Scottish Clans

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.