The Scottish Clans Podcast

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    

In the service of his king, General Wade spent time in the Highlands, taking notes on aspects of Highland culture that would be militarily relevant.  His report on this experience offers interesting insight into the culture of the clans, such as clan structure and cattle stealing. https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/geog/chapter8.htm named.publicprofiler.org facebook.com/clansofscotland

I've been working on a couple projects surveying the origins of the Scottish clans, as well as those in Ireland.  In doing so, I have seen certain trends that are worth mentioning.  Where do the oldest clans (in a form we would recognize today) come from?  How far do they go back?  Check out this episode to see what I've learned.

A jealous abduction, a heartbroken suicide, and a fatal loophole; the Gunn vs. Keith feud has all the elements of a blockbuster movie. 

The Borders Reivers are not what you imagine when you think of Scottish icons.  They weren't kilted light infantry swinging claymores, charging into battle to the sound of the Highland pipes.  But their history is not less colorful, nor their stories any less exciting than their northern countrymen.  Join me as I discuss these raiding, feuding, daring Borderers and tell the tale of the Battle of Dryfe Sands!

One of the bloodiest battles in Scottish history, Harlaw involved a multitude of clans and pitted the men of the western Highlands and Isles against the men of northeast Scotland.  Included in this campaign was the Battle of Dingwall, near Inverness, where the men of the Mackenzie, Mackay, Fraser, and Dingwall clans tried, unsuccessfully, to check the advance of the Lord of the Isles and his men.  Hope you enjoy.

Somerled, the founder of the Lordship of the Isles...or was he?  In this episode, I discuss some of the things I have found through reading "Kinship, Church and Culture".  Where did the Lordship of the Isles have its beginning?  This is a huge topic for those of you with MacDonald, MacDougall or MacRory ancestry.  I also discuss the connection between the MacRorys and the MacDonnells of Clan Ranald.  

There is a difference in the way Highland clans and Lowland clans are presented in many of our clan sources.  This leads us to wonder how similar they really were.  Were the Lowland clans really more like English aristocratic families (with the exception of the Border clans, who are portrayed more like the Highland clans)?  I found some answers and look forward to sharing my research with you.

This episode is meant to help those of you who want to do some of your own research on the clans of Scotland.  There is a discrepancy between what is available on a general internet search and what the scholarly community has accomplished.  As long as we know what we're getting into, we can handle some of these flaws in the sources.

This has got to be one of the most exciting stories in Highland history.  Feuds, ambushes, sieges, plotting.  This story needs to become either a bestselling novel or a blockbuster hit.  The Stewarts of Appin are in the center of the story, with John, Lord of Lorn, trying to pass on his inheritance to an illegitimate son, Dugald, if he can live long enough to do it. Also, there is some information on the MacFarlanes, who play an antagonistic role.  Below are some links.  The first is to Electric Scotland, which was the source I read the story from.  Follow more links at the bottom of that webpage for more study. https://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/stoz/appin_stewarts.htm

The Cameron vs Mackintosh feud is one of the most infamous and long-lasting feuds in Scottish history.  Who won?  Well, that depends on what perspective you take.  Which clan won the most battles that we have record of?  Which clan was in better shape when the feud ended?  Which clan achieved their objective?  These are the questions we seek to answer in this episode. Here is a link to the Scottish Clans facebook page: facebook.com/clansofscotland or fb.me/clansofscotland.  To message me, follow this link: m.me/clansofscotland.   Use the Facebook page to continue this conversation. Here are some links to the sourced I used for this episode. http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1570.html http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles/1665.html http://www.clan-cameron.org/battles.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-off_at_the_Fords_of_Arkaig