Clan MacDonald of Ardnamurchan
Encyclopedia
The MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan also known as MacIain of Ardnamurchan are a branch of Clan Donald
.
(d.1292), 4th chief of the Clan Donald
.
Iain Sprangach MacDonald was also known as John the Bold. His brother was a great ally of King Robert the Bruce
. His early affiliations appear to have been with the English and it is not clear whether his original grant of Ardnamurchan
came from the 'puppet' king John Balliol
or his illustrious brother. The MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan became known as the MacIains.
in 1411. Alexander's son John led the clan at the Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
. After this he was awarded lands on the isles of Islay
and Jura
.
The MacIains supported the MacDonald Lordship of the Isles until, in 1493, the fourth and last Lord of the Isles forfeited his title to King James IV
. By 1494 the King had garrisoned and provisioned Dunaverty Castle
. It is said that the MacDonalds led by Sir John MacDonald, who the king had recently knighted, retook the castle before the King had even departed to Stirling and that the dead body of the King's castle governor was hung over the castle walls in sight of the King and his departing entourage. Sir John Macdonald however was later captured by MacDonald (or MacIain) of Ardnamurchan. He was tried and hung on the Burgh Muir.
In 1497 Sir Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh
rebelled against the King and invaded the lands of Ross-shire
where he was defeated in battle by the Clan Munro
and Clan MacKenzie
. Alexander himself escaped southwards amongst the Isles until he was caught on the Isle of Oronsay
and put to death by MacIain of Ardnamurchan.
was besieged by the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh
and again two years later when they finally took the castle.
Other treacherous deeds against MacDonald of Lochalsh and treachory which led to the execution of the chief of the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg
and his son eventually led to the death of John MacIain at the hands of his avenging kinsmen in 1518.
The 8th chief of the MacDonalds or MacIains of Ardnamurchan led his clan in support of the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald against the Clan Fraser
and Fraser of Lovat in the Battle of the Shirts
in 1544. It is said that only eight MacDonalds and five Frasers survived.
. The fortunes of the clan declined and they were forced to go elsewhere. Many settled in Moidart
under the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald while others migrated east to Badenoch
.
of Clan MacDonald of Ardnamurchan include the following. Other branches of the Clan MacDonald have different septs.
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
.
Origins of the Clan
The founder of the Macdonalds of Ardnamurchan was Iain Sprangach MacDonald (d.1340), the third son of Angus Mor MacDonaldAonghas Mór
Aonghas Mór , also known as Aonghas a Íle and Aonghas mac Domhnaill , was the son of Domhnall mac Raghnaill, eponymous progenitor of Clan Donald.Aonghas Mór has been called "the first MacDonald" by one historian, namely...
(d.1292), 4th chief of the Clan Donald
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
.
Iain Sprangach MacDonald was also known as John the Bold. His brother was a great ally of King Robert the Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
. His early affiliations appear to have been with the English and it is not clear whether his original grant of Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoilt and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its length.-Geography:...
came from the 'puppet' king John Balliol
John of Scotland
John Balliol , known to the Scots as Toom Tabard , was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296.-Early life:Little of John's early life is known. He was born between 1248 and 1250 at an unknown location, possibilities include Galloway, Picardy and Barnard Castle, County Durham...
or his illustrious brother. The MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan became known as the MacIains.
15th Century
Alexander MacDonald, the third chief of the MacIains is believed to have been killed during the Battle of HarlawBattle of Harlaw
The Battle of Harlaw was a Scottish clan battle fought on 24 July 1411 just north of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. It was one of a series of battles fought during the Middle Ages between the barons of northeast Scotland against those from the west coast....
in 1411. Alexander's son John led the clan at the Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
Battle of Inverlochy (1431)
The Battle of Inverlochy was fought after Alexander of Islay , Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross, had been imprisoned by King James I...
. After this he was awarded lands on the isles of Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
and Jura
Jura, Scotland
Jura is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, situated adjacent and to the north-east of Islay. Part of the island is designated as a National Scenic Area. Until the twentieth century Jura was dominated - and most of it was eventually owned - by the Campbell clan of Inveraray Castle on Loch...
.
The MacIains supported the MacDonald Lordship of the Isles until, in 1493, the fourth and last Lord of the Isles forfeited his title to King James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
. By 1494 the King had garrisoned and provisioned Dunaverty Castle
Dunaverty Castle
Dunaverty Castle is located at Southend at the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland. The site was once a fort belonging to the Clan Donald . Little remains of the castle, although the site is protected as a scheduled monument....
