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Clan MacDonald

Clann Dòmhnaill

Clan Donald, the MacDonalds, descends from the medieval Lords of the Isles. It is the largest of the Highland clans, with a High Chief and several branches that have chiefs of their own.

History

Clan Donald calls itself the largest and oldest of the Highland clans. It takes its name from Donald of Islay, grandson of Somerled, the twelfth-century ruler of the Isles who died in 1164. Donald's own dates are uncertain. Clan historians favour a death around 1269, though earlier dates have been argued. His descendants were the MacDonalds, the sons of Donald.

Donald's grandson Angus Og was a friend and ally of Robert the Bruce, and clan accounts place his men at Bannockburn in 1314. Bruce rewarded him with lands. Angus's son John of Islay married first Amy of Garmoran, heiress of the MacRuaris, and then Margaret Stewart, daughter of the future Robert II. From the first marriage came Ranald, founder of Clanranald. John was the first of the line to style himself Lord of the Isles.

From Finlaggan on Islay the lords ran what was close to a separate realm. At its height their territory reached from Argyll to Ross, largely free of royal control. A council met on Eilean na Comhairle, the Council Island, to grant charters and give judgment. In 1411 Donald, Lord of the Isles, pressed a claim to the earldom of Ross. He took Dingwall and marched on Aberdeen. The Battle of Harlaw was bloody and indecisive, and Donald withdrew afterwards.

The lordship fell through overreach. In 1462 John, the last lord, made a treaty with Edward IV of England, promising homage in return for help in winning Scotland north of the Forth. When its terms came to light in the 1470s he lost lands and titles, and in 1493 James IV stripped him of the lordship. The title Lord of the Isles has belonged to the heir to the throne ever since. Without a single head, Clan Donald carried on as separate branches under their own chiefs: Sleat, Clanranald, Glengarry, Keppoch, Glencoe and Ardnamurchan, with the MacDonnells of Antrim across the water in Ireland.

The MacDonalds of Glencoe suffered the best-known atrocity in Highland history. Their chief was days late in swearing the oath to William III. On 13 February 1692 government soldiers killed him and more than thirty of his people. In the rising of 1745 the branches divided. Glengarry, Keppoch and Glencoe fought for the Jacobites, while Sleat raised men for the government.

In 1947 the Lord Lyon granted the undifferenced arms of Macdonald to the 7th Lord Macdonald, formally recognising him as High Chief of Clan Donald. The branches still have their own chiefs. The High Council of Clan Donald prefers to speak of 'families of Clan Donald' rather than septs. It ties each name to a home territory, and warns against relying on commercial sept lists.

Clan MacDonald tartans

Names and reference numbers follow the Scottish Register of Tartans. Mills sell most setts in modern, ancient and weathered colourways. The pattern is the same; only the shades change.

Get the kilt

When you order a kilt, ask for the tartan by its full name — for example “MacDonald” — and say which colourway you want. “Modern” is dark and strong, “ancient” is lighter, “weathered” is muted. The sett is the same in each.

We are choosing retailers we trust and will list them here soon.

Wear the colours

Our own MacDonald range is on its way: the name, the tartan and the motto on a heavyweight tee, a hoodie and a mug. About the shop.

Lands and seats

  • Finlaggan. Islands in Loch Finlaggan on Islay, where the Lords of the Isles held council. Islay is often called the cradle of Clan Donald.
  • Armadale Castle. On Skye, linked with the Macdonalds of Sleat; the Register traces two MacDonald tartans to paintings that hung here.

