| Clan Ross | |||
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| Clann Anndrais orNa Rosaich[1] | |||
 Crest: A dexter hand holding a garland of laurel | |||
| Motto | Spem Successus Alit (Success Nourishes Hope) | ||
| Profile | |||
| Region | Highland | ||
| District | Ross | ||
| Plant badge | Juniper, orbearberry | ||
| Pipe music | The Earl of Ross's March | ||
| Chief | |||
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| Chief of the Hereditary Coat of Arms of Ross, David Campbell Ross of Ross and Balnagown | |||
| The Chief of Clan Ross | |||
| Historic seat | Balnagown Castle[2] | ||
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Clan Ross (Scottish Gaelic:Clann Anndrais[ˈkʰl̪ˠãũn̪ˠˈan̪ˠt̪ɾɪʃ]) is a HighlandScottish clan. The original chiefs of the clan were the originalEarls of Ross.[3]
The first recorded chief of the Clan Ross was"Fearcher Mac an t-Sagairt" which in English meant "son of the priest" alluding to his Ó Beólláin descent from the hereditaryAbbots ofApplecross.[4] Fearchar helped KingAlexander II of Scotland (1214–1249) crush a rebellion by Donald Bane, a rival claimant to the Scottish throne.[4] Fearchar wasknighted by the king and by 1234 he was officially recognized with the title ofEarl of Ross.[4]
The Earl's son,William was abducted in about 1250 in a revolt against the Earl's rule.[4] However, he was rescued with help from theMunros who were rewarded with lands and who became closely connected with their powerful benefactors.[4]
During theWars of Scottish Independence the Clan Ross fought against the English at theBattle of Dunbar (1296) where their chief, theEarl of Ross was captured.[5] This meant that for a short timeWilliam II, Earl of Ross sided with the English but he later supported Robert the Bruce of Scotland.[5] The Clan Ross fought alongside KingRobert the Bruce when Earl Fearchar's grandson William led the clan against the English at theBattle of Bannockburn in 1314.[5]Hugh, Earl of Ross, was killed at theBattle of Halidon Hill in 1333.[5]
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William III, Earl of Ross (6th Earl of Ross) died without male issue.[6] The earldom of Ross and the chiefship of Clan Ross were then separated.[6] The chiefship of the Clan Ross passed to Earl William's brother Hugh Ross of Rariches (1st of Balnagown), who was granted a charter, in 1374, for the lands of Balnagowan.[6] The earldom of Ross passed through a female line, and that later led to dispute between two rival claimants—theLord of the Isles and theDuke of Albany.[6] This resulted in theBattle of Harlaw in 1411 where the Clan Ross fought with the Highlanders in support of the Lord of the Isles against an army led by the Earl of Mar under the urging of Robert, Duke of Albany.[6] They were successful in defeating Mar.[7]
The Rosses took part in theBattle of Verneuil 1424, against the English in France.[8] On the death of the Earl of Buchan and Ross at that battle, James I claimedEarldom of Ross for himself though the rightful claim to the title was in Alexander of Islay, Lord of the Isles.[8]James I eventually restored the earldom to the heiress of line, Mariota, Countess of Ross, the mother of Alexander of Islay,Lord of the Isles who became the Earl of Ross.[8]
In the late 15th century theClan Mackay and Clan Ross had long been at feud. This resulted in theBattle of Tarbat in 1486 where the Mackays were defeated by the Rosses and the Mackay chief was killed.[9] This was followed by theBattle of Aldy Charrish where the Rosses were defeated by the Mackays and the Ross chief was killed along with many of his clan.[9][10] According to 17th-century historianSir Robert Gordon, who was a younger son of Alexander Gordon, 12th Earl of Sutherland, the Clan Sutherland joined the side of the Clan Mackay at this battle.[11] However 19th-century historian Angus Mackay disputes the Sutherland's presence at the battle stating that it would be unlikely that the Earl of Sutherland at the time would have assisted against the Rosses as he was married to a daughter of the Ross chief of Balnagowan, and also that the feudal superiority of the Sutherlands over the Mackays "nowhere existed save in his own fertile imagination".[12]
In 1496, the King summoned chiefs David Ross and Iye Roy Mackay. He ordered them to appear before theEarl of Argyll who was then the Lord High Chancellor of Scotland and make peace, on the understanding that should they not be peaceful that they would be fined 500 merks.[9] The Mackays continued to raid the Rosses and it would appear the civil authority was too feeble to stop them. However the Mackays soon became involved in feuding with theClan Sutherland and raids on the Rosses did not continue.[9]
The Calendar of Fearn which is a manuscript of the Clan Ross records a Hugh Ross, some timecadet of the Rosses of Balnagowan, who was killed at theBattle of Achnashellach in 1504/05. Contemporary documents, theMunro Writs show that he was a procurator forWilliam Munro, 12th Baron of Foulis who led the royal forces at this battle.[13]
During theAnglo-Scottish Wars,John Ross, 2nd Lord Ross of Halkhead, died when leading his forces against the English at theBattle of Flodden on 9 September 1513.
