Home About Contact The MacKay Clan of Scotland, Ireland & England History and Bravery of the Clan MacKay The MacKay Clan is from the Northern Scottish Highlands and have been around for centuries. The name MacKay comes from the Gaelic Mac Aoidh meaning Son of Fire. The women were called Nic Aoidh, meaning Daughter of Fire They are one of the most influential Clans of Scottish history. From the roots of the Clan in the Province called Moray to even further back to the most popular tales of the origins. Their Crest was of a dagger held erect and the clans’ tune is titled MacKay’s March and The White Banner of MacKay. A MacKay piper was even present at the famous Battle of Waterloo, playing the tune War and Peace during a calvary charge. Queen Victoria appointed a MacKay clansman named Angus MacKay to the first piper position. Bagpipes are very traditional to Scottish people. The clan had many branches including the MacKays of Strathnaver, Scoury, Bighouse, Sandwood and seven others, along with branches in the Netherlands and Sweden. The MacKays had five principle allied clans. They consisted of Clan Munro, Forbes, Gunn, Ross and Sutherland. The Sutherland, Ross, and Gunn clans however did not become allies until the 18th century. Before then, they were either unknown or enemies of the MacKays. Of course, you cannot have allied clans with out rival clans such as the Clans Sinclair, Donald, Gunn, Ross, and Sutherland. Clans of Gunn, Ross and Sutherland were enemies of MacKays in the 15th and 16th centuries. Also it is claimed by some that the MacKay clan was to be descended from the Clan Morgan but are doubted by some. Also there were MacKay septs of Clan Chattan and other families in Scotland. It was said that the Chief of the clan was descended directly from the Pictish Royal House of MacbEth. They were originally from Ireland but after losing in a battle, they were deported and settled in Moray, defeated and dishonored. But out of the blood of battle their Clan will live on. The first Chieftain of the Clan was born around 1210 A.D. and was a direct descendant the 1st Earl of Ross, Malcolm MacHeth, his name was Iye MacKay. It is said that after a conflict between the clan and their supporters against King Malcolm IV of Scotland, they fled north to the hills of Ross and Strathnaver. While in the north they met Norse Harald Maddadsson, Mormaer of Caithness who was an enemy to the King as well. [Read On…] Copyright © 2014 Clan Mackay of Scotland. Designed by Chief of the Clan Home About Contact Continued… In 1215, the MacKays and the MacWilliams clans decided to rebel against the king. They were stopped by the Earl of Ross, Fearchar, but in the battle was the Grandson of the King, Kenneth MacHeth was killed. It is said that both Kenneth MacHeth and the Strathnaver MacKays were both descended from Iye MacKay, the 1st Chieftain to the clan. They fought for their freedom against Norway in 1263 at the Battle of Largs in support of the scottish king, King Alexander III and drove out the Norwegians out of their land. But that was not the end of the struggle for Independence. The English soon assumed power thus ending one war to start another. The MacKay Clan fought in one of the most well known battles in Scottish and world history. That battle was a turning point for many scottish peoples. It won their independance from England. Fighting along side the famous William Wallace in 1296 and again fighting against the English in 1314. But England would not be so easily deterred from the scottish lands. In the midst of all the fighting with the English there was a feud between the MacKays and the Clan of Sutherland. After many fires and hangings of both sides, they were both called to battle for Scotland in 1371 and finally stopped fighting eachother to once again defeat the English invaders. Within the next century of history the MacKay clan were involved in such battles as in 1403, Battle of Tuiteam Tarbhach was between the MacKays and the MacLeod, MacKay was the victor. Another wa in 1411 where the MacKay clan was defeated by the Clan Donald in the Battle of Dingwall. Other battles happended within a span of five centuries. Several battles and wars took place including the 1562 Battle of Corrichie, where the Mackays supported Queen Mary of Scots against George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly, George Gordon. They were involved in the Thirty Years War and the Civil War of Scotland. Starting in 1616 when knighted by the King alongside his uncle, Robert Gordon. In 1626, over 3000 men were dispatched by Sir Donald MacKay at Cromarty under Count Mansfeld in the service of the king of Denmark with the colonel, Robert Monro. Having been made Baronet of Nova Scotia and then 1st Earl of Reay, he dispatched yet more men in 1631 by Charles I of England to aid King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Sir Donald MacKay was later imprisoned in the Tower of London along with David Ramsay for fighting in the English court, where it was to keep the peace. However in 1632, King Aldolphus of Sweden was killed in battle and Lora Reay was not paid the large amounts of money owed to him by the deceased King. Involvement in the Civil war was in 1638 when Sir Donald MacKay, 1st Lord of Reay was invited by 1st Marquess of Montrose, James Graham and the three lords: Lords Home, Boyd and Loudoun meet them and others to discuss the religious troubles and to sign the Covenant. Lord Reay was forced to sign because he was not in support of the Covenant. He did not want to sign it due to his relationship with Charles I of England during the English civil war. In 1644, Reay again supported Charles I of England in the siege of Newcastle against the Scottish army. After months of fighting, he was captured and imprisoned. It wasnt until 1645 that he was finally liberated and sent home. Charles I was executed in January of 1649 and Lord Reay was renamed Earl of Strathnaver but due to the royal patent not being completed, Reay was exiled to Denmark. He died a month later in February 1649. Many more battles and many more lives were taken throughout the next 200 years, including two Jacobite risings in 1715 and 1745. In both campaigns the MacKay clan supported King George I of England. The first one ended in 1719 after 80 clansmen fought and beat the Jacobites. The second one was the Skirmish of Tongue, where Mackay Independent Highland Companies and men from Loudon’s Highlanders intercepted gold that was sent from France to the Jacobite leader Charles Edward Stuart. However, in 1746, Battle of Littleferry is where the Jacobites were defeated and they captured the Jacobite Leader George Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Cromartie at Dunrobin Castle. Among other battles, they fought in the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon was finally defeated, as per history. They fought in the Falkland war in 1982 and Sgt. Ian MacKay was awarded the Victoria Cross. The Current Chief of the Clan is Aaron MacKay. Varrich castle was the ancient seat of the Chief but was moved to Tongue House later. The Historian Angus MacKay wrote a book on the genealogies of the Clan MacKay and the Chiefs called “Book of MacKay. It compares two different genealogies of the early chiefs, first by Sir Robert Gordon and the second by Alexander MacKay. The two are similar but have differences too. However Alexander MacKay had unlimited access to record and historical documents of the clan and is held as the most accurate. The MacKay Clan has fought for their lives and souls throughout history over and over again. Bravery and allegiance run through their veins. Such souls of history shall never be forgotten nor ignored. To learn more on the subject of the MacKay Clan History or other clans of Scottish descent, you can visit: www.wikipedia.org and www.scotweb.co.uk Copyright © 2014 Clan Mackay of Scotland. Designed by Chief of the Clan |
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