A few days ago we were walking around the North end of Glencoe. A forest path eventually takes you to a rocky outcrop called “Tom a’ Ghrianain”. The legend has it that this hill was the site of a beacon which would be lit by the clan in time of emergencies or when they needed […]
The Clan Donald Society are looking to restore the reputation of one of the Victorian era’s most celebrated soldiers, Major General Sir Hector ‘Fighting Mac’ MacDonald. In his hometown of Dingwall, the society are holding a ceremony at the weekend at the 100ft memorial tower to mark the 159th anniversary of MacDonald’s birth. Born near […]
The Teampull na Trionaid a ruined church on Uist in the Western Isles has been given a grant of £200,000 in order to make it safe for visitors. The building was founded in 1200 as a college for Priests. The site also contains a graveyard called Teampull Clann a’Phiocair (Church of the MacVicars) where this clan are […]
The Isle of Eigg is situated in the heart of Clanranald country, this small island has very bloody history being involved in every MacDonald rebellion against the crown and in a good many feuds. A lengthy feud between the MacDonalds and the MacLeods in the 16th Century led to the death of 395 MacDonalds in […]
A leading DNA expert has shown that the celtic hero Somerled who was credited with driving the Vikings out of western Scotland was himself descended from a Norseman It had always been believed that Somerled was descended from an ancient royal line going back to when the Scots were living in Ireland. A few years […]
This is the original chart, circa 1800, a fascinating illustration of the important genealogical descent of the Clan MacDonald from the 10th Century. This chart was compiled by John Brown, genealogist to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The genealogy tree illustrates the descent of the various branches of the Clan Donald, from the […]
The name Cameron originates from the Gaelic words ‘cam’, meaning wry or crooked, and ‘sron’ meaning nose, suggesting that the progenitor of the Clan Cameron had a crooked nose! Cameron is one of the most popular in the Highlands, and the name of Lochiel, the Chief of the Clan, has always stood for everything that […]
Knock Castle is also known as Caisteal Camus, it is 3.5 miles north of Armadale on the Isle of Skye. It was held by the MacLeods in the fifteenth century, but later passed to the MacDonalds. Knock Castle became the key stronghold for the Lords of the Isles – The MacDonalds. Some say that […]
Kylekin is a small promontory that juts out of the east end of Skye and is crowned by the ruins of Castle Maol. The main wall of the ruin is an impressive eleven feet thick, but ended up defeated by the great storm of 1948. On Febuary 1st 1948, the main wall of Castle Maol […]
