| Clan Mackintosh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac-an-tòisich | |||
 Crest: A cat-a-mountain salient guardant Proper | |||
| Motto | Touch Not The Cat Bot A Glove (N.B. 'bot' means 'without') | ||
| War cry | Loch Moigh | ||
| Profile | |||
| Region | Highland | ||
| District | Inverness | ||
| Plant badge | Red whortleberry,bearberry, orboxwood | ||
| Chief | |||
 | |||
| John Mackintosh of Mackintosh | |||
| The Mackintosh (An t-Ailpeanach) | |||
| Seat | Moy Hall | ||
| Historic seat | Moy Castle onLoch Moy | ||
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Clan Mackintosh (Clann Mhic an Tòisich) is aScottish clan fromInverness in theScottish Highlands.[1] The chiefs of the clan are the Mackintoshes of Mackintosh. Another branch of the clan, the Mackintoshes of Torcastle, are the chiefs ofClan Chattan, a historic confederation of clans.[1]
TheScottish Gaelic wordtoisiche meansleader and can also be translated aschief.[1] Theseanachies of the Clan Mackintosh claim that the first chief of the clan was Shaw, second son of DuncanMacDuff,Earl of Fife of the royal house ofDál Riata.[1] In 1160 Shaw MacDuff accompaniedMalcolm IV of Scotland on an expedition to suppress a rebellion inMorayshire.[1] In about 1163 he was also made constable ofInverness Castle and was granted land in theFindhorn valley.[1] The heartland of the clan was the lands ofPetty which was also the burial place of the chiefs.[1] In 1179 Shaw MacDuff was succeeded by his son who was also called Shaw and was confirmed in his patrimony byWilliam the Lion.[1][2]
In 1263, during theScottish–Norwegian War, Ferquhar Mackintosh, the fifth chief led his clan at theBattle of Largs against the army ofHaakon IV of Norway.[1] However, he was killed in aduel in 1265 leaving his infant son, Angus, as heir.[1]
Angus Mackintosh was brought up in the court of his uncle,Alexander of Islay, Lord of the Isles, chief ofClan Donald.[1][2] In 1291 a splendid match was arranged for Angus when he married Eva, the only daughter of Dougal Dal, chief of theClan Chattan, which brought Angus the lands of Glenloy andLoch Arkaig.[1] Angus and Eva lived on the lands of Clan Chattan atTor Castle but they later withdrew to Rothiemurchus.[1] After this the Clan Chattan developed into a unique confederation of independentScottish clans that was led by the Mackintosh chiefs.[1] However their leadership was unsuccessfully challenged over the centuries by theClan Macpherson who were part of the confederation.[1] From this point onwards Clan Mackintosh and Chattan history is inextricably entwined.[1]
During theWars of Scottish Independence the sixth chief of Clan Mackintosh supportedRobert the Bruce.[1]
Clan Mackintosh were involved in many clan battles, mostly againstClan Cameron with whom they had an extensive feud which lasted over 350 years:
TheBattle of Drumlui was fought in 1337; it was a dispute between the Clan Mackintosh and Clan Cameron over land at Glenlui and Loch Arkaig. The Camerons were defeated but started a 350-year feud.[3] TheBattle of Invernahoven was fought in 1370 between the Clan Cameron and theChattan Confederation of Clan Mackintosh,Clan Macpherson, andClan Davidson.[4] TheBattle of the North Inch in 1396 was fought between the Chattan Confederation that was led by the Mackintoshes and the Clan Cameron, and was one of the most important battles between these two clans.[5]
The ninth chief of Clan Mackintosh, Ferquhar had to surrender the chiefship in favour ofMalcolm Beg Mackintosh, 10th of Mackintosh, son by the second marriage of William Mackintosh the seventh chief.[1] Malcolm Mackintosh was a strong leader who greatly extended the influence of his clan.[1] He feuded with theClan Comyn in a dispute that had its origins when the Comyns had feuded with Robert the Bruce.[1] In 1424 the Comyns forcibly took possession of some of the Mackintosh lands at Meikle Geddes and Rait but Malcolm Mackintosh retaliated and put many of the Comyns to the sword.[1] This was in turn retaliated by the Comyns who invaded the Mackintosh homeland of Moy and unsuccessfully tried to drown the Mackintoshes on their island of Moy.[1] A feast of reconciliation was held at the Comyn'scastle of Rait however here the Mackintoshes slaughtered their Comyn hosts.[1]