Surnames

The clan name and its spellings

  • MacDonald
  • McDonald
  • MacDonell
  • MacConnell
  • MacDaniel

Names associated with Clan MacDonald

  • Donald
  • Donaldson
  • Alexander
  • Beaton
  • MacBeth
  • MacColl
  • MacEachern
  • MacIan
  • MacKean
  • Johnson
  • MacRory
  • MacQueen
  • MacGorrie
  • MacCook
  • MacCuish
  • MacElheran
  • Darroch
  • Isles
  • Currie
  • Martin
  • Donald: Listed by the High Council as originally MacDonald.
  • Donaldson: Listed by the High Council as originally MacDonald.
  • Alexander: From the Gaelic Alasdair; the High Council limits this to families of Scots ancestry.
  • Beaton: Only families from the West Highlands and Islands. Beatons are also linked to the MacLeods and MacLeans.
  • MacBeth: From the West Highlands and Islands; also linked to other clans.
  • MacColl: MacColls may also be associated with the Stewarts of Appin.
  • MacEachern: From Islay or Kintyre.
  • MacIan: Especially Ardnamurchan, Lochaber and Glencoe.
  • MacKean: From the West Highlands and Islands or Antrim.
  • Johnson: Only families from the West Highlands and Islands, particularly Ardnamurchan, Lochaber and Glencoe. A common surname with many other origins.
  • MacRory: Only families from the West Highlands and Islands.
  • MacQueen: From Skye, the Uists, Islay or Kintyre.
  • MacGorrie: Only families from the Uists and Benbecula.
  • MacCook: From Islay, Kintyre or Arran.
  • MacCuish: Only families from North Uist or Skye.
  • MacElheran: Only families from Kintyre, Arran or Bute.
  • Darroch: Only families from Islay, Kintyre or Jura.
  • Isles: From the West Highlands and Islands or Antrim.
  • Currie: From the Gaelic MacMhuirich, according to the High Council.
  • Martin: From Skye, North Uist, Islay or Kintyre only. A common surname with many other origins.

“Associated” means the name appears in published sept lists for this clan. It does not prove descent, and many names are linked to more than one clan. Where your family lived is often the better clue.

Questions people ask

What is the MacDonald tartan?

The main MacDonald sett is green, blue and black with fine red lines. The Scottish Register of Tartans dates its oldest recorded version to 1819. There are many others: the Register counts at least 27 setts across the branches of Clan Donald.

What is the MacDonald motto and crest?

The motto is Per mare per terras, 'By sea and by land'. The crest is an armoured hand holding a red cross, rising from a coronet.

Is MacDonald the same as Clan Donald?

Yes. Clan Donald is the name for the whole kindred descended from Donald of Islay. It includes branches such as Sleat, Clanranald, Glengarry, Keppoch and Glencoe, each with its own history and, in most cases, its own chief and tartans.

Which surnames are associated with Clan Donald?

The High Council of Clan Donald lists several hundred families, including Beaton, Currie, Darroch, MacColl, MacEachern, MacIan and MacQueen. Most are tied to a particular home territory, and many names are shared with other clans.

Sources

  1. Names and Families of Clan Donald — High Council of Clan Donald
  2. Chiefs — High Council of Clan Donald
  3. Lord Macdonald of Macdonald — High Council of Clan Donald
  4. Members: chiefs — Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs
  5. Donald of Islay — Clan Donald Heritage
  6. Finlaggan — Finlaggan Trust
  7. Massacre of Glencoe — Encyclopaedia Britannica
  8. Clan MacDonald — Electric Scotland
  9. John of Islay, Lord of the Isles — Undiscovered Scotland
  10. John MacDonald II, Lord of the Isles — Undiscovered Scotland
  11. Battle of Harlaw — Undiscovered Scotland
  12. MacDonald Crest & Coats of Arms — ScotClans
  13. Clan Donald — Wikipedia (supplementary check)
  14. Lord of the Isles — Wikipedia (supplementary check)
  15. Scottish Register of Tartans: MacDonald — tartanregister.gov.uk
  16. Scottish Register of Tartans: MacDonald Dress — tartanregister.gov.uk
  17. Scottish Register of Tartans: MacDonald, Lord of the Isles Hunting — tartanregister.gov.uk
  18. Scottish Register of Tartans: MacDonald of Sleat — tartanregister.gov.uk

Clan histories are contested and sources disagree. If you can correct something here with a source, write to hello@tartanflag.com. Last updated 17 September 2026.