Chief Alexander Ross 9th of Balnagowan (d.1592) is recorded as being a man of violence, utterly unscrupulous, given to raiding lands and forcing his clansmen to draw out agreements in his favour with total disregard for the law.[14] Soon he was imprisoned inTantallon Castle.[14] Later he was released on the condition that he would live peacefully but he did not.[14] His own son George was given permission to use fire and sword against him but Alexander could not be brought in.[14] Alexander died in 1592.[14]
George 10th of Balnagowan was educated at St Andrew's University, the first Ross chief to receive university education.[15] However, he became as notorious as his father and died in 1615.[15] His son David 11th of Balnagowan was a more peace- and law-abiding chief than his father and grandfather.[15] David died in 1632 and his son, also called David, succeeded him.[15]
David Ross 12th of Balnagowan signed the National Covenant atInverness on 26 April 1638.[16] He later joined the royalists for a short time only to become a covenanter again and was present at the defeat ofJames Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose at theBattle of Carbisdale in 1650.[16] The Clan Ross andClan Munro fought on the side of the Scottish Government, then led by the Duke of Argyll. They defeated the royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.[16] David Ross, 12th of Balnagowan later led some of the clan at theBattle of Worcester on 3 September 1651 where he was captured and imprisoned at theTower of London.[17] He is said to have died there in 1653 and been buried in Westminster.[17]
In 1689, 100 men of the Clan Ross occupiedCastle Leod to watch for movements of the Jacobite Mackenzies.
In 1715, during the Jacobite rising, the Clan Ross along with their allies theClan Munro,Clan Mackay andClan Sutherland were forced into a retreat by a larger force of Jacobites in what is known as theSkirmish of Alness.[18] The Jacobites were led byWilliam Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, chief of theClan Mackenzie.[18]
The clan rivalries which had erupted in rebellion were finding an outlet in local politics. The Mackenzie'sEarl of Seaforth title came to an end in 1716, and it seems to have been arranged that while the Clan Ross held the county seat the Munros would represent the Tain Burghs. To secure the burghs, control of three out of the five was necessary. The Ross ascendancy was secure inTain, and from 1716 to 1745 the Munros controlledDingwall. In 1719 a company of men from the Clan Ross fought for the government at theBattle of Glen Shiel where the Jacobites, including the Mackenzies were defeated.[19]
In 1721, a small force of men from the Clan Ross, led by chief William Ross 6th of the Pitcalnie line and his brother Robert went on a rent collecting expedition into the lands of the Mackenzies.[20] They were defeated by a much larger force of Mackenzies at theBattle of Glen Affric.[20][21]General Wade's report on the Highlands in 1724, estimated the combined clan strength of the Rosses and Munros at 700 men.[22]
Col. Charles, 13th Lord Ross of Hawkhead and 15th of Balnagowan, was killed in 1745 leading some members of the clan at theBattle of Fontenoy fighting against the French on 30 April 1745. Balnagowan passed to George, 13th Lord Ross, in 1745. William, 14th Lord Ross, died unmarried, and Balnagowan then passed to Sir James Lockhard, 2nd Baronet of Carstairs.
During theJacobite rising of 1745, in the County of Ross, although from the Pitcalnie line, the nominal 18th Chief of Clan Ross was Alexander Ross of Pitcalnie. He was a staunch Protestant, somewhat more tolerant of Jacobites than his father but definitely pro-Hanoverian. In addition, Alexander's uncle, DuncanForbes of Culloden, was Lord President of the Court of Session for KingGeorge II of Great Britain's government in London. Duncan Forbes and Alexander Ross the Pitcalnie chief raised anIndependent Highland Company to garrisonInverness Castle against the Jacobites.[23]
The McFarquhars ofRedcastle brought a strong Jacobite contingent from theBlack Isle to join the forces of theEarl of Cromarty and a rebel, John Ross joined them. Forays were made before the Battle of Culloden and on the day before the battle, 15 April 1746, about 200 of the McFarquhar's Jacobite force were ambushed by pro-government Scots at theBattle of Littleferry nearGolspie. At most, one-tenth survived; John Ross escaped to Sutherland but was first to be put on a list of rebels. However, apart from him the Clan Ross supported the government.
The chiefship of Clan Ross devolved upon Ross of Pitcalnie, heir of David who was the last of the direct line of Balnagowan. Sir John, the 5th baronet, assumed the name "Ross" and then, after Carstairs was sold in 1762, the designation "of Balnagowan."
The Balnagowan estate itself is no longer in Ross hands. Its recent owner, Egyptian millionaireMohammed Fayed (d. 2023), former owner of theHarrods department store, put a lot of money into improving the estate and restoring the castle. The current Chief lives inPerthshire. His son, Hugh, and grandson, Calum, are both interested and involved in the Gaelic scene across Scotland.
Following the death of David Campbell Ross of Ross and Balnagowan in 2024, Fiona Campbell Ross of Ross and Balnagowan has been recognised as Chief of Clan Ross by the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
 The Ross Red tartan in modern colors. | |
| Sett | |
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| Tartan thread count | B36 R4 B36 R36 G4 R8 G4 R36 G36 R4 G36 R4 G36 R36 B2 R2 B4 R2 B2 R36 |
| Tartan registries | |
| STWR | #449 |
| SRT entry | Ross |
Clan Ross has three tartans:
