The Highland Clans of Scotland: Their History and Traditions, Volume 1

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FOREWORD

THOUGH the Scottish Highlander is proverbially tenacious of the memories of his race, and almost invariably well-informed regarding the descent and relationship of his clan, there has hitherto been a notorious lack of collected information regarding the individual histories and traditions of the Highland tribes. Of several of the clans there are admirable monographs in existence, and for the general history of the Gael one may consult books like Skene's Celtic Scotland and Browne's History of the Highlands; but in the way of a collection of histories of the separate clans nothing sufficiently detailed has been available. The present work is designed to supply in convenient shape information regarding each clan which is only to be found in widely scattered quarters elsewhere. On thorny points, like the chiefship of the MacDonalds, the headship of Clan Chattan, and the relationship of the MacArthurs and the Campbells, it is hoped that the facts have been stated without bias. It is hoped also that, while it would be impossible, within even a generous compass, to furnish complete narratives of all that is known of each clan, the net has been cast sufficiently wide to include all events of real importance, and to show their relationship, causes, and effects in a reasoned narrative. ,With only a very few alterations the list of septs put forward by Mr. Frank Adams in his excellent compendium of the Highland Clans, Septs, and Regiments has been adopted, and it is hoped that the reproduction of the spirited colour prints from Mclan's celebrated Clans of the Scottish Highlands, now almost unobtainable, will add a further feature of interest.
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INTRODUCTION

FOR some time past there have been signs of a reawakening of interest in all matters pertaining to the Highlands, and Mr Eyre-Todd has taken up the task of meeting a wide demand which has arisen for information as to the origins and fortunes of the various clans and their principal families. At present the only book claiming to give a comprehensive view of this subject is Mclan's Clans of the Scottish Highlands, but that work, published three-quarters of a century ago, is rarely met with and is valuable mainly on account of its pictures. Since it appeared the horizon of inquiry has been considerably widened by the publication of documents from the national archives and the charter chests of private families, and many of the spurious pedigrees and absurdities of earlier writers, such as Douglas in his Baronage of Scotland, have been swept away, though they will no doubt continue to be quoted by superficial writers. In Celtic Scotland the late Dr W. F. Skene devoted a chapter and part of the Appendix to the clans and their genealogies, and his conclusions are often accepted as final and authoritative; but he is by no means a safe guide, on account of his fatal propensity for setting up theories on insufficient foundations, and his blind devotion to the MS. of 1467. His previous work, The Highlanders of Scotland , 1S practically thrown overboard in Celtic Scotland, and may be ignored by the modern student . In the present

century several books of more or less authority giving histories of individual clans have appeared, but no serious attempt had been made to deal with the clans generally until Mr Eyre-Todd boldly essayed the gigantic task. He brings to this task an open mind and good judgment, and the readers of his pages, whether agreeing with him or not in every detail—and he may expect considerable disagreement—cannot but feel that he has been animated by a sincere desire to get at the truth of things, and that on the whole he has treated his subject in a fair and sympathetic manner. I wish him every success.

Language: English

Pages: 320

Format: Kindle Edition

The Highland Clans of Scotland: Their History and Traditions, Volume 1

George Eyre-Todd

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Language: English

Pages: 320

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