Clan of the Month - Celebrating MacLachlan

The name MacLachlan, meaning 'son of Lachlan' when anglicised, is derived from an ancestor of Clan MacLachlan named Lachlan Mor. Several other clans are septs of Clan McLachlan including, Clan Lamont and Clan Ewen of Otter. The names: Clafin, Ewan, Ewing, Gilchrist, Lachlan, and MacEwan are also considered to be part of Clan MacLachlan.

In Gaelic, the name Lachlan becomes Lochlann which means 'stranger'. Although, it was originally a term used to describe the area of Scandinavia, with loch (meaning 'lake' or 'fjord') and lann (meaning 'land'), with Scandinavia becoming known as 'Lochland'.

Where do you come from?

If you trace the lineage of Clan MacLachlan back far enough, the Clan can be considered descendants of the Irish king, Niall of the Nine Hostages, who served as the High King of Ireland in 400 A.D. From there the name Lochlainn, which was the senior branch of his descendants, appeared in Scotland with Lachlan Mor and his family on the shores of Loch Fyne. Therefore, although originally of Irish descent, Clan MacLachlan itself hails from the area surrounding Loch Fyne on the west coast of Scotland.

Lachlan Mor gave his name to several features in the area surrounding Loch Fyne, including Lachlan Water, Lachlan Bay, the village of Strathlachlan and last and by no means least, Lachlan Castle. This castle was the historic seat of the Clan Lachlan until it was attacked in 1746. The clan's current seat is in sight of the original castle, in the 'new' Castle Lachlan which was built in the late 18th Century.

The Clan MacLachlan motto is: 'Fortis Et Fidus' which is Latin for 'Strong and Faithful'. This motto embodies the spirit of the clan, with the MacLachlans being one of the oldest clans in Scotland.

The clan's crest is a coronet of four strawberry leaves, with a castle sitting upon a rock. This is reminiscent of 'Old' Castle Lachlan which also sits upon a rocky outcrop.

Clan MacLachlan has a total of six different tartans, each of which we will explore below.

MacLachlan Ancient

This is a bright and colourful tartan, with a light blue base and a red check throughout that is highlighted with green and black. The term 'ancient' is used to describe the lighter variant of this tartan, with 'modern' being darker in tone.

MacLachlan Modern

The modern variant of MacLachlan Tartan is considerably darker in tone, with stronger bolder colours; resulting in the shades deepening. However, the strength of the colours results in a decrease in the level of contrast with many darker shades fading into one another.

MacLachlan Old

These are the older versions of MacLachlan tartan which are available in both 'ancient' and 'modern' variants. This would have been the traditional MacLachlan tartan before being updated to the newer versions. The colours in this tartan are significantly different in style, with green as the base colour, with orange, yellow and black checks.

MacLachlan Weathered

The 'weathered' variant of MacLachlan tartan is the lightest in colour. This variant gives the tartan a worn appearance, with the blues becoming greyer in appearance and the red a little more faded.

The MacLachlan 'hunting' variant is most similar to the 'old' variants of MacLachlan tartan, utilising similar colours. This is because this tartan would primarily be used for hunting, hence the need for the colours to blend into the surrounding environment to provide camouflage.

The History of Clan MacLachlan

From their seat on Loch Fyne, the MacLachlan Clan were able to establish themselves within the clan system. By the 15th Century, the chiefs of the MacLachlan Clan became known as the 'Lords of Strathlachlan' and increased their standing through their alliance with a certain Robert the Bruce. The clan continued to strengthen their aspirations through allying themselves with the large and powerful, Clan Campbell; who's territory enveloped that of the MacLachlan's.

Clan MacLachlan were notable Jacobites, having been said to be present at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689; during the '1689 Jacobite Rebellion'. The clan's support of the Jacobite cause continued into the 18th Century, with clan chief, Lachlan MacLachlan, welcoming the exiled 'Old Pretender', James III of England and Ireland and James VIII of Scotland, into the country in 1715. Thereafter, 'The Old Pretender' raised his banners, signalling the beginning of the '1715 Jacobite Rebellion'. This was short-lived, however, with James III and VIII fleeing to Europe following a failed campaign. Lachlan MacLachlan met his demise soon after in 1720 when he was hunted down and shot dead by Campbell of Ardkinglas for his role in the uprising.

The last stand of the Jacobites occurred at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Clan MacLachlan was present for this battle, once again in support of the Jacobite cause; as Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites faced off against the Government forces led by the Duke of Cumberland. In the battle that ensued, Lachlan MacLachlan, 17th clan chief of the MacLachlan clan, led 300 men into the fray where he perished upon being struck by a cannonball.

Following the battle, it is said that the seat of Clan MacLachlan, Castle Lachlan, was bombarded by a government warship that had sailed up Loch Fyne on the orders of the Duke of Cumberland. The clan was forced to flee their home and their lands were forfeit for their role in the Jacobite uprising. The clan's seat and lands were controversially returned to them in 1747 with the aid of the chief of Clan Campbell, the Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll; who had previously fought against the MacLachlans whilst crushing the Jacobite rebellion. Upon having their lands returned to them, Clan MacLachlan made plans to build a new castle within sight of 'Old Castle Lachlan', which was eventually finished in the early 19th Century.

'New' Castle Lachlan remains the seat of Clan MacLachlan to this day and is home to the current clan chief, Euan MacLachlan of MacLachlan. The clan continues to live on through the Clan MacLachlan Society, which was formed by the mother of the current clan chief, Marjorie MacLachlan of MacLachlan, in 1979 when she served as the 24th chief of the clan. The success of the society can be viewed in its distribution, with eight separate branches in Australia; Britain and Ireland; Canada; New Zealand; and the United States.

In addition to the Clan MacLachlan Society, there is the Lachlan Trust. The trust is a registered charity which aims to help preserve the heritage of Clan MacLachlan, which it achieves with the help of donations. It recently, with the help of Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund, raised £100,000 to help preserve Kilmorie Chapel, the traditional burial ground for the chiefs of the clan.