Scottish Clans

Wrapping up the series on the Gallowglass, I discuss three more kindreds who operated as Gallowglass, one that you would expect and two that you wouldn't.

In the last episode we did an introduction to the Galloglass.  In this episode we discuss SOME of the prominent Galloglass kindreds, specifically the MacDonnells, MacDougalls (MacDowells), MacRorys, MacCabes, MacSheehys and MacCoys.  In the next episode we'll introduce some clans that are well-known but not as Galloglass. This is also available on iTunes and Spotify. Hope you enjoy!

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The Gallowglass were some of the most fearsome fighters of their day.  Hailing from the Western Highlands and Isles, these clans of mixed Gaelic and Scandinavian descent provided the Lords and Chieftains of Ireland with elite infantry that became famous in western Europe for their prowess on the battlefield.

Our first visit to Ayrshire in this podcast, I relate the main events of the Montgomery vs. Cunningham feud.  This feud was inextricably entwined with the dynastic struggles and the religious conflicts of their nation.

In this second part of the series on the structure of a clan, I discuss what the membership of a clan would look like.  Did everyone who rallied to the chief's call bear the same surname?  Were they related to the chief in any way?  Check out this episode to see what I've read on this subject.

This episode is mostly in response to listener engagement and feedback.  Thanks to those of you who have pursued the conversation!  Your comments have been interesting and insightful.  I also added a little storytelling at the end.  Here's to the Border Reivers!

This is the first in a series where I discuss how a clan was put together.  This episode focuses on the chief and his retinue, to include: the military commander, the poet/historian, piper/harpist, and the physician.

This episode doesn't cover the whole length of the feud between these two prominent Scottish kindreds.  Rather, it relates the conflicts that happened in 1572 as related by Alexander MacGregor in "The Feuds of the Clans", published in 1907.  I might add that it seems like MacGregor's account is biased toward the Gordons.  Sorry.  Forbes, do you have any other sources for this time period?  Share them in the comments.

When John Campbell of GlenOrchy takes possession of lands in Caithness, the title of Earl of Caithness, and George Sinclair's widow as payment for the debt Sinclair owed him, George Sinclair of Keiss isn't having it.  That's his inheritance and he won't take this intrusion laying down.

Today we flesh out the histories of the MacFarlane and MacGregor clans in the first of a series on alliances.  These two clans shared more than neighboring territory across Loch Lomond.  They stirred up trouble together and fought through thick and thin.

I also highlight a website that displays the current geographical distribution of surnames within the UK.  Here's the link: named.publicprofiler.org

Here's Michael Newton's website which will give you access to a lot of his fine work on the Highlands and Gaelic history.  I have this link also on the Scottish Clans facebook page: https://virtualgael.wordpress.com/.

The MacFarlane source I used the most can be found here: https://archive.org/stream/historyofclanmac00macf/historyofclanmac00macf_djvu.txt.  I believe from here you can download the pdf.

Here's where you can download the pdf of Dr. MacGregor's PhD thesis.  https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/6887