The Mackintoshes fought at theBattle of Lochaber in 1429 which was between forces led byAlexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, 3rdLord of the Isles and the royalist army ofJames I of Scotland.[6] TheBattle of Palm Sunday, 1429, was fought between the Clan Cameron against the Clan Mackintosh and the Chattan Confederation.[7]
TheBattle of Craig Cailloch was fought in 1441: the Clan Mackintosh, led by the chief's son,Duncan Mackintosh, (later the 11th chief), at the instigation of Alexander, Lord of the Isles, began to invade and raid the Clan Cameron lands. A battle took place at Craig Cailloch between the Camerons and the Mackintoshes in which the chief's second son, Lachlann "Badenoch" was wounded and Gille Chaluim, the chief's fourth son, killed.[8][9]TheBattle of Clachnaharry, was fought in 1454 between the Clan Mackintosh and theClan Munro led byJohn Munro of Milntown.[10][11]
TheRaid on Ross took place in 1491, whereFerquhard Mackintosh (later the 12th chief), supportedAlexander MacDonald of Lochalsh's insurrection of 1491, theRaid on Ross. Ferquhard also subsequently tookInverness Castle using a "sow". The king later imprisoned Ferquhard, along withKenneth Mackenzie, 8th of Kintail, inEdinburgh Castle. Two years later they escaped, but Mackenzie was killed by the Laird of Buchanan and Ferquhard was recaptured and imprisoned inDunbar Castle where he remained for sixteen years until being released after theBattle of Flodden in 1513. During the years that Ferquhard was in prison, the affairs of his clan were administered by William Mackintosh who was the eldest son of Lachlan "Badenoch" Mackintosh who was in turn the second son of Malcolm Beg Mackintosh, 10th of Mackintosh.[12]
Early in 1528, Clan Mackintosh and the wider Clan Chattan suffered aletter of Fire and Sword issued byKing James V, who assigned it to theEarl of Moray. The Letter required "utter extermination and destruction" of the clan and its supporters "leaving none alive except priests, women and children" who were to be transported across the sea and to the low countries. This was to punish the clan for the disorder caused in Badenoch following Hector Mackintosh, the chief's illegitimate brother starting a quarrel with the Earl over who would raise the dead chief's infant son. The Earl captured 300 clan males and started to hang them one by one in order to find out where Hector was. Hector subsequently gave himself up and pledged an oath of fealty to the King.[13]
Lachlan Mor Mackintosh, 16th of Mackintosh and his clan supportedMary, Queen of Scots in her victory overGeorge Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly at theBattle of Corrichie in 1562, where Huntly was killed. According to 19th century historian Alexander Mackintosh-Shaw, it is likely that Lachlan also fought at theBattle of Langside in 1568 as five days before the battle he had subscribed to a band for the Queen's defence at the town ofHamilton, South Lanarkshire. Of the 136 subscribing barons and chiefs, apart from Mackintosh only two others were Highland chiefs:George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly andAlexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland.[14]
TheBattle of Bun Garbhain was fought in 1570 between the Clan Cameron and Clan Mackintosh. Domhnall Dubh Camshròn, XV Chief of Clan Cameron, had died, leaving an infant son, Ailean, at the head of the clan. During the battle the chief of Mackintosh is believed to have been killed byDonald 'Taillear Dubh na Tuaighe' Cameron, (son of the XIV Chief of Clan Cameron), with a fearsomeLochaber axe.[15]
