One of many Clan MacKay stories through the ages: In 1616, Donald MacKay was knighted before going off to fight in the Thirty Years' War for the King of Denmark. In recognition of his services he was made the Baronet of Nova Scotia as well as being made a peer under the title Lord Reay. He was later asked to gather a force to support the King of Sweden but was locked in the Tower of London for instigating a duel. While he was locked in the tower, the Swedish king was killed and money that the king owed to Lord Reay was never repaid. So, it is the Swedish royal family who have an outstanding debt, not the MacKays.
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.
Each tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
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.
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.
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.
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
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.
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Clan Mackay fought in many battles, with their neighbouring clans and against rebelling forces. They occupied a large amount of territory in the north of Scotland in the area once known as Strathnaver. The territory consisted of the parishes of Farr, Tongue, Durness and Eddrachillis and was situated in the north-west of the county of Sutherland.
The current chief is Æneas Simon Mackay, 15th Lord Reay. Lord Reay, of Reay in the County of Caithness, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. Lord Reay is the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan Mackay, whose lands in Strathnaver and northwest Sutherland were known as the Reay County.
The name Mackay originally took its origins from the gaelic "Macaoidh" or "son of Hugh". It is thought that the name derives from a member of the ancient Celtic royal house, whose branches disputed the throne in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Other common variations of the name include Mackays, MacKaye and Macky.
Castle Varrich is located at the very top of Scotland in the Highlands and is the historic seat of Clan MacKay. The Castle can also be referred to as Caisteal Bharraich and there are even caves underneath the Castle grounds which were once lived in by the MacKays. The MacKays built the Castle in the 14th Century and occupied it for many centuries, but they later moved to Tongue House, which is now the current seat of Clan MacKay. Clan MacKay was once a very powerful clan and they occupied multiple territories, these included Farr, Purness, Reay, Eddrachillis and Tongue which is where Castle Varrich is located. Once the MacKays moved to Tongue House, Castle Varrich was then abandoned. In 2017 it was renovated and is now accessible for the public to visit.
Borve Castle was a stronghold of Clan Mackay that they used as a base to carry out raids on their neighbours, Clan Sutherland. The Mackays failed to appear in front of Mary of Guise (the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots) and as a result John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland and chief of Clan Sutherland, was ordered to destroy the castle. A cannon was pulled overland from Edinburgh and the castle was reduced to ruins in what was known as the battle of Garbharry! Although very little of the castle remains, it is open to visitors and is definitely worth seeing if you are ever visiting the Sutherland area.
Strathnaver is the fertile strath (wide valley) of the River Naver that flows directly from Loch Naver into the sea on the north coast of Scotland. Loch Naver is just 6 miles long and 33 metres deep (quite small by Scottish standards), and is situated in the heart of MacKay Country. Today, both the loch and the river are designated as Special Areas of Conservation by the Scottish Natural Heritage for both their Atlantic salmon and freshwater pearl mussels. Alongside Strathnaver Museum and Castle Varrich, Loch Naver is a must-see attraction if you’re ever lucky enough to visit the Scottish Highlands.
Clan MacKay's plant badge is the Bulrush. A clan badge, or plant badge, usually a sprig of a particular plant, is traditionally pinned to a bonnet tucked in behind the clan crest badge, or attaching a lady's tartan sash at the shoulder. It is questionable how a plant badge can be used to recognise a particular clan or clan member, given that many are only available during certain seasons and in full battle would be difficult to spot, however popular lore tells us this is what they were used for.
With six tartan variants to choose from, the Clan MacKay is truly spoilt for choice. But what is your favourite MacKay Clan Tartan?
If you're looking for a book that perfectly tells the story behind Clan Mackay, then this fact-filled narrative written by Charlotte Fairbairn is a must read. "The story of the Mackays is the story of all Highland clans" Charlotte emphasised within her novel, describing the clan as "sterling stock". From the origins of the clan, to more recent traditions and the clan going global, Charlotte Fairbairn provides us with a fascinating insight into all things Clan Mackay.
We recently spoke with Charlotte, who told us all about the book and the inspiration behind writing it. Charlotte shared some of her wonderful stories, as well as uncovering some exciting projects that she has been working on during lockdown.
Monja & Anna are live on the sofa as they talk all things Clan Mackay. From the Clan origins to its tartans, seats and societies, we'll explore it all as part of our Clan of the Month celebration.
Every month we celebrate a different Scottish Clan and February it's all about Clan MacKay.
Join Monja as we explore Clan MacKay in a minute... learn how to spot a member of the clan and all about their history.
How much do you think you know about Clan MacKay? Enough to get all 12 questions correct? Test your MacKay Clan Knowledge now!
This week on Anna'nother thing about tartan Anna is joined by Charlotte Fairbairn. Charlotte is the author of 'The Real Mackays', a book dedicated to the Chiefs of Clan MacKay. She has a very personal connection to the clan as her cousin Aeneas Mackay, 15th Lord Reay is the current Clan Chief. Join us as we discover Charlotte's Clan Story!
Clan Motto: Manu Forti (With a Strong Hand)