Scottish Clans
MacNeil Tartans & Clan
Who Wears MacNeil Tartan? - Associated Names
First of all to explain why there are so many tartans, way over 2000 in fact. There are an awful lot of Scottish clans to start with and on top of this each clan can have many different tartans and names associated with it.
- MacGougan
- MacGrail
- MacGugan
- MacGuigan
- MacNeal
- MacNeale
- MacNeilage
- MacNeill
- MacNelly
- MacNiel
- Neal
- Neale
- Neil
- Neill
- Neilson
- Nelson
- Niel
- Nielson
Macneil Tartans
5 variationsEach tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
- Ancient
- Modern
- Weathered
- Hunting
- One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if
Ancient Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans, mossy greens and sky blues, a more orangey red and some would say showing off the pattern to much greater effect as as the contrasts are much brighter than the Modern tartans. The pattern or sett remains the same across all variations of a single tartan, and only the shades or tones vary.
Helpful Advice
Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Modern Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans. Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Helpful Advice
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
Weathered Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer, more earthy colours typical of the Weathered tartans, reminiscent of bolder colours subjected to wind, rain and sunshine producing beautiful faded tones, olive greens and browns, and very light blues with reds that are more pink than red.
Helpful Advice
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
Hunting Tartan
The Hunting Tartans are the camouflage tartans and some clans don't have these variations because they are already predominantly green or brown and don't need amendment to blend in with nature's colours. The Black Watch or Gunn tartans are examples of these, whereas a tartan such as the Fraser is predominantly red and would not provide much cover for men out hunting.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if Tartan
The Dress Tartans were designed as the name suggests for celebrations and highland dance. The sett or pattern of the tartan remains the same and the main colour is changed to white, or extra white is added to the pattern to give it a brighter, more "fancy" appearance. The Scots do like to bend the rules and occasionally instead of white thread, yellow is used and this is where the rather wild MacLeod Dress Modern and Barclay Dress Modern came from.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
Explore the history
How it all started
Territories
Clan MacNeil's history begins on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. In 1427 another branch of the MacNeil's was established on the island of Gigha with Torquil MacNeil at the head. The separate locations of these branches of the MacNeil clan became significant when in 1493 the Barra MacNeil's showed allegiance to the MacLeans in their long running feud between the MacDonald's of Islay and the MacLeans of Duart, while the Gigha MacNeil's fought alongside Clan Donald.
Clan Chief
The current clan chief of MacNeil is Rory MacNeil, the 27th chief of Clan MacNeil. How Rory gained the chieftainship goes back to 1848 when the chief at the time went bankrupt and died alone. This left the island of Barra to the Gordons of Cluny who later sold it to the Cathcart’s. The line of the hereditary chief passed to a cousin who had emigrated to North America earlier in the 19th century. In a romantic turnaround, a later clan chief, Rory’s grandfather, Robert Lister MacNeil, came back from America to Barra in 1937 and purchased the castle and subsequently devoted his life to restoring it.
Kisimul Castle
Kisimul Castle is the historic and current seat of Clan MacNeil, it is located on an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, off the coast of Castlebay Barra. It is said that the lands that Kisimul sits upon have been owned by the MacNeils since the 11th Century. For many generations Kisimul was widely noted for their lawlessness and piracy, and led by chiefs like Ruari the Turbulent, 35th Chief, who feared not to seize ships from Queen Elizibeth herself. The Castle was built in the 16th Century, but was abandoned by the 19th Century, however, it was restored in the mid-20th Century by Robert Lister MacNeil, the Chief of Clan MacNeil at the time.
The Legend of Niall of the Nine Hostages
Whilst the MacNeil's may not be descendants of King Niall of the Nine Hostages it is worthwhile noting why the clan wanted to align themselves with this high King. Niall was a semi-mythical king and founder of the most powerful Irish royal dynasty as his descendants ruled Ireland for 6 centuries after his death. Niall did not have an easy start to life which was expected of leaders at the time which makes him even more exceptional. When Niall was born his mother left him on the ground as she was afraid of what Mongfind, the first wife of Eochaid Mugmedon, would do to the baby. A poet called Torna finds Niall and raises him. He returned to Tara and became popular with nobles who wished him to succeed Eochaid as king despite the fact that the king has four other male children. When Eochaid, Niall’s father died tensions rose within the family until a feast was organised to make peace. At the feast, Mongfind was attempting to poison her brother, but he would not drink unless she did as well, which lead to both of their deaths. With their deaths, Niall took leadership of the clan and consolidating power in the Northern region of Ireland and created the aforementioned Ui Neill dynasty. He continued to grow the clan by conducting a series of raids on Britain, France and the Roman Empire. He is believed to have been involved in the creation of the Gaelic Kingdom in the north of Wales. The legacy of King Niall of the Nine Hostages is still strong today as a 2006 genetic study conducted by Trinity College Dublin showed that 3 million Irishmen are descended from Niall!
The Vikings Kingdom of the Isles
Despite the fantastic story of King Naill being interesting, the true origins of the MacNeil clan come for the Vikings. The Vikings first arrived in Britain in 793 BCE with the plunder of St Cuthbert’s monastery on the island of Lindisfarne, in Northumbria. Soon after this the Great Heaven Army smelled blood and gold and began to attack the Isles and established sporadic settlements. The Isles had been invaded and ruled by some of the most infamous Vikings ever such the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, Ivar the Boneless, Ubba and Halfdan Ragnarsson but It took until Kettil Flatnose to establish an independent Kingdom of the Isles (That one was for all the fans of the amazon TV show Vikings). Two centuries later Norse control of the Hebrides was formalised when the Scottish King Edgar conceded the islands to the Norwegian King Magnus III. The Kingdom was strong due to its strategic location due to Ireland and mainland Britain. Despite this, the Kingdom of the Isles strength began to decline in the mid-12th century due to infighting throughout the Hebrides. The Kingdom came to an end in the 1250s and 60s when Alexander III launched attacks throughout the Hebrides, and Norse powers began to decline. Finally, in 1263 Alexander III defeated the Norwegian king, Haakon IV at the Battle of Largs. After the battle the Treaty of Perth was signed, and Norway relinquished all claim to the Hebrides. The Norse Kingdom on the Isles was finally relinquished but their legacy in Scotland lives on through the clans like MacNeil.
