Branches of Clan MacIntyre

MacIntyres of Glen Noe (Chiefly Line)

The Glen Noe line is the chief branch of Clan MacIntyre. According to tradition, they settled at Glen Noe on Loch Etive in Argyll in the 13th century after being led by a white cow to fertile land. The MacIntyres served for generations as hereditary foresters to the Lords of Lorn and later to the Campbells of Breadalbane. Despite the increasing pressures of feudal tenancy, they held Glen Noe until 1806, when they were forced to relinquish it due to unaffordable rents. The chiefly line continued abroad, with the chiefship restored in 1991 to James W. MacIntyre of Glenoe. The family still holds the recognized arms and chiefship today.

MacIntyres of Camus-na-h-Erie

This is the senior cadet line of Clan MacIntyre, descending from a younger son of a Glen Noe chief. Based at Camus-na-h-Erie in Kinlochleven, this branch was prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries. Several members fought for Prince Charles in the 1745 Rising. The 20th-century chieftains of this branch, including Alastair MacIntyre, held cadet arms and acted as leaders of the clan when the chiefly line was dormant. Camus-na-h-Erie is the only cadet line with registered arms and remains respected as the senior supporting house of Glen Noe.

Obscure or Nonactive Branches

MacIntyres of Letterbaine (Leitire)

A lesser-known cadet branch, the Letterbaine MacIntyres descended from Iain Buidhe MacIntyre, who fled Glen Noe after feuding with the Campbells in the 15th century. They settled at Leitire near Loch Awe. The branch participated in the 1745 Jacobite Rising and supported the Stewarts of Appin. By the 19th century, this family had lost their lands and status. Today they are remembered primarily