Clan of the Month - The Brilliant Buchanan's

Clan Buchanan is pretty unusual when it comes to the origins of its name. Unlike most clans which can trace their name back through their ancestry, Clan Buchanan are so-called because of the lands they settled on rather than a personal ancestor.

Of course, there is an alternative tale, because it wouldn’t be a proper clan history without a much-debated origin story! The tale goes that Anselan O Kyan, one of the kings of north Ulster, landed in Argyll in 1016, and thanks to his efforts in fighting the Danish invaders, King Malcom II awarded him with the lands of Buchanan. However, this story isn’t consistent with other accounts from the same period in Ireland, so it seems that this may just be an origin myth.

The real story goes something like this: in 1225, another Anselan (the third with that name) was granted the island of Clareinch (Clàr Innis in Gaelic). He was later referred to as Absalom de Buchanan, indicating that he must have held other land in the Buchanan parish.

There are a number of septs of the clan. If you have any of the below surnames, then you’re a part of Clan Buchanan!

Clareinch (also spelled ‘Clareinsh’) is a small, fish-shaped island, around 1km southwest of the town of Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond. Although the island is uninhabited these days, there’s evidence that there were at least seven buildings on the island during Medieval times. The Clan Buchanan even adopted "Clàr-Innis!" are their slogan and battle cry, highlighting how important the wee island was for them.

Clareinch is sometimes called ‘the flat island’ (‘Clàr’ means ‘flat’ in Gaelic), thanks to the pancake-like nature of the island, which is just 13m above sea level at its highest point. There’s evidence of a crannog, a man-made artificial island, at the north end of Clareinch. It’s thought that this could perhaps have been the Council Island for Clan Buchanan, where all important clan business was conducted.

The island remained the property of the clan chief until 1682, when it was acquired by the Third Duke of Montrose. It then belonged to the Montrose family for 250 years, until it was bought back in 1934 by William George Buchanan, a prominent businessman who wanted to see the island restored to his family.

He passed away in 1939 and in his will, stated that the island should be given to the Buchanan Society, on the condition that it should remain in the care of the society forever, and that the island should be used as an animal and bird sanctuary. Since 1958, it’s been part of Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve. It was the first part of Loch Lomond to be declared a National Nature Reserve, and since then it’s been extended to cover 430 hectares of land and water.

Buchanan is a historic parish to the eastern shores of Loch Lomond. If you were to go to the area today, you’d find settlements like the popular tourist village Balmaha, Milton of Buchanan (the most populated village in the area), Buchanan Smithy, Inversnaid, Rowardennan and Sallochy. The traditional clan lands then extend east into Stirlingshire, including the villages of Arnprior, Kippen and Buchlyvie, as well as the small town of Callander.

Many Buchanans can still be found in this area, as well as in broader Stirlingshire, and the nearby regions of Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and Renfrewshire. However, there is also a sprinkling of Buchanans in the islands of Scotland, including the Outer Hebrides, the Southern Inner Hebrides, and Argyll and Bute.

The Buchanan diaspora reaches far and wide, with Buchanans to be found in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Mexico.

Buchanan is an instantly recognisable Scottish name, and the clan has been as prominent in the country’s history as you might expect.

Clan Buchanan were staunch supporters of Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Bruce held the throne between 1306 and 1328, and the Buchanans were fiercely in support of him during this time.

All prominent Scottish landowners, nobility and clan chiefs were summoned to sign the Ragman Rolls in 1291 and again in 1296, thus swearing allegiance to King Edward of England. Bruce didn’t sign it, and nor did the Buchanan Chief, Maurice Buchanan, contrary to the actions of most clan chiefs at the time.

There’s a famous cave in the heart of Buchanan parish, on the banks of Loch Lomond, near Inversnaid, known as Rob Roy’s Cave. It’s said that Rob Roy McGregor hid in this cave when he was conducting his cattle raids, or hiding from the men of his sworn enemy, the Duke of Montrose. However, according to some sources, it wasn’t just the cheeky outlaw McGregor who hid here. Some say that Robert the Bruce also took shelter in this cave, after his defeat at the Battle of Dalrigh, also known as the Battle of Strathfillan. The clan gladly welcomed Bruce into the Buchanan lands after this defeat, and he may have stayed at Buchanan House during his flight from the battle.

