| Clan Donald | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Clann Dòmhnaill,Na Dòmhnallaich[1] | |||
 Crest:On a crest coronet Or, a hand in armor fessways couped at the elbow proper holding a cross crosslet fitchy Gules. | |||
| Motto | Per mare per terras ('by sea and by land')[2] | ||
| War cry | Fraoch eilean ('the heathery isle') | ||
| Profile | |||
| Region | Highland and Islands | ||
| District | Inner Hebrides Ross | ||
| Plant badge | Common heath[3] | ||
| Chief | |||
 | |||
| Godfrey James Macdonald of that Ilk | |||
| The 8thBaron Macdonald,Chief of the Name and Arms of Macdonald, High Chief of Clan Donald and 34th hereditary Chief of Clan Donald. | |||
| Historic seat | Finlaggan Castle | ||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
Clan Donald, also known asClan MacDonald orClan McDonald (Scottish Gaelic:Clann Dòmhnaill; Mac Dòmhnaill[ˈkʰl̪ˠãũn̪ˠˈt̪õː.ɪʎ]), is a HighlandScottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title ofLord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs also held the title ofEarl of Ross until 1476.
TheLord 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 theCourt of the Lord Lyon, recognises under Scottish law theHigh Chief 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 MacDonald of Keppoch,Clan MacDonald of Glencoe,Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, andClan MacAlister.
There are also notable historic branches of Clan Donald without chiefs so-recognised, these are: theClan MacDonald of Dunnyveg,Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh, and theMacDonalds of Ardnamurchan. TheMacDonnells 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.
The Norse-Gaelic Clan Donald traces its descent fromDòmhnall Mac Raghnuill (d. circa 1250),[citation needed] whose fatherReginald or Ranald was styled "King of the Isles" and "Lord of Argyll and Kintyre".[4] Ranald's father,Somerled was styled "King of the Hebrides", and was killed campaigning againstMalcolm IV of Scotland at theBattle of Renfrew in 1164. Clan Donald shares a descent from Somerled withClan MacDougall, who traces their lineage from his elder son,Dugall mac Somhairle.[citation needed] Their dynasties are together commonly referred to as theClann Somhairle. Furthermore, they are descended maternally from both the House ofGodred Crovan and theEarls of Orkney, through Somerled's wifeRagnhildis Ólafsdóttir, daughter ofOlaf I Godredsson,King of Mann and the Isles andIngeborg Haakonsdottir, daughter ofHaakon Paulsson,Earl of Orkney. It remains uncertain if the Clann Somhairle are also descendants in some manner, through one or another of the above dynasts, of theHouse of Ivar, but this is commonly argued.[5]
Tradition gave Somerled a Gaelic descent in the male line,[4][6] as the medievalseanchaidhean (Gaelic historians) traced his lineage through a long line of ancestors back to theHigh Kings of Ireland, namelyColla Uais andConn of the Hundred Battles.[7] Thus Clan Donald claimed to be bothClann Cholla andSiol Chuinn (Children of Colla andSeed of Conn).[8] Possibly the oldest piece of poetry attributed to the MacDonalds is abrosnachadh (an incitement to battle) which was said to have been written in 1411, on the day of theBattle of Harlaw.[8] The first lines of the poem begin "A Chlanna Cuinn cuimhnichibh / Cruas an àm na h-iorghaile," (Ye children of Conn remember hardihood in the time of battle).[8] A later poem made toJohn of Islay (1434–1503), last of the MacDonaldLords 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 2005DNA study has shown that Somerled was ofNorse descent in his male line.[9] By testing theY-DNA of males bearing the surnames MacDonald, MacDougall, MacAlister, and their variants it was found that a substantial proportion of men tested shared the same Y-DNA and a direct paternal ancestor.[10] This distinctY-chromosomeR1a1 haplotype found in Scotland has been regarded as often showing Norse descent in the Britain and Ireland.[9]
In 1263Alexander III of Scotland defeatedHaakon IV of Norway at theBattle of Largs.[11] The Clan Donald chief,Aonghas Mor and his clan had technically been vassals of Haakon and so the king of Scots became their new overlord, as confirmed in theTreaty of Perth.[11]
Aongus Mor's son wasAonghus Óg of Islay who supportedRobert the Bruce at theBattle 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]
The title and territory of theEarl of Ross had originally been held by the Chief ofClan 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 marriedMariota, 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 securedDingwall Castle which was the principal seat of the Earldom of Ross, after he had defeated the powerfulClan Mackay who were supporters of the Stewart confederacy at theBattle of Dingwall.[17][18] This in turn resulted in theBattle of Harlaw on 24 July 1411, fought between Donald of Islay's forces and those ofRobert Stewart, Duke of Albany, led by Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar.[19] It is believed there were 10,000 men in Donald's army at the Battle of Harlaw,.[20] Although he inflicted a decisive victory, he did not go on to Aberdeen but took his army back to theWestern Highlands.[14][21] In the aftermath, Albany tried to take control of Ross but was unsuccessful.[22] and[21] By 1415 the Earldom of Ross was withMurdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany. Donald prepared for war and proclaimed himself "Lord of Ross". However, the Duke of Albany appointed his own sonJohn Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan as the new Earl of Ross.[21]
In 1429 theBattle of Lochaber took place where forces led by Donald's son, Alexander of Islay, 3rdLord of the Isles and Earl of Ross, fought against the royalist army ofJames I of Scotland.[23] Two years later theBattle of Inverlochy (1431) took place; While chief Alexander of Islay, Lord of the Isles was imprisoned by King James I, the Clan MacDonald were led by his nephew,Donald Balloch MacDonald, who defeatedAlexander 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 theBattle 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: firstlyAlexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, son of Donald of Islay and Mariota, Countess of Ross, succeeded to the earldom as confirmed by acharter dated September 1437, following the assassination of James I of Scotland in February of the same year.[25] Secondly, Alexander's sonJohn of Islay, Earl of Ross who surrendered the earldom in 1475 to the King.[26]
