Clan MacLennan

Clan MacLennan is a highland Scottish Clan originating in the Kintail region. The surname MacLennan comes from the gaelic “Mac Gille Fhinnein”, meaning the son of the follower of St. Finnan. It is believed that the clan branched off from Clan Logan in the 16th century. Legend states that the clan evolved from a feud between the Logan’s and the Fraser‘s. The Fraser clan killed the Logan chief (Gilligorm) and captured his pregnant wife. His wife gave birth to a child who then formed the new clan.

The clans motto is Dum Spiro Spero which translates into “While I breathe, I hope”, and the clans crest features a piper adorned with the MacLennan ancient tartan.

The historic home land of the clan is Kintail, a mountainous area in the Northwest Highlands. During the 17th century Civil War the MacLennan of Kintail fought with the Mackenzies against the royalists. The clan was outflanked by the Gordon Clan and did not get orders to retreat in time. The MacLennan’s fought to their last man decimating the Kintail Maclellans. Today most of Kintail is owned and protected by the National Trust for Scotland.

After the chief’s death in the civil war the chiefdomship of the clan was left vacant for 300 years until the 1970s when two claimants applied to the Lord Lyon King of Arms to be recognized. In 1977 Ronald Geroge MacLennan was named chief of the clan.

Ronald MacLennan formed the Clan MacLennan world wide society in the 1970s to bring together branches from Scotland, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Bruce A McLennan has published a free ebook for MacLennan clan members titled “A guide to some MacLennan Places across Scotland“.