Clan of the Month - The Marvellous MacKays

Origins of Clan MacKay

The name Mackay is derived from the Gaelic for “son of Hugh” or “son of Fire”, but it’s unknown who this Hugh was. It’s thought that he was likely a member of the ancient Celtic royal house, and were caught up in a dispute for the throne in the 12th and 13th centuries.

There are two common origin stories for this clan. In the Book of Mackay, written in 1906, Angus Mackay analysed both stories to determine which was more accurate.

The first one he looked at was by Sir Robert Gordon, a 17th-century historian. The second was by Alexander Mackay of Blackcastle, an 18th-19th century historian. There are similarities between the two, but also major differences.

Gordon’s account claims that the originators of Clan Mackay shared a common ancestor with the chiefs of Clan Forbes and Clan Farquharson. However, Angus Mackay disputes this, instead giving evidence to show that the connection between the Forbes and the Mackays was down to a close allegiance between the two families, rather than a family bond. The allegiance began during the 16th century when both families were embroiled in a feud with Clan Gordon.

Alexander Mackay’s Blackcastle Manuscript determined that the chiefs of the Mackay clan were related to the Farquharsons, but through a different lineage to that which was stated in the 17th century by Gordon. In his book, Angus Mackay looked at the evidence to support these two different origin stories, and concluded that the later one offered by Alexander Mackay was far more accurate.

That account, then, is as follows: Iye Mackay, first chief of Clan Mackay, was a descendant of Malcom MacHeth, the Earl of Ross. MacHeth died in a1168, and Iye Mackway was born around 40 years later in 1210. The story goes that MacHeth and his supporters fled from Moray to Strathnaver, after a conflict with King Malcolm IV of Scotland. In 1215, Kenneth MacHeth, who was the grandson of Malcol, was killed in battle whilst fighting against the king. It’s said that the Mackays of Strathnaver are descended from this Kenneth MacHeth, and Iye Mackay may well have been his son or nephew.

The son of Iye Mackay married the daughter of the Bishop of Caithness, and the Mackays were gifted lands at Durness. From here, they accumulated further land in Farr, Tongue, Durness and Eddrachillis in the far north-west county of Sutherland.

Ferocious Battles

The Mackays were among the earliest supporters of Robert the Bruce, and fought on his side at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

In 1370, Clan Chief Iye Mackay, 4th of Strathnaver, and his son were both murdered by Nicholas Sutherland at Dingwall Castle. This sparked retaliation, including a raid on the Sutherland town of Dornoch in 1372. The Mackays set the cathedral on fire, and hanged members of Clan Sutherland in the town square.

The Mackays were involved in several clan clashes in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the early 1400s, they fought at the Battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach against the MacLeods of Lewis. Chief Angus Mackay, the 6th of Strathnaver, had married the sister of one of the MacLeods, but MacLeod wasn’t happy with the arrangement. The MacLeods attacked Mackay land in Strathnaver but on their return, the raiders were attacked and killed by the Mackays, who caught up with them on the north bank of the River Oykel.

In 1426, Chief Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver and his son Neil invaded Caithness at the Battle of Harpsdale, and many were killed on both sides of the battle. Not long after, Angus submitted himself to the mercy of James I of Scotland, giving his own son Neil as a pledge of his allegiance. Neil was sent to live in captivity on Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth, aged just 14, gaining him the nickname Bhasse, Whasse or Bass.

However, in 1437, King James was murdered at Perth, and Neil Bass Mackay was able to escape his imprisonment, and he was given governance of the clan lands. Later that year he led the Sandside Chase against the men of Caithness.

The Mackays played a significant role in the Thirty Years’ War in service of the King of Denmark first, and later the King of Sweden, fighting for the protestant cause. Donald Mackay raised an army of 3,600 men, and had to sell some of his land at Moidart and Arisaig to fund the mission. Donald had to return to Scotland several times to recruit more men as losses were suffered on the battlefield.

Later, during the Jacobite rising of 1715, the Mackays took the side of George I to fight against the Jacobites. They defended Inverness Castle against the Jacobites, and sent 80 men to the Battle of Glen Shiel where they defeated the Jacobites.

Again, in the Jacobite rising of 1745, the clan were anti-Jacobite. They fought at the Battle of Littleferry in 1746, defeating the Jacobites, and they also captured the Jacobite George Mackenzie at Dunrobin Castle.

The Mackays took part in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The 79th Highland Regiment of Foot formed a square as they were being attacked by French Cavalry, and piper Kenneth Mackay marched out of the square piping “War or Peace”. He was later given a set of silver pipes by the king as a reward for his bravery.

As you can see, the Mackays were involved in many battles throughout the years. Some were with other clans (especially their neighbours and enemies, the Sutherlands), whilst others were for causes abroad that they believed in.

Throughout history, the Mackays have played an important role in Scottish society. Angus Du Mackay, 7th of Strathnaver, married the sister of Donald of the Isles, and granddaughter of Robert II of Scotland, which shows how important the family was by this point in time.

In 1628, King Charles I created the title of Lord Reay, the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan Mackay. Reay refers to the lands in Sutherland and Strathnaver belonging to the Mackays, often known as Reay Country. The title was created for Sir Donald Mackay, who was also a Baronet of Nova Scotia. The title Lord Reay is still used by the current clan chief, Aeneas Simon Mackay, 15th Lord Reay.

Impact of the Highland Clearances

The on-going feud with the Sutherlands didn’t end well for the Mackays, unfortunately, and the family was deeply affected by the Highland Clearances. These began in 1750, but they didn’t affect the Mackays until 1815 when they were removed from their land to make room for the sheep. Eventually, they were forced to sell their Reay estate and hand over their remaining lands to the Sutherlands in 1829.

Clan Seats

The ancient seat of Clan Mackay is at Castle Varrich, near the village of Tongue in the far north of Scotland. The castle is thought to be over a thousand years old, and it’s thought that there are caves underneath the castle which were once inhabited by the Mackays. They later moved from Castle Varrich to the House of Tongue, which is held today by the Dukes of Sutherland and is sometimes open to the public.

Borve Castle, near the hamlet of Farr, was also a stronghold of the clan. They used it as a base for carrying out raids on Clan Sutherland - and there were many such raids! The Mackays were due to appear in front of Mary of Guise (Mary, Queen of Scots’ mother) and as punishment, the chief of Clan Sutherland was ordered to destroy Borve Castle. Mary of Guise hired a private ship named the Lion in August 1554 to attack the castle, and it’s said that a cannon was brought up from Edinburgh. The castle was destroyed and the captain of the castle, Rory Mor Mackay, was hanged.

Clan MacKay Insignia

The clan’s motto is Manu forti, which translates to “with a strong hand”. This is reflected in the clan’s badge, which shows a hand holding a dagger aloft.

Clan Tartans

The Mackay tartan is a deep blue with green running through it, and comes in four different variations: Modern, Ancient, Weathered, and Mackay Blue Ancient.