's
Victorian era romanticised depiction of a
Macdonald, lord of the Isles.
Origins The MacDonells of Glengarry are one of the branch clans of
Clan Donald—one of the largest Scottish clans. The eponymous ancestor of Clan Donald is
Donald, son of
Reginald, son of
Somerled. Somerled, son of Gillebride was a 12th-century leader, styled as "King of the Isles" and "King of Argyll". Through ambitious military conquest, Somerled rose in prominence to create the
Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. However, his origins and ancestry are obscure.
King Robert the Bruce granted a charter of many lands to
Aonghus Óg of Islay, including half the Lordship of Lochaber. Angus Og's son
John was the first
Lord of the Isles. John's first marriage was to
Amie MacRuari, heiress of
Clann Ruaidhrí. John later divorced Amie and married Margaret, daughter of
King Robert II. The children from John's first marriage became the main succession of the chiefship of Clan Donald and the later Macdonald Lords of the Isles would go on to descend from John's second marriage. The MacDonells of Glengarry and
MacDonalds of Clanranald both descend from John and Amie's eldest son,
Reginald.
14th century Reginald, 1st of Clanranald and Glengarry, inherited most of the former lands of Clann Ruaidhrí through his mother, Amie MacRuari. He married Lady Fiona Stewart, daughter of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, and had five sons, including Alan, progenitor of Clan MacDonald of Clanranald, and Donald, 2nd of Glengarry. He was succeeded by his son, John MacAlister Ranaldson, 5th of Glengarry, who inherited the lands of Glengarry. During this period, the clan formed part of the MacDonalds of Clanranald and supported
Aonghas Óg MacDonald in his claim to the Lordship of the Isles, fighting at the
Battle of Bloody Bay and later at the
Battle of Lagabraad against Clan Mackenzie, where Clan Donald was victorious. In 1501, John MacAlister Ranaldson was killed by
Fraser of Lovat after being lured to a meeting at Achteraw in Abertarff. This led to a conflict between the MacDonells of Glengarry and the Frasers of Lovat, ending with the Frasers’ defeat and the surrender of Abertarff to Glengarry. Legal proceedings were later brought before the Lords of Council by Alexander MacIain of Glengarry against those responsible for his father’s murder. Alexander Ranaldson, 6th of Glengarry, was considered to be a rebellious chief. The MacDonells of Glengarry did not play an important part in the politics of Clan Donald until the late 15th century. Most of the chiefs submitted to
James IV of Scotland, and even the MacDonalds of Clanranald accepted charters in 1494. Alexander Ranaldson also fought at the
Battle of the Shirts in support of John Moidartach and the MacDonalds of Clanranald and Clan Cameron against Clan Fraser of Lovat. He died in 1560. The Council declared Donald MacAngus a "good subject," prohibiting Argyll’s attack and rallying local clans to defend Glengarry, and forbidding any further attacks against Glengarry under pain of treason. The Earl of Argyll conceded and abandoned his plans for invasion.
