We're delighted to share a special interview with the 24th Chief of Clan Macnab this month while we celebrate the clan as our Clan of the Month. Jamie Macnab of Macnab, a member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, has continued his father's wish to re-establish a Clan Macnab Society and hopes to welcome more Macnabs around the world into the Society, especially the younger generation, and build on the clan's stories, legacy and history.
An Interview with the Chief of Clan Macnab
Jamie Macnab of Macnab, 24th Chief
Thank you for joining us, Jamie. You were born in Edinburgh but I hear you had quite the arrival in Killin as a newborn, greeted by a pipe band! That must be quite a family story, can you tell us more?
Clearly I was a new-born so have absolutely no personal memory of this. I did however, see a newspaper article. With the old line of Chiefs having died out in the late 1800s I was the first heir (or heir of the heir) to be born in over 150 years.
You grew up in Killin, surrounded by friends, dogs, ponies, and the Highlands, a place steeped in so much Macnab history. How did that combination of childhood fun and deep heritage shape you?
As a child I took where I grew up for granted because I knew nothing else. All I wanted to do was be accepted by my friends in Killin. This became harder as I grew older and was sent away to boarding school in East Lothian.
However, since leaving Killin, the sense of Cianalas grows stronger and stronger. It is only as an adult that I have learnt how far back the Macnabs’ connection with Killin goes. To me Innis Bhuidhe (our Burial Island in the Falls of Dochart) is the most magical and spiritual place on earth. A stonemason told me that one of the gravestones on the island could be four thousand years old. That is twice as old as Christianity.
It has a great emotional significance for me to visit my own parents' grave. It gives a profound sense that it is the sacred place for all Macnabs.
Being Chief is a role that carries centuries of history. What does it mean to you personally to be the 24th Chief of Clan Macnab?
It is of huge importance to me. I look on it as a duty as well as a privilege. I enjoy the attention being a Chief generates. My family is the most important thing to me. The clan is an extended family. It is completely humbling that Clans Folk from around the world want to share their own personal stories with me. I recognise that they do this because of my position as Chief.
You’re also Chieftain of the Killin Highland Games. What’s that day like for you, standing at the heart of your community and carrying on such a long tradition?
The Killin Games is one of the highlights of the year for me. I recognise that life is more about the present and the future than the past. Only very few Macnabs live in Killin nowadays but the community do me a huge honour every time they invite me to be Chieftan. I have been to the games as the head of over 100 Macnabs on the years we have had Clan Gatherings. On other years I have gone alone but each and every time two or three Macnabs have emerged from the crowd to say hello to me.
Looking ahead, what are your hopes and plans for the clan, both here in Scotland and among Macnabs around the world?
Inevitably most of the Clan Society officials are middle aged or older. We are aware that Social Media has got to be at the heart of clan initiatives going forward. I hope that we can create a worldwide community to share our stories and history. Killin must remain as the hub of that.
The Macnab tartan has a few different variants. Do you have a favourite, and how do you most enjoy wearing it? I imagine there must be moments where you feel especially proud to put it on.
The dominant Macnab tartan is red and green. There is a secondary Macnab Tartan which is more orangery. My father used to wear a garish combination of both – much like Doddie Weir, the rugby player. I am always proud wearing my kilt. I will be most proud wearing it at my daughter’s wedding in April.
You’ve always been active — rugby when you were younger, golf today. Do you think sport has helped connect you to Scotland and to people in different walks of life?
Sport has definitely connected me with a wide variety of people. My rugby team mates are team mates for life. They look on you differently from other friends. I am fortunate to be a member of two very historic golf clubs. The heritage of both sport and clans always links up in unexpected ways.
You’ve spent your career working with Scotland’s great houses, castles, and estates. Do you feel that passion for heritage runs parallel with your role as Clan Chief?
Very much so. I think my whole life aligns me with Scotland’s heritage, be it written heritage, history or built heritage.
These days you live in Edinburgh’s New Town. How does city life compare to your rural childhood in Killin, and where do you feel most at home now?
I love living in Edinburgh but find myself spending more and more time in St Andrews. I should go to Killin more. I hope to be able to spend more time there when I ease back at work.
More and more people around the world are exploring their Scottish roots. Have you seen that renewed interest among Macnabs, and what’s it like to welcome them into the fold?
Yes. This is fundamental to what clans are about. I am lucky to know where my ancestors are from and to live close by. It must be different for Scots living abroad. I do everything I can to welcome them home. I was very moved by the meaning of the Loch Lomond song. That the high road is walking on the earth when you are alive but that your soul takes the low road, back to where you are from, when you die.
And finally, for anyone with Macnab ancestry or simply a curiosity about the clan, what’s the best first step to get involved or feel part of the community?
It would be great if they can connect with us through the Clan Macnab Society website here. If anyone is passing through Edinburgh please reach out to me and I will try to meet you when you are here.
You can contact Jamie Macnab of Macnab on [email protected] or 07967555490.
Thank you for your time, Jamie, it has been great to hear more about you and Clan Macnab, especially during our Clan Macnab Clan of the Month celebrations this month.
Do you have any Clan Macnab stories you'd like to share? Get in touch and we can feature them in our blog at the end of the month.