. It is said that the MacDonalds led by Sir John MacDonald, who the king had recently knighted, retook the castle before the King had even departed to Stirling and that the dead body of the King's castle governor was hung over the castle walls in sight of the King and his departing entourage. Sir John Macdonald however was later captured by MacDonald (or MacIain) of Ardnamurchan. He was tried and hung on the Burgh Muir.
In 1497 Sir Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh
Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh
-History:The MacDonald of Lochalsh branch was founded by Celestine MacDonald . Celestine MacDonald was the second son of Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, 3rd Lord of the Isles and 8th chief of Clan Donald...
rebelled against the King and invaded the lands of Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
where he was defeated in battle by the Clan Munro
Clan Munro
-Origins:The main traditional origin of the clan is that the Munros came from Ireland and settled in Scotland in the 11th century and that they fought as mercenary soldiers under the Earl of Ross who defeated Viking invaders in Rosshire...
and Clan MacKenzie
Clan MacKenzie
Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire.-Origins:The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they...
. Alexander himself escaped southwards amongst the Isles until he was caught on the Isle of Oronsay
Oronsay, Inner Hebrides
Oronsay , also sometimes spelt and pronounced Oransay by the local community, is a small tidal island south of Colonsay in the Scottish Inner Hebrides with an area of just over two square miles....
and put to death by MacIain of Ardnamurchan.
16th Century
In In 1515 the Mingarry CastleMingarry Castle
Mingarry Castle is a castle situated a mile south-east of the small village of Kilchoan in Lochaber, Scotland. Nestled on ridge of rock overlooking the sea, it was considered a strategically important site in terms of communication with overseas areas and as an entranceway to the Sound of Mull...
was besieged by the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh
Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh
-History:The MacDonald of Lochalsh branch was founded by Celestine MacDonald . Celestine MacDonald was the second son of Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross, 3rd Lord of the Isles and 8th chief of Clan Donald...
and again two years later when they finally took the castle.
Other treacherous deeds against MacDonald of Lochalsh and treachory which led to the execution of the chief of the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg
Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg
Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg, also known as Clan Donald South, Clan Iain Vor, Clan MacDonald of Islay and Kintyre, MacDonalds of the Glens and sometimes referred to as MacDonnells, is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald...
and his son eventually led to the death of John MacIain at the hands of his avenging kinsmen in 1518.
The 8th chief of the MacDonalds or MacIains of Ardnamurchan led his clan in support of the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald against the Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser
Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of French origin. The Clan has been strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. Since its founding, the Clan has dominated local politics and been active in every major military conflict...
and Fraser of Lovat in the Battle of the Shirts
Battle of the Shirts
The Battle of the Shirts was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1544 in the Great Glen, at the northern end of Loch Lochy. The Clan Donald and their allies the Clan Cameron fought the Clan Fraser and men from Clan Grant....
in 1544. It is said that only eight MacDonalds and five Frasers survived.
17th Century
By 1618 the MacDonalds or MacIains of Ardnamurchan had lost their lands through duplicity of the Clan CampbellClan Campbell
Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
. The fortunes of the clan declined and they were forced to go elsewhere. Many settled in Moidart
Moidart
Moidart is a district in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland.Moidart lies to the west of Fort William and is very remote. Loch Shiel cuts off the south-east boundary of the district. Moidart includes the townships of Dorlin, Mingarry, Kinlochmoidart and Glenuig. At Dorlin is located the ancient fortress...
under the Clan Macdonald of Clanranald while others migrated east to Badenoch
Badenoch
Badenoch is a traditional district which today forms part of Badenoch and Strathspey, an area of Highland Council, in Scotland, bounded on the north by the Monadhliath Mountains, on the east by the Cairngorms and Braemar, on the south by Atholl and the Grampians, and on the west by Lochaber...
.
Castle
- Mingarry CastleMingarry CastleMingarry Castle is a castle situated a mile south-east of the small village of Kilchoan in Lochaber, Scotland. Nestled on ridge of rock overlooking the sea, it was considered a strategically important site in terms of communication with overseas areas and as an entranceway to the Sound of Mull...
was the original seat for the chief of Clan MacDonald of Ardnamurchan.
Clan Septs
SeptsSept (social)
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
of Clan MacDonald of Ardnamurchan include the following. Other branches of the Clan MacDonald have different septs.
- Johnson
- Kean
- Keene