The Clans of Scotland

Battle of Culloden 1746

The Clans of Scotland - ancient, fascinating, colorful and enigmatic!

These are just a few of the words that could describe the Scottish clans that feature so prominently in the history of Scotland.

Over the centuries, they've played an enormous role in Scottish culture and tradition, and have their roots in the ancient Celtic tribal system.

Scottish clans have survived centuries of bloody battles and several attempts to destroy them, and today interest in the clan system and its' history is once again experiencing a 'revival'.

In fact, if you're Scottish by birth, or have Scottish ancestors, chances are good that you know (or want to know) which clan you belong to!

The History of Scottish Clans

Scottish Highlands

In Scottish history you can go all the way back to the 6th century and you'll find indications that the clans of Scotland were there.

The word 'Clan' comes from the Celtic word 'Clann', meaning 'family, offspring or children', and clans evolved from the very earliest Celtic tribal systems which existed in the far north of Scotland, aka the Scottish Highlands.

The original Scottish clans were basically huge 'extended families', tied together by blood-relationships and descended from a common ancestor.

Each clan was associated with a specific geographical area (known as the clan territory), and was led by a Clan Chief (or Chieftain) whose family would usually lived in their own ancestral Scottish castle.

Many clans also contained a number of 'septs', which were families who had less direct ties to the Clan Chief but were still associated with the clan as a whole.

Due to the varied invasions of Scotlands' northern regions, and the fact that the Orkney and Shetland Isles are so closely related to Norway, the clans of Scotland were often quite different from one another when it came to race.

Some were descended from Norse Vikings (Scandanavian), some from the Normans (French), some Dutch and of course, many were Celts and even Picts. BUT they were all Scottish at heart!

The Clan Chiefs were very powerful and controlled just about every aspect of daily life. It was a patriarchal system and chieftain status was based on lineal descent (passed down through the fathers' side of the family).

Clan members were fiercely loyal to their Clan Chief, and to the other clan members, and would willingly lay down their lives to protect each other. This is something that, due to the clans bloody and battle-strewn history, they were often required to do!

The Nature of The Clans of Scotland

They have survived for centuries and although belonging to a clan today is quite a different experience to the one you may have had 300 or 400 years ago, many of the traditional values and feelings are the same.

Although there were clans and septs in the Scottish lowlands, the system was much stronger and more widely seen in the Highlands, perhaps in part because the rugged and diverse landscape of the Scottish Highlands was so well-suited to the clan system.

All the mountains, glens (valleys), rivers and islands, meant that it was fairly easy for groups to stay far away from each other when they wanted to. The landscape also helped when it came to defending individual territories.

For example, there was plenty of high ground which provided good vantage points and made it difficult for enemies to approach unseen. For these very reasons, castles were often established in barely accessible positions, such as on cliff-tops or so close to lochs (lakes), rivers or the sea, that they were almost IN the water.

Each individual Scottish clan was tightly bound together, by blood and by loyalties, and they tended to develop thier own customs, traditions and laws which could vary from clan to clan. Devotion to their own clan was strong, and there were often feuds with rival clans which were passed down through the generations - the ill-will refusing to diminish over time.

Many bloody battles were fought over clan territories, and there was generally no love lost between the Highland Clans of Scotland and the lowland clans or septs.

But there were also similarities between these groups and many had close relationships with other clans. Because of the unique set-up of the clan system, and the way clan membership passes down through the mans' surname (last name), a married woman would often have family members that belonged to a different clan. It was common practice in the early days of the clans of Scotland for the children of a Clan Chief to be raised by a maternal uncle and his family in a separate clan.

This probably seems as odd to you as it does to me, and as a parent I simply can't imagine how that felt, but the Scotland of those days was very different to our modern society and there's a lot of logic in this arrangement. It formed a family-bond between two clans and as they say 'two are better than one' in a lot of situations!

Culloden Memorial

Although the clans of Scotland flourished for centuries, by the 1800's they were under attack in the form of increasing pressure from the English monarchy and British Government.

In 1746 a Scottish rebellion was defeated at the Battle of Culloden, and the Scottish clan system was almost destroyed.

However, the Scots are nothing if not determined and hardy, and they clung to their traditions and beliefs and in the 19th Century they saw the popularity of their clans begin to see a revival.

Since then there has been a growing interest in Scottish history and culture, and more and more people across the world are becoming interested in their Scottish ancestry and roots.

The Clans of Scotland & Tartan

Kilts themselves were seen as early as the 1500's as a form of highland dress (they looked quite different from todays' kilts though), but the relationship between a particular tartan and an individual clan is actually a fairly recent development within - if you consider the early 19th century to be recent that is!

The earliest fabrics were often woven out of one, or two, colors and the link between color, fabric and design had more to do with the natural resources in a certain region, and the craftsmanship of the local weavers, than to any clan relationship.

But in the late 1700's the Clans of Scotland began to adopt their own unique tartan design as a clan symbol, and wearing your 'clan tartan' became a matter of pride.

The Clans of Scotland Today

Scottish Clans Today

Today, a clan is a legally recognized group in Scotland, and it has a 'corporate identity' by law (the same way a business or company has).

It's a 'noble incorporation' because Clan Chiefs are considered noblemen of Scotland and this leads to a clan being officially referred to as 'the Honorable Clan of (fill in the clan name!)….'

Under Scottish law, a clan is recognized as the chief’s heritable property - he legally owns it and is responsible for its administration and development.

Those of us who are of Scottish descent, whether we live in Glasgow, Melbourne or Oklahoma, are proud of our heritage. If you have Scottish ancestors, you may want to learn more about the clans of Scotland, and to find out whether or not you belong to one..... unfortunately it's not always easy to get to the truth of the matter!

Due to the fact that Scottish clans have been around for thousands of years, and to the complicated and interwoven nature of the Scottish clan system, it can be difficult to figure it all out for yourself.

Although certain Scottish surnames (last names) are traditionally associated with a certain clans, just having the correct name alone is no guarantee that you 'belong'.

Now, if you'd simply like to find out if your family name links you to a particular Scottish clan, check out this handy 'Clanfinder' Tool.

If you want to get serious about finding your Scottish ancestors, or are interested in a Scottish genealogy search, we'd recommend a visit to the ScotsFamily website. Their professional and complete Ancestor Search Service might be able to help you track down those elusive Scottish relatives!

One last note on this subject..... in spite of the difficulty in finding out exactly who your Scottish ancestors were, and which of the Clans of Scotland they actually belonged to, in reality today anyone with the Chiefs' surname is considered a member of the clan.

Even if you don't have the 'right' name, if you offer allegiance to a Chief, then you can be considered a member of his clan.

In both these situations though, it's entirely up to the Clan Chief to decide whether he accepts you or not!

To me, these modern-day 'rules', don't seem to be too much different from the the ones that existed centuries ago, and I think that says everything there is to say about the strength and enduring qualities of the Clans of Scotland!

Scotland Culture

Scottish Names

Scottish Castles

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