I could have labeled this episode "Clan Alliances: the Scotts and the Armstrongs". William Armstrong is wrongly imprisoned and Walter Scott is taking matters into his own hands. Join me for one of the coolest stories in Scottish history.
Here's a look at Clan Donnchaidh, aka Robertson of Struan. What are their origins? Why do they have two names? What were some of their defining features? Join me for a short look at a powerful kindred from the central Highlands.
We're going to a place in Scotland that is often overshadowed by more popular regions. I'm talking about Galloway, and the Gaelic clans that held sway there. Some of these kindreds are easily identified as having Gaelic roots by their names. Others may surprise you how Gaelic they were, despite their Norman names. Thanks again for listening to the Scottish Clans podcast.
Two major clans of southeast Scotland descend from the same man, Gospatrick. This man was a composite of three of the dominant ethnic groups of southern Scotland and northern England: the Scots of Alba, the Britons of Strathclyde, and the Angles of Northumbria. He would become the Earl of Dunbar and from him descend two related clans of southeast Scotland: the Dunbars and the Homes.
The MacLeods of Lewis (Siol Thorcaill) were among the most powerful of the Hebridean clans, controlling most of the land around the North Minch, a body of water rich in its fisheries. They were also unfailingly loyal to the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles. And then in the 1600's they ceased to function as a cohesive force. Learn more of the story and questions to pursue on the subject in this episode.
I'm back! I had a great adventure in Palau but I'm excited to get back in the saddle and ride into the world of the Scottish Clans. In this episode I'm picking back up the subject of this group of seven clans that all claim descent from Alpin, father of Kenneth mac Alpin.
The Siol Alpin (seed, or descendants of Alpin) were a group of seven clans that all claimed descent from Alpin, who was the father of Kenneth Mac Alpin, the first king of the combined Scots and Picts. Or was he? And were they? I discuss this idea and take a short look at the individual clans that made up this group: Grant, MacGregor, MacFie, MacQuarrie, MacNab, MacKinnon and MacAulay.
For a wild story about a fight between the MacNabs and MacNeishes as well as a brief discussion about the origins of the Grants, join me on this episode. This will be a lead-in to a future episode about the Siol Alpin, or those clans claiming descend from Alpin, father of Kenneth, King of the Picts.
For a long time now, the Stewarts and their many branches have been tangled in my mind. In this episode, I share what I have learned as I have sought to straighten out how these branches are related to each other, where they split off, and their individual character. Thanks for listening! Also, this is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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/clansofscotland
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 them in the comments.
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.org Here's Michael Newton's website which will give you access to a lot of his fine work on the Highlan...
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 Dryfe Sands!
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. Hope you enjoy.
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 Ranald.
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 on the MacFarlanes, who play an antagonistic role. Below are some links. The first is to Electric Scot...