17th century Bitter feuding with the Mackenzies of Kintail , the original seat of the chiefs of the Clan MacDonell of Glengarry. The feud with Clan Mackenzie began in the late 16th century after Angus MacAlester inherited lands in Wester Ross. The conflict escalated when two of his cousins burned a house of a murderer in Applecross, killing a Mackenzie, leading
Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of Kintail to accuse the MacDonells of the murder to the Privy Council, prompting Angus MacAlester to flee Edinburgh. In November 1601, Angus MacDonell, son of Donald MacAngus, led a raid on Mackenzie lands in Torridon. A complaint was filed with the Privy Council, but neither Angus nor his father appeared in court. On 9 September 1602, Donald MacAngus was declared an outlaw. In response, the Council acquired Kenneth Mackenzie a commission of "fire and sword", and procured through the interest of the
1st Earl of Dunfermline by invading Glengarry's lands of Morar. Similarly, the MacDonells raided the Mackenzies and wasted the lands of Lochalsh and Applecross. The escalation came to head at the
Battle of Morar, where the Mackenzies laid siege to
Strome Castle, causing the MacDonells to surrender, and the Mackenzies demolished the castle by gunpowder. The clan soon built
Invergarry Castle in the Great Glen. The conflict intensified when Glengarry allied with MacDonald of Moidart. While Kenneth Mackenzie sought support from Hector Og
MacLean of Duart in
Mull, Angus MacDonell raided Lochcarron. The MacDonells loaded their boats with plunder, but the MacKenzies intercepted the MacDonells in small rowing boats, overturning the boat, and killing many men, including Angus. The survivors swam to the Isle of Skye and escaped, leaving their pillaged plunders behind. The following year, Allan Dubh MacRanuil of Lundie launched a fiercer raid on the Mackenzies by burning an entire congregation of Mackenzie clansmen in the church in
Kilchrist. According to tradition, a bagpiper for the MacDonells of Glengarry marched around the burning church playing a spirited tune, which was later known as
"Cillechriost". However, the MacDonells, despite their sanguinary excesses, were no match for the politically astute Mackenzie, who succeeded in obtaining a crown charter to the disputed districts of Loch Alsh, Lochcarron and others, and who steadily bought up the claims of third parties against Glengarry in 1607. Their differences were eventually settled by an arrangement which secured absolutely to Mackenzie all Glengarry's lands in
Ross-shire and the superiority of all his other possessions, but Glengarry was to hold the latter, paying Mackenzie a small
feu as superior. Donald MacAngus was later compensated with
Knoydart from the Camerons of Lochiel in 1611.'' by Sir
James Balfour Paul in 1904.|286x286px
Mid-17th century Donald MacAngus was briefly imprisoned by
Lord Ochiltree,
Lord Chancellor of Scotland, in 1626, but secured a charter in 1627 that made Glengarry a free barony. Ranald, 2nd of Scotus, and 10th of Glengarry succeeded as chief of Glengarry in 1680. When
James II & VII was expelled in the
Glorious Revolution of 1688,
Alastair Dubh MacDonell, acted on behalf of his father as chief and leader of the Glengarry clan during the
1689 Jacobite rising. The
Scots Parliament confiscated Glengarry's lands, although the MacDonells continued to hold Invergarry Castle. The clan, along with 2500 clansmen, fought under
John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee at the
Battle of Killiecrankie. During this time, the MacDonells of Glengarry, along with the
MacDonalds of Glencoe began looting and raiding other neighboring clans, including the lands of
Robert Campbell of Glenlyon. In his subsequent appeal for compensation, Robert Campbell of Glenlyon believed the Glengarry men to be the more culpable, making no mention of Glencoe. By late 1691, the British government was determined to "make an example" of the MacDonells. Ranald did not take the oath of allegiance to the new Williamite government until 4 February.
John Dalrymple, 1st Earl of Stair's letter to
Campbell of Breadalbane on 2 December showed the decision to make an example of Glengarry was taken before the deadline for the oath, originally as a much bigger operation; "...the clan Donell must be rooted out and Lochiel. Leave the McLeans to Argyll...". However, after agreeing to pardon Ranald MacDonell of his treason, the Williamites switched targets to the MacDonalds of Glencoe, which resulted in the
Massacre of Glencoe.
18th century from
James Logan's
The Clans of the Scottish Highlands, published in 1845. Ranald died in 1705 and was succeeded by his son,
Alastair Dubh MacDonell, 11th of Glengarry, who later became the titular Lord MacDonald and was regarded as "one of the most distinguished warriors of his day in the Highlands". Alastair Dubh was an early supporter of the
Jacobite rising of 1715 and joined John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee in 1689 with approximately 300 followers in Lochaber. Montrose wrote his famous letter to
Clan MacLeod on 23 June 1689, in which he says "Glengaire gave me account of the subject of a letter he receaved from you; I shall only tell yow, that if you hasten not to land your men, I am of opinion you will have litle occasion to do the king great service". When Ailean Dearg, the Chief of Clan Macdonald of Clanranald was mortally wounded at the
Battle of Sheriffmuir, Alasdair Dubh rallied the faltering warriors of Clan Donald by throwing up his
blue bonnet and crying
Buillean an-diugh, tuiream a-màireach! ("Blows today, mourning tomorrow!");
General Wade's report on the Highlands in 1724, estimated the clan strength at 800 men. Alastair Dubh died at Invergarry in 1721, and was eulogized in the song-poem
Alistair à Gleanna Garadh by his kinswoman
Sìleas na Ceapaich, which hearkens back to the mythological poetry attributed to
Amergin Glúingel and which remains an iconic and oft
imitated work of
Scottish Gaelic literature. His eldest son, John, succeeded him. is the traditional seat of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, and home to the chiefs of the MacDonells until 1746 when the British Government partially destroyed the castle under the orders of the Duke of Cumberland.John, 2nd titular Lord MacDonald and 12th of Glengarry, succeeded as chief and secured a charter for Knoydart from
John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll in 1724. Although John did not take part in the
Jacobite rising of 1745, his second son, Aeneas (also known as Angus), fought in the rebellion.
Glengarry's Regiment participated in several engagements, including the
Highbridge Skirmish, the first clash between government and Jacobite forces, as well as the battles of
Prestonpans and
Falkirk. Aeneas was accidentally shot after the action at Falkirk and died three days later. Command of the regiment then passed to his kinsman, Donald MacDonnell of Lochgarry, who led it at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746 under
James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth. At Culloden, the regiment numbered approximately 530 men, the largest in the Jacobite army. During the battle, the MacDonald regiments were located on the extreme left wing of the Jacobite army, instead of their preferred place on the right wing. According to legend, these regiments refused to charge when ordered to do so, due to the perceived insult of being placed on the left wing. Following the defeat, the regiment was disbanded in May 1746.
Charles Edward Stuart later sought refuge at Invergarry Castle, which was subsequently destroyed by government troops. John’s eldest son,
Alastair Ruadh, later 13th of Glengarry, was captured in November 1745 while travelling from France to join the rising. He was imprisoned in the
Tower of London, and released in 1747. He was later identified by historian
Andrew Lang as “Pickle the Spy,” a government informant within the Jacobite movement, though his motivations remain disputed.
19th century to modern day , ca 1812.In the early 1800s, the Highland Clearances forced most of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry to leave Scotland. Many settled in
Glengarry County, Ontario, and parts of
Nova Scotia. The largest evictions were ordered by the 15th chief, Alexander Ranaldson MacDonell of Glengarry, who was known for his proud and dramatic personality and is believed to have inspired a character in
Walter Scott’s novel
Waverley. In 1815, he founded the Society of True Highlanders, which promoted Highland identity and traditions. Events surrounding
George IV's visit to Scotland in 1822 helped popularize tartans and traditional Highland dress. A relative, His kinsman Fr.
Alexander MacDonell (1762–1840), became a Catholic priest and played an important role in both military and religious life. In 1794, he helped raise the
Glengarry Fencibles and became the first Catholic military chaplain in Britain since the Reformation. He later emigrated with his clansmen to Canada, helped reform the regiment during the War of 1812, and in 1826 became the first Bishop of Kingston, Ontario. Another clan member, Sir James MacDonell, fought at the
Battle of Waterloo, where he was praised by the
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington as “the bravest man in the British Army” and shared his reward money with his sergeant,
James Graham. His successor also emigrated, eventually settling in
New Zealand. After several deaths and migrations, the main family line became extinct, but leadership continued through a distant relative, Aneas Ranald, 19th of Glengarry through the Scotus branch, thus continuing the chief succession of the clan. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, later chiefs were educated in England and pursued careers in business, banking, and the military. One served as a British officer during World War I. The 22nd chief died in 1999, and the 23rd chief served until his death in 2021. The current chief is Colin Patrick MacDonell, who lives in North Vancouver, Canada. The heir apparent is Angus Curt MacDonell, known as the Younger of Glengarry. ==Castles==