest son of Angus Mor died. The first is that he was killed by the MacDougalls in 1299 in Ireland (though this may have been his uncle, also named Alexander); the other is that he fought against Robert the Bruce in Galloway in 1308, was captured by Edward Bruce, escaped to Castle Sween in North Knapdale, was recaptured by Robert the Bruce and taken prisoner to Dundonald Castle in Kintyre where he died. He was succeeded in 1308 by his brother Angus Og MacDonald, a staunch ally of Robert the Bruce.[51]
Aonghas Mór
(Angus Mor MacDonald) 		c. 1293 He was succeeded by his eldest son, Alexander Og. He was also the father of Aonghus Óg of Islay and John Sprangach of Ardnamurchan, 1st of the Macdonalds of Ardnamurchan branch.
Dòmhnall Mac Raghnuill (Donald) From whom the Clan Donald takes its name.

Castles

Finlaggan Castle
, historic seat of the Lords of the Isles who were chiefs of Clan Donald
Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye that houses the Clan Donald Centre and the Museum of the Isles

Over the centuries MacDonald castles have included:

Clan Donald castles

Clan Donald branch castles

Tartans

Tartan image Notes
MacDonald of the Isles (MakDonnald of ye Ylis) tartan, as published in the Vestiarium Scoticum in 1842.

See also

Notes

  1. docx). Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
    . Retrieved 15 October 2009.
  2. ^ George Way of Plean; Squire 2000: p. 170.
  3. ^ Adam, Frank; Innes of Learney, Thomas (1970). The Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands (8th ed.). Edinburgh: Johnston and Bacon. pp. 541–543.
  4. ^ a b Moncreiffe, pp. 127–131.
  5. ^ Most recently by Alex Woolf, The origins and ancestry of Somerled: Gofraid mac Fergusa and 'The Annals of the Four Masters', Medieval Scandinavia 15 (2005)
  6. ^ MacDonald, Donald J. Clan Donald.
  7. ^ Gregory, p. 10.
  8. ^ a b c d The Macdonald Bardic Poetry Part 1 by Professor W. J. Watson Archived 8 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 9 October 2007
  9. ^ a b "DNA shows Celtic hero Somerled's Viking roots". The Scotsman. 26 April 2005. Retrieved 9 October 2007.
  10. ^ Sykes, p.214.
  11. ^
    HarperCollins Publishers
    . pp. 208–209.
  12. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. p. 98.
  13. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. p. 164.
  14. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-923482-0
    .
  15. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 146–147.
  16. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 148–151.
  17. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 152–153.
  18. ^ Mackay, Robert (1829). History of the House and Clan of MacKay. pp. 53–54. Quoting: Gordon, Sir Robert (1580 to 1656). A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland.
  19. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 156–166.
  20. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-923482-0
    .
  21. ^ a b c Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 166–168.
  22. ^ According to Donald Gregory, whose manuscripts are cited in the Highland Papers for May 1914, "Macdonald enjoyed the Earldom of Ross all his lifetime without any competition or trouble...but as long as the king was captive in England, the Duke of Albany the Regent used all his power to oppose him and impair his greatness, being vexed he lost the Battle of Harlaw." (Highland Papers, vol. 1, at p. 34).
  23. ^ Henry, Robert; Laing, Malcolm (1814). The history of Great Britain: from the first invasion by the Romans under Julius Caesar. Written on a new plan (5th ed.). Cadell and Davies. pp. 312–6.
  24. ^ MacDonald, Hugh (1914). History of the MacDonalds, in Highland Papers. Vol. I.
  25. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 193–194.
  26. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 249–250.
  27. ^ Gordon, Robert (1813) [Printed from original manuscript 1580 – 1656]. A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland. Edinburgh: Printed by George Ramsay and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company Edinburgh; and White, Cochrance and Co. London. p. 73-74. Retrieved 30 January 2021. "About this tyme" (p. 74) and "The yeir of God 1455" (p. 73)
  28. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 266–268.
  29. ^ State Papers, Henry the Eighth. Volume II. pp. 7, 27
  30. ISBN 978-0198743118
    .
  31. ISBN 1571819355
    .
  32. ISBN 0-521-46686-5
    .
  33. ISBN 0-349-11564-8
    . p.143
  34. ^ The Carolingian Era Archived 1 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, macdonnellofleinster.org. Retrieved 28 August 2008
  35. ISBN 978-0198743118
    .
  36. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 212–220.
  37. ^ "'Game of Thrones' Red Wedding Based on Real Historical Events: The Black Dinner And Glencoe Massacre". HuffPost. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  38. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. p. 657.
  39. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 342–343.
  40. ^ a b Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. p. 222.
  41. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. p. 465.
  42. ^ a b Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 352–353.
  43. ^ a b Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company. p. 471.
  44. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 473–474.
  45. ^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 2. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 664–666.
  46. ^ a b Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1900). The Clan Donald. Vol. 3. Inverness: The Northern Counties Publishing Company, Ltd. pp. 91–92.
  47. ^ "Lord Macdonald of Macdonald". highcouncilofclandonald.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  48. ^ "Lady Claire Macdonald". Coutts.
  49. ^ "Lady Claire Macdonald: the red rose of Kinloch". lancashire.greatbritishlife.co.uk. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  50. ^ The Family Tree of the Lords of the Isles. Retrieved 24 May 2015. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  51. ^ Clan Donald by Donald J. Macdonald of Castleton, 1978, at. P. 56-57
  52. ^
    ISBN 978-1-899874-36-1
    ..
  53. ^ The Centre of the Lordship of the Isles. Retrieved 15 October 2019. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  54. ^ "FINLAGGAN, THE CENTRE OF THE LORDSHIP OF THE ISLES - Finlaggan Trust". Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2015.finlaggan.com
  55. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "South Uist, Ormiclate, Ormaclett Castle (9897)". Canmore. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  56. ^ "Invergarry Castle". invergarrycastle.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  57. ISBN 978-1-899874-36-1
    .

References

External links
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