Jump To Section:
Unleash Your Inner Tartan: Clan Hannay
This weekend marks the 59th annual Clan Hannay Gathering to be held in the county of Galloway in the West of Scotland. To mark the occasion of this special event we decided to take a look at the rich history of this ancient clan.
It was between 1185 and 1308 that the name first began to emerge initially as A'Hannay, over the years it has evolved into A'Hanna, Hannay, Hanna, Hanney, Hannah, Hannie and Hanay. The clan motto is "Per ardua as alta" which translates to "Through difficulties to heaven" and the clan crest is a cross crosslet fitchee issuing out of a crescent sable. The historic seat of the clan is Sorbie Tower, built in the 16th Century and found 1 mile east of the village of Sorbie in Dumfries and Galloway.
During the up-rise of Robert The Bruce, Clan Hannaywere one of the few families to support John Balliol (who reigned as King of Scots from 1292-1296), as his mother represented the Celtic lords of Galloway, the Hannays home land. However, they were forced to kneel to Edward Bruce when he eventually conquered Galloway.
The Clan Murray which finally came to head during the 17th Century, when they were defeated and outlawed. They were forced to sell Sorbie Tower and the surrounding lands to the Stewart family and travelled to Ireland, with many settling in the area of Ulster, where the name can still be found today. The Hannays who stayed in Galloway took up residence in Kirkdale, the family still owns this land to this day and it is this branch of Hannays that the current Clan Chief descends from.
Fast forward a few hundred years to 1960 and a number of Hannays from around the world met up in Edinburgh and it was here that the Clan Hannay Society was formed. A few years later in 1965 the Sorbie Tower and accompanying lands were gifted to the Society by its then owner, and since then Sorbie Tower has been the home of the gatherings each year. The history of the ancient keep dates back to the 12th century when it was an old wooden fort, the foundations of which can still be seen today, and it is on this original site that the stone Tower was then built in the 16th century by Patrick Hannay. The Society is gradually restoring the Tower and if you would like to visit they run guided tours one day a week during the summer, or you can explore yourself at any time and enjoy a picnic in the grounds.
We hope you enjoyed reading a brief history of the Clan Hannay. We will be adding to the information here on the blog and on our clan pages and would be delighted to include any contributions from clan members. If you are attending the gathering this weekend or even if you are a fellow Hannay yourself we would love to hear from you!
