The personal name Duncan can be found on Scotland’s oldest records in its Gaelic form Donnchadh. Among these records is a reference to the death in 717 of Dunchad, the eleventh Abbot of Iona. In 965 the killing of the Abbot of Dunkeld is recorded, showing his name to be Duchad. When Duncan I took the Scottish throne, his grandfather had the blood of several relatives on his hands, having murdered the way clear for Duncan.
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.
Like many of the very oldest Scottish clans, Clan Duncan is rather spread out, with a lot of history all over Scotland. Territories that Clan Duncan have inhabited are Perthshire, Tayside, Angus, Fife, and Aberdeenshire. There are also several territorial houses of Duncan; these include: Duncan of Seaside & Lundie (Camperdown), Duncan of Jordanstone, Duncan of Ardownie, Duncan of Sketraw, Duncan of Mott, Duncan of Parkhill, Beveridge-Duncan of Damside, and Gomme-Duncan of Dunbarney.
Clan Duncan is an armigerous clan, which means that the clan, family, or name is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon, but does not currently have an officially recognized chief. However, the Clan Duncan Society is working on finding a modern day link to the last officially recognized chief, which dates back to around 1434, through significant genealogical efforts. Until then, the clan is being led by the territorial house, Duncan of Sketraw.
Duncan comes from various Gaelic spellings of the name, like Donchadh. To break this name down, the Gaelic word "don" means brown and "chadh" means warrior. The name first came about during the 4th century, with one interesting artifact being the impressive 9 foot ‘4th century AD Turpillian Stone’ located in Crickhowell, Wales. The stone is inscribed in Ogham, the writing system for medieval Irish which was comprised of archaic symbols. Fortunately for archeologists, a Latin translation of the Ogham inscription was also recorded on the stone and reads ‘TURPILLI IC IACIT PUUERI TRILUNI DUNOCATI’. This roughly translates as 'The Fort Warrior'.
Camperdown Park, a public park in the Camperdown area of Dundee comprising the former grounds of Camperdown House, a 19th-century mansion, once belonged to the Duncan clan. Before this, the Camperdown estate was known as Lundie, and was bought by Alexander Duncan in 1682. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, members of the clan served as Provost of Dundee and in other military positions, eventually resulting in a peerage as Viscount Duncan. In the 19th century, Robert, 2nd Viscount Duncan, commissioned the house to be rebuilt in the Greek Revival style and renamed the estate Camperdown after his father’s victory at the identically named battle against the Dutch in the late 18th century.
Duncan in variations of the Gaelic spelling (Dunchad, Donchadh, Donachie, Donnchadh) can be traced back to the early medieval period when Scotland and Ireland were connected through the Kingdom of Dál Riata. In fact, Dúnchad (Duncan mac Conaing) ruled Dál Riata along with Conall II from around 650 to 654. He was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Strath Ethairt and killed by Talorcan, king of the Picts.
There have been several crests used for various significant members of Clan Duncan, but the most well known today is featured here. This crest features a ship under sail with the Latin motto ‘Disce Pati’, which means ‘Learn to Endure’. Variations on the ship have been used for the Duncan crest throughout history, such as dismasted and distressed ships. The earliest version of this is thought to be a dismasted version from 1672 representing William Duncan of Seaside. However, this crest was not recorded by the Lyon Register.
Clan Duncan has two plant badges: Bracken (Raineach mor in Gaelic) and Bell Heather (Dluth fhraoch in Gaelic). Both of these plants are commonly known in Scotland, making them appropriate choices for such an old and well known Scottish clan.
The Clan war cry is “Garg’n Uair Dhuisgear”, which translates from Gaelic to “Fierce when Roused”. This war cry can be connected to the chief's coat of arms which features three silver wolf heads on a blood red shield supported by a serpent and a dove.
Due to the way in which arms are recorded in Scotland, several territorial houses of Clan Duncan may have their own individual arms. Shown here is the The Personal Banner of John Duncan of Sketraw, Laird of Sketraw, who currently leads the clan.
Loch Rannoch is a freshwater loch in Perth and Kinross and was historically connected to Clan Duncan, with the clan having once inhabited the surrounding lands. This is an ancient loch which was actually part of the native Caledonian Forest. As such, it is part of the Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic Area, which has been identified for protection against potentially harmful development. Over the centuries, the loch and islands within have been the site of much historical intrigue. For instance, Mary, Queen of Scots had an intimidating fortress on an island in the loch demolished because of its threat to her and her crown. Today, fishing and other activities can be found on the loch and more information about tourism on Loch Rannoch can be found on the Rannoch and Tummel Tourist Association website.
There are 2 variants available for the Duncan Clan, from Modern to Ancient, with gorgeous green and blue tartans, this Clan is truly spoilt for choice. But which is your favourite Duncan Clan plaid? Vote now!
Donnachadh Reanhar was the first officially counted chief of Clan Duncan and his name literally means ‘Duncan the Stout’ or even ‘Fat Duncan’. However, rather than referring to his physical size, the name is referencing his figurative stature in battle. During the 14th century, Duncan the Stout was a great leader in battle for his clansmen. He was also a close friend of the famous Robert the Bruce. In 1314, he led the clan in one of the most important Scottish battles of all time – the Battle of Bannockburn. In it, of course, Clan Duncan helped secure a victory for the Scots over the army of King Edward II of England. This was an important moment for Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence and eventually helped secure Scotland’s independence for a time.
How much do you think you know about Clan Duncan? Enough to get all 12 questions correct? Test your Duncan Clan Knowledge now!
The Clan Duncan Society is a wonderful place to start if you’re a Duncan looking to get more involved with your clan. The society promotes Duncan kinship through discussion groups, education, and genealogical research. Currently, the society has the goal of petitioning the Court of the Lord Lyon to recognize an official clan chief and, as such, encourages all those who claim to be members of the clan to connect with them in order to strengthen the clan’s case. Another impressive future project is the Society’s 'Clan Historical and Genealogical Archive' which aims to collect, preserve, and disseminate literary, historical, and educational materials pertaining to Clan Duncan, its members, and Scotland.
Join Kalyn and Monja live from the ScotlandShop Sofa to explore the history, famous faces, and brutal battles of Clan Duncan. Like many of the very oldest Scottish clans, Clan Duncan is rather spread out, with a lot of influence all over Scotland. Join us as we delve into the Clan’s origins and take a look into some of the Duncan’s unique identifications!
Presenting our one-minute video about Clan Duncan. An interesting fact about Clan Duncan is their name, as it comes from various Gaelic spellings meaning ‘warrior’.
James Duncan made the historic link between Clan Duncan and Jordanstone in the 19th Century. He used his trading wealth to purchase the estate and it remained in the Duncan family until 2003. The estate remains beautiful, bursting with historic charm with a few modern upgrades.
C Duncan is a self accomplished Scottish composer and talented musician. He attended Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and has his work has been performed by various ensembles across the UK.
Clan Motto: Disce Pati (Learn to Endure)