TheBattle of Glenlivet was fought in 1594 where the Clan Mackintosh and Chattan Confederation fought on the side of theEarl of Argyll along withClan Campbell, Clan Stewart of Atholl, andClan Forbes. They were defeated by theEarl of Huntly's forces which consisted ofClan Gordon,Clan Comyn, andClan Cameron.[16]
During theScottish Civil War the Mackintoshes fought forJames Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose throughout his campaign forCharles I of England.[1]
TheStand-off at the Fords of Arkaig took place in 1665 between the Chattan Confederation led by the Clan Mackintosh against the Clan Cameron.[18]
TheBattle of Mulroy was fought in 1668. Clan Cameron and Clan Mackintosh were at peace andEwen Cameron of Lochiel was responsible for keeping the peace between his men and their former enemies. However, when Ewen Cameron of Lochiel was away in London a feud broke out betweenClan MacDonald of Keppoch and their enemies Clan Mackintosh. As the Cameron Chief was away he was not able to hold back his clan and the combined forces of Cameron and MacDonald defeated the Mackintoshes who were supported by Government troops underKenneth Mackenzie of Suddie.[19][20]
During theJacobite rising of 1715 the Mackintoshes remained loyal to the Stuart cause.[1] Lachlan Mackintosh led eight hundred clansmen in support of the Jacobites, under his cousin,William Mackintosh of Borlum.[1] However, they were defeated at theBattle of Preston (1715).[1] After this many clansmen were transported to theAmericas.[1]General Wade's report on the Highlands in 1724, estimated the combined clan strength of the Mackintoshes and Farquharsons at 800 men.[21]
During theJacobite rising of 1745, Angus Mackintosh, twenty-second chief of Clan Mackintosh was a captain in the BritishBlack Watch regiment.[1] However, in his absence, his wife,Lady Anne Mackintosh raised men to fight for the JacobiteCharles Edward Stuart.[1] Command was given to MacGillivray of Dunmaglas, of theClan MacGillivray.[1] They contributed to the Jacobite victory at theBattle of Falkirk Muir in 1746.[1] Following this victory Charles arrived at Moy on 16 February 1746 where he was received by Lady Mackintosh.[1] The prince's bed is still at Moy Hall.[1] An attempt was made by five hundred Government troops to capture Prince Charles at Moy, but they were deceived by just five of the Lady Mackintosh's retainers into believing that they had blundered into the entire Jacobite army and fled.[1] This incident became known as theRout of Moy.[1] At theBattle of Culloden the Mackintoshes and their allies in theChattan Confederation suffered heavy losses.[1]
TheBadenoch lands of clan chief Aeneas Mackintosh of Mackintosh (1770 - 1820) consisted ofDunachton,Kincraig,Dalnavert and South Kinrara (Inshriach). As an absentee landlord, Aeneas Mackintosh showed little interest in these lands until the 1790s, when wartime demands made the extraction of timber fromGlen Feshie and Inshriach an attractive proposition. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the Glen Feshie Wood Company felled trees on his land at Ruigh Aiteachain, floating the logs down the river to theSpey. In 1820, Aeneas was succeeded by a second cousin, Alexander Macintosh, a merchant who owned a plantation inJamaica. In 1827, he was succeeded by his brother Angus, a Canadian merchant who returned to the Highlands, and in 1833 he in turn was succeeded by his son Alexander (d. 1861). In the late 1840s, the east side of Glen Fesshie was converted into a deer forest forGeorgiana Gordon, Duchess of Bedford.[22]
John Lachlan Mackintosh of Mackintosh (born 1969) succeeded as Chief in 1995 and currently resides inSingapore. He was an Integrated Humanities (IH) and history teacher in theHumanities Faculty atNanyang Girls' High School before retiring in 2022 and is married to a former Language Arts teacher and academic, Miss Vanessa Heng in March 2014, after their engagement in 2013.[23]
Castles held by the Clan Mackintosh have included:
