Scotland: the land of Robbie Burns, haggis and bagpipes!

Greetings from Scotland or, as it is in Scottish Gaelic, Alba! Scotland is famous for its glens, lochs, kilts, bagpipes, Nessie the Loch Ness monster, whiskey, numerous ballads, and multitudes of colorful people. It is also famous for it's haggis. Now, before I begin, I want to set the record straight about haggis. It is a sausage. That is all. You don't necessarily want to know what goes in sausage but you still eat it and find it tasty. Sausage is encased in intestines, haggis in a sheep's stomach. There is not much of a difference. I have eaten haggis on several occasions and found it rather tasty, especially when washed down with a good Scottish ale. Moving on, I don't know what it is about Scotland, or the British isles for that matter, but I find it incredibly romantic. Maybe it's the mist and thick Scottish brogue, or maybe it's the haunting bagpipe tunes and legends that permeate the landscape. Or maybe it's the dram of whiskey. In any case, there is something mystical and incredibly enchanting, almost as if you're walking in a dream. We will be spending most of or time in the Highlands because, in my opinion, they are what Scotland is all about! The Highlands are also the place my Scottish ancestors called "home." To know my Scottish ancestors is to know and understand Scottish history because folks, they were right in the middle of it, sometimes creating it! I hope that in my forthcoming posts, I will enrapture and entertain you with stories of scandal, bravery, mischievousness, and nationalistic loyalty. My ancestors come from four clans: Clan Gregor, Clan Lamont, Clan Russell, and Clan Innes. For as long as Scotland has existed, there have been clans, which makes Scotland's history quite interesting at times since those clans didn't necessarily get along with each other. These clans had and still have their own motto, tartan and a region they call their homeland.

The Clan Gregor has a history that is rife with conflict (with other clans and England). They held lands in Glenstrae, Glenolochy, Glengyle, Glenlyon, and Glenorchy. Glenorchy was sacred to the clan, I will talk more about it later. Their clan motto is 'S Rhiogal Mo Dhream...Royal is My Race. Clan tradition claims that the MacGregors descend from Kenneth McAplin, King of the Picts, through his son Gregor. However, he may have been Griogair, son of Dungal, co-ruler of Alba, the kingdom north of central Scotland (800s AD). In any case, the clan can claim royal descent. The first chief of the MacGregors was Gregor of the Golden Bridles. His son, Iain Camm (Ian of the one eye), succeeded Gregor before 1390. Some MacGregor cousins of mine did a DNA test through the clan and found that our line is directly descended from Iain Camm, which means we belong to the main body of MacGregors. Now, the MacGregor descent in between Iain and my great great great great great grandfather, Alexander MacGregor, is unknown for reasons I will soon explain. The MacGregors were a fierce bunch. In one battle, they were outnumbered, two clans against them, but when the mist cleared, the MacGregors were victorious. Robert the Bruce decided he would grant the barony of Loch Awe, which included MacGreor lands, to the chief of the Campbells. The Campbells pushed the MacGregors out of their territory and forced them back to Glenstrae. In 1589, John Drummond, the king's forester, was murdered after hanging several MacGregors for poaching. The MacGregor clan had a tendency to do things like that. They also liked to "look after" your cattle. Sometimes the cattle went missing. Anyway, the clan chief took responsibility for the murder and was condemned by the privy council. King James VI was seriously peeved so he passed an edict on April 3, 1603 that made the MacGregors outlaws, every man, woman and child. The following spring, the clan chief and 30 of his leading kinsmen were captured and hung in Edinburgh. There is a memorial that marks the execution spot. The names of the clan Gregor were banned and to openly claim the name meant execution. The clan was ordered to take different names as a new chief was placed over them. However, many refused. The men who refused and were caught were executed; women were stripped bare, branded and whipped through the streets; both women and children were sold into slavery for Britain's new colonies in North America. Additions to the proscription act denied shelter, food, water, care for infants and elderly, as well as the sacraments of baptism, communion, marriage and last rites. The Scottish gentry were even encouraged to hunt MacGregors down with dogs for sport, and if you were caught thieving or murdering, selling the head of a MacGregor to the government would give you a pardon. As a result, the clan split into two groups. The first changed their names but never changed their hearts. The second continued to use their names in defiance and retreated into he hills. The proscription was eventually lifted in 1774, 171 years later. The proscription makes genealogy research difficult. The furthest is obviously Iain Camm but we have no idea about descent until Alexander MacGregor who was born about the time that the proscription was lifted. But we had no idea when. So this certainly proves to be a challenge! Check out this song called MacGregor's Gathering, the words were written by Sir Walter Scott:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0vvdz4yfaag

The Lamont clan claims descent from Ánrothán Ua Néill, an Irish prince from the O'Neill dynasty and therefore are descended from Niall Noigíallach, high King of Ireland. Until the 13th century, the clan was called MacKerracher. Then in 1235, Sir Laumon signed a charter granting lands to Paisley Abbey and thus the clan became known as Lamont. Their homeland was the Cowal peninsula in Argyll. During the Scottish wars of independence, they sided against Robery the Bruce who, after becoming king, took vengeance and gave the Lamont's hereditary seat to the Campbells. By the end of the 14th century, the Campbells had taken most of Lamont territory. As such, there was a bitterness towards the Campbells. However, in 1544, the two clans sided together against an English force whose goal was to kidnap the infant Mary, Queen of Scots as a future bride for Henry VIII's heir. The clans did not stop the English invasion, but stalled long enough for infant Mary to be taken to safety. There is also a curious alliance with the Clan Gregor. Around the year 1600, the son of the Gregor chief and the son of the Lamont chief went hunting together along Loch Awe. As they made camp, they quarreled and the Lamont killed the MacGregor. Lamont fled for his life, pursed by very angry MacGregors. Eventually, he made it to the home of the MacGregor chief and begged protection which e chief granted. The MacGregor chief figured out that his own son had been killed by the Lamont but, in accordance with the laws of Highland hospitality, vowed to protect the young man. He even personally escorted the Lamont to safety. Years later, after the proscription of the MacGregors had been established in full force, a ragged man appeared at the door of the Lamont chief seeking shelter and protection. He was the former MacGregor chief and had been stripped of his lands by the Campbells and was in fear of his life. The Lamont chief remembered the hospitality of the old MacGregor and returned the favor. The MacGreor lived with the Lamont until his death, when he was buried with honors. In 1646, perhaps the most devestating event for the Lamonts occurred. The Campbells massacred 200 Lamonts in the Dunoon Massacre. The remaining Lamont's fled and went to other areas of the Highlands. Fun fact, Queen Elizabeth II's mother is a Lamont.

The other two clans, the Innes and the Russell clans have less illustrative stories. The Innes clan claims descent from Berowald, a Flemish knight who was granted the lands of Innes by King Malcolm IV of Scotland in 1160. His grandson, Walter, assumed the name Innes and was granted a charter of confirmation in 1266. The Russell clan claims descent from Hugh de Rosel, a Norman who came to the British isles with William the Conqueror in 1066. His descendants spread through England, Scotkand and Ireland. His descendant, Baron Rozel supposedly founded the Scottish clan Russell in Aberdeenshire. 

A common feature in Scottish clans is to not bear the name of the actual clan. There are often other names used but still associated with the clan. Two examples lie in my ancestry. My ancestors from the Lamont clan used the name Meickleham and my ancestors from the Innes clan used the name Mitchell!

Cheers!

Elizabeth