Tartans of the various branches of the Clan MacDonald

The Lord of the Isles. This tartan has always been acknowledged as the “Lord of the Isles, ” and being the foundation of the sets of the whole confederacy of Clans descended from Somerled.

The MacDonald of Sleat. (Clann Uisdean.) Hugh, first of Sleat was the third son of Alexander, third Earl of Ross, and Lord of the isles. This pattern is copied from that worn by Sir Alexander Macdonald, 9th Baronet of Sleat, circa 1750, as it appears in a painting at Aimadale Castle.

MacDonald of Clan Ranald.  The MacDonalds of Clan Ranald are descended from Reginald or Ranald, eighth in descent from Somerled, Lord of the Isles. The Gaelic patronymic, Mac-Mhic-Ailein, is derived from Allan, ninth in descent from Somerled. For the pattern, which we have no hesitation in giving as the Clan Ranald full-dress, we are indebted to Mr. Allan R. MacDonald of Waternish, Skye. It is taken from a plaid spun and dyed by an ancestress of Mr. MacDonald’s, a daughter of Lachlan MacKinnon of Corry, the entertainer of Dr. Johnson and Pennant, and worn by her husband, Allan MacDonald of Baile-Fhionnlaigh, Benbecula, a cadet of the Clan Ranald family, as a captain in the Clan regiment of the 45, and who was severely wounded at Culloden. The plaid is a beautiful specimen of the old Highland hard tartan, and made of the wool of the aboriginal Highland sheep—the colours are still quite fresh and bright. According to John MacCordum, the bard, circa 1715, the colours of the Clan Ranald tartan were crimson with carnation in the waft.

MacDonell of Glengarry.  The MacDonells of Glengarry are also descended from Ranald, eighth in descent from Somerled. The Gaelic patronymic, Mac-Mhic-Alasdair, is from Alexander, eleventh in descent from Somerled. The pattern of tartan is from an old fragment picked up in Lochaber many years ago as the full-dress Glengarry. It is certainly very old, also made of the old native wool, and home dyed. That it is a MacDonald, we have no doubt, and we feel safe in suggesting it as the Glengarry full-dress. The design is on the same plan as the Sleat, Clan Ranald and Keppoch.

 

MacDonell of Keppoch. The founder of the was Alasdair Carach, third son of John, first Lord of the Isles, by his wife the Lady Margaret, daughter of Robert, High Steward of Scotland. Gaelic patronymic, Mac-Mhic-Raonuill, from Ronald or RaonuU-mor, who fought at Blar-na-leine in 1544. We are indebted for the pattern of tartan to Miss Julia MacDonell of Keppoch. The cloth is also very old, and was worn by a remote ancestor of Miss MacDonell’s.

MacDonald of Boisdale. Boisdale was decended from Donald of Benbecula, who became fourteenth of Clan Ranald.  The Boisdale tartan is known in the trade as “MacDonald of Staffa” on account of its having been orn by one of the family who became proprietor of the island of Staffa.  He was Sheriff Substitute of Stirlingshire, and a great friend of Sir Walter Scott. It will readily be seen that this pattern is founded on the Clan Ranald, and that it again is founded on the “Lord of the Isles.”

MacDonald—Hunting. This tartan, popularly known “MacDonald,” and sometimes as the ‘Glencoe,” is formed addition of black and blue bars to the ” Lord of the Isles, ” in order to make it darker and more serviceable for hunting and every day wear. In the portrait of Alasdair MacDonald of Glencoe he is shown dressed in this tartan.

MacDonald of Clan Ranald hunting. This is the same as MacDonald of Glencoe or MacDonald hunting with the addition of two narrow white bars as a distinction.

Macdonell of Glengarry Hunting. This is also the same as MacDonald hunting but has only one white bar. All these illustrate most clearly the system of kinship or clan heraldry in the old clan tartans.