According to 17th century historianSir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet who himself was a younger son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, in 1455 theBattle of Skibo and Strathfleet took place where John of Islay invadedSutherland but was defeated by theClan Sutherland who were led by Robert Sutherland, brother ofJohn Sutherland, 7th Earl of Sutherland.[27]
In 1475,James III of Scotland forfeited the MacDonald Earldom of Ross and although the MacDonald Lordship of the Isles was not forfeited until 1493, in many ways 1475 marked the end of the lordship as a potent force.[20] Following this is what theBooks of Clanranald describe as a "great struggle for power among the Gael".[20] Various leaders, such asAonghas Óg who was the fourth illegitimate son of the Lord of the Isles, along with his son,Domhnall Dubh, and also Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh and John Mor MacDonald of Dunyvaig were seeking to restore the MacDonald hegemony in the west.[20] TheBattle of Bloody Bay took place in 1480 where John MacDonald of Islay, Lord of the Isles and chief of Clan Donald was defeated by his son Aonghas Óg.[28] Aonghas Óg's son Domhnall Dubhrebelled againstJames IV of Scotland and made an alliance withHenry 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 ofClan Gordon), Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll (chief ofClan Campbell) andJohn 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 Antrim in Ireland were asept of Clan Donald. MacDonnell migration to theGlens andRathlin Island increased in the early 16th century after the clan had rejected overtures from an increasingly powerfulJames IV, King of Scotland.[29]
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 theMassacre of Glencoe in 1692, was introduced in 1587 to reduce the endemic feuding that resulted. Opponents now had to apply to the Crown to settle disputes, and it[clarification needed] 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]
The 1638–1651Wars of the Three Kingdoms caused huge dislocation and damage throughout the British Isles; in 1641, the ScottishCovenanter government sent an expeditionary force that joined the vicious and bloodyIrish Rebellion. All sides committed atrocities, leading to a series of tit-for-tat responses, exacerbated by long-standing animosities; in 1642 onRathlin Island, soldiers from a predominantlyClan Campbell-recruited unit led bySir Duncan Campbell threw scores ofMacDonnell women over the cliffs to their deaths on rocks below.[32][33]
Scotland initially stayed neutral in theFirst 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 that theinstitution of monarchy was divinely ordered, but disagreed on the nature and extent of royal authority in relation to that of the church.[34] 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 fromClan Donald of Dunnyveg, which historically held lands in the western Scottish islands and North-East Ireland. They joined up withMontrose and played a leading role in the 1644–1645 campaign; this was highly successful, with victory at theBattle of Inverlochy leaving Montrose in effective control of Scotland.
Inverlochy and the entire Montrose campaign are often presented as a clan battle between Campbells and MacDonalds; while there is certainly some truth in this, many others were involved. The persistence of this idea 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, while Montrose's was 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.
In 1692 in theMassacre of Glencoe, 38 unarmed MacDonalds from theClan MacDonald of Glencoe were murdered when an initiative to suppressJacobitism 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 toWilliam III of England.[35] The event served as part of the inspiration for "The Red Wedding" as featured in books and TV seriesGame of Thrones.[36]
During theJacobite rising of 1715 the MacDonalds supported the Jacobite cause of theHouse of Stuart. Men ofClan MacDonald of Keppoch,[37] and theClan Macdonald of Clanranald fought at theBattle of Sheriffmuir on 13 November 1715 where chief Allan MacDonald of Clanranald was killed.[38] TheClan MacDonald of Glencoe also fought at Sherriffmuir.[39]
During theJacobite rising of 1745 theClan MacDonell of Glengarry along with the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch and the MacDonalds of Glencoe fought as Jacobites at theBattle of Prestonpans on 21 September 1745.[40]
The Clan MacDonald of Clanranald,[41] along with the Clan MacDonald of Glengarry,[42] and Clan MacDonald of Keppoch,[42] fought as Jacobites at theBattle of Falkirk Muir on 17 January 1746
The Clan MacDonald of Glencoe,[39] Clan MacDonald of Clanranald,[41] and Clan MacDonell of Glengarry,[43] fought as Jacobites at theBattle of Culloden in April 1746, as did the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch whose chief, Alexander MacDonald of Keppoch, was killed.[44]
TheClan 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.[45] 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 JacobitePrinceCharles Edward Stuart.[45]
In 1947, the Lord Lyon King of Arms granted theundifferenced arms of Macdonald toAlexander Godfrey Macdonald, 7th Lord Macdonald, making him the first High Chief of Clan Donald. After his death in 1970, he was succeeded by his sonGodfrey James Macdonald of Macdonald, 8th Lord Macdonald, who is the current high chief of Clan Donald.[46] In 1972, the Macdonald estates were sold off to pay death duties.[47] Lord Macdonald lives atKinloch Lodge on Skye with his wife, the food writerClaire Macdonald (m. 1969).[48]
The following is a list of some of the early chiefs of Clan Donald.[49]
| 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 his third son wasHugh 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:
|
| 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 theBattle 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.[50] |
| 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. |
Over the centuries MacDonald castles have included:
| Tartan image | Notes |
|---|---|
.png) | MacDonald of the Isles (MakDonnald of ye Ylis)tartan, as published in theVestiarium Scoticum in 1842. |
Quoting: Gordon, Sir Robert (1580 to 1656).A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland.
"About this tyme" (p. 74) and "The yeir of God 1455" (p. 73)
| Clans with chiefs |
|
|---|---|
| Armigerous clans |
|
| Culture and society |
|