There isn’t much evidence to document it, but it’s highly likely, given the clan’s support of the Bruce, that they fought at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, helping to lead the Scots to victory.

Clan Buchanan kept a low profile for the next 100 years or so, until 1421, when Sir Alexander Buchanan led the clan at the Battle of Baugé. The Buchanans were part of a Franco-Scottish army fighting against the English, and the battle was one of the worst defeats the English army suffered during the Hundred Years’ War. Legend has it that Alexander Buchanan came face-to-face with the Duke of Clarence, mortally wounding him by piercing him through the eye.

Clan Buchanan took on the English at several more battles over the years, including the Battle of Flodden in 1513, where the Scots suffered horrific losses, including the life of the son of Clan Buchanan, Patrick.

The clan experienced further losses during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, particularly at the Battle of Inverkeithing in 1651. Clan Buchanan was led by its then-chief, Sir George Buchanan, who commanded the Stirlingshire Regiment as he had done at the Battle of Dunbar a year earlier. This time, though, he was captured by the English troops, and died in captivity later that year. It’s said that in Buchanan’s regiment, “most of his officers, and a good many of the soldiers” were of the name Buchanan, and that at the Battle of Inverkeithing, a “vast number of the name Buchanan” were killed.

The clan saw declining fortunes over the next century. The twentieth laird, Sir John Buchanan, spent with abandon and travelled extensively, leading to pretty hefty debts. By the time John Buchanan (the third) became the twenty-second laird, the clan was struggling financially. John Buchanan tried to turn the family’s fortunes around by marrying into money, but it was unsuccessful. Instead, much of the clan’s lands were sold to the Marquis of Montrose.

John Buchanan died in 1682, leaving no successors. Clan Buchanan was to be without a chief until 2018.

Finally, in 2018, after 336 without a leader, Clan Buchanan named its new chief, John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan. He had first staked his claim to the title 20 years previously, and after a painstaking process of genealogical research by Hugh Peskett (who traced Ronald Reagan’s Irish ancestry in the 1980s), he was finally awarded the title of The Buchanan.

He’s the manager of the Cambusmore Estate in Callander, near Stirling, and now also the chief of one of Scotland’s oldest clans. It had been, he said, “a long journey” to prove his family’s lineage, but he was “honoured and proud” to step into the role.

The historic clan seat is Buchanan Auld House, which is situated around 1.5 miles west of the village of Drymen, near Loch Lomond. When John Buchanan died in the late 17th century and Clan Buchanan was left without a chief, the house and surrounding estate was given to the Grahams - but the house sadly burned down in 1852. Today, the ruined castles form part of a courtyard that’s attached to the Buchanan Golf Club.

After the demise of Buchanan Auld House, the Grahams commissioned Buchanan Castle to be built as a replacement. It stands around half a mile from the old castle, and was once an extremely grand country home, with turrets, bartizans and gables. The house was sold in 1925, and it was briefly used as a hotel before the outbreak of World War Two.

During this period it was used as a hospital, with its most famous (or infamous!) patient being none other than Hitler’s right-hand man, Rudolf Hess. After the war, the house was used as an army school, and its condition has deteriorated since 1954, when the roof was removed to avoid paying tax.

The clan’s current seat is Cambusmore, near Callander. It’s served as the seat of the clan since John Michael Baillie-Hamilton Buchanan’s appointment as Clan Chief in 2018.

Clan Buchanan’s motto is Clarior Hinc Honos, which translates to English as ‘Henceforth the honour shall grow ever brighter’. The clan’s war cry is Clar Innes, inspired by that tiny but important island of Clareinch.

One thing’s for sure if you’re wearing Clan Buchanan tartan: you certainly won’t be missed! This is one distinctive tartan, and it comes in 11 different varieties so you can choose the one which best suits your tastes.

This bright and bold tartan includes striking shades of red, green, yellow and navy blue, offset with white.

A slightly more muted version of the modern tartan, thanks to the animal and vegetable dyes which were used prior to 1860.

The weathered tartan features earthier tones, reminiscent of colours that have been subject to all the elements (as you’d expect in Scotland!).

The modern and ancient hunting tartans are, in contrast to the standard Buchanan tartans, muted and designed to blend in with the greens and browns of nature to provide cover for members of the clan whilst out hunting.