The MacNeil Plant Badge
The plant badge for the MacNeil’s is the Dryas. Also known as Mountain-avens, Dryas is known to happily grow where nothing else seems able to survive. This is not the only plant associated with the clan as the Trefoil is attributed to the McNiell’s of Gigha. The trefoil is further associated to the Lamont clan who also claim to be descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages. There is no information on whether this is coincidence or a story that goes back to the high kings of Ireland!
MacNeil Family Crest & MacNeil War Cry
The striking MacNeil clan crest is on a chapeau gules, furred ermine and a rock proper. It also shows a rock and ship which has possible links to their history in seafaring and their castle in Kisimul. The crest also has the clan's war cry which states buaidh no bas, which translates from Scottish Gaelic as "to conquer or die", or "victory or death".
MacNeil Coat of Arms
The MacNeil coat of arms is attributed to Clan MacNeil and belongs solely to the current chief, Rory MacNeil. Under Scots heraldic law, there is no such thing as a Clan Coat of Arms, only the chief’s arms, which no one else is permitted to use. There are still similarities between crests and arms as crests are taken from a chief’s Coat of Arms but they aren't allowed to be exact replicas. Rory MacNeil's Arms shows some fascinating pieces of art beginning with the lion rampant mimicking the Royal Standard of the King of Scotland. Moving on, the top right-hand side of the arms shows a castle in the water, which clearly depicts Kisimul Castle (more on this in our MacNeil castles blog!), where you can also find the coat of arms painted in the Great Hall. The bottom section shows two fascinating things; firstly the 3 masted ship which represents either the seafaring nature of the clan or the migration of the clan from Ulster, Ireland to Barra, Scotland. Moving to the other side we find the infamous red hand of Ulster surrounded by nine shackles which represents Niall of the Nine Hostages. More on this story on our MacNeil On the Sofa video which you can find on our YouTube channel.
Clan MacNeil Society
The MacNeil clan have two prestigious clan societies that spread the fascinating history of this clan all around the world. The Clan MacNeil Global Alliance are also hosting a clan gathering this August if you want to get involved, head to the clan society website!
Clan MacNeil | August Clan Of The Month
For over 900 years the MacNeil clan have had an encapsulating history. From vikings, pirates and footballers this clan has everything and it all comes back to the clan home on the island of Barra. This clan has also been part of some of the most important battles and wars within Scottish history.
Clan Motto: Buaidh No Bas (Conquer or Die)
From the start
MacNeil Clan Origins & History
What's in the name?
The name MacNeil translates directly to “the son of Neil”. The true origin of the name MacNeil has been in debate within the clans forever. The traditional story of the name states that the clan are descendants of King Niall of the Nine Hostages, who landed in Barra and founded the Clan MacNeil of Barra. The High King Niall was a prolific ruler for many reasons the first being his penchant for taking hostages from other kingdoms most famously being St Patrick. Whilst the clan had previously claimed to be descendants of Naill, DNA tests suggests that the clan are descendants of Vikings.
Pipe Music
The MacNeil clan have had long founded success within the piping industry. Most famous being Archie MacNeil otherwise known as the blind piper. Archie was born in Glasgow but spent most of childhood in the village of Rue. He lived a normal childhood until he had an accident while playing a game with friends which led to him becoming progressively more blind from the age of 18. This did not stop him as in due course Archie became a piping teacher, and some of his pupils went on to become the best known pipers in the country. A prolific and highly regarded composer, he is regarded as the 'grandfather' of the College of Piping in Glasgow. Arhcies well known tunes include Donald MacLeans Farewell to Oban, the Detroit Highlanders, David Ross of Rosehall, The Islay Ball, Verna Leith's, Wedding March, and a waltz called Gareloch.
The War on the Isles
The MacNeils of Barra and the MacNeil’s of Gigha were a part of a long bloody feud that went on for centuries. The first blood drawn in this war was in 1585 after the MacLeans slaughtered a party of the MacDonalds of Sleat when they were mistakenly accused of stealing cattle and the MacDonald's of Sleat and Dunnyveg retaliated. With this act of war, all major families within the Isles were called to arms and thrown into war. The MacNeils of Gigha sided with MacLeans after the MacDonalds attacked their stronghold unprovoked and killed many of their clansmen and burnt most of their property to the ground. Despite the MacDonald's killing some of their family members the MacNeil's of Barra stuck with the MacDonald's. Then came the Battle of Gruinart Strand which will go down as one of the most important days in Hebridean history, where the power dynamic will finally shift towards one of the two leading families. The battle was close until Dubh Sith also known as the black fairy climbed a tree and patiently waited for the leader of the MacLeans to take off his helmet. MacLean was exhausted and moved back to drink water and as soon as he removed his helmet, Boom! An arrow right through his eye. The MacLeans now had no leader and began to scramble but the MacDonald's did not stop until over 280 MacLeans were dead. The MacDonald's who come from a long line of Vikings finally defeated their foe but at what cost, the Scottish Government gave away their lands and most importantly their leader was also killed in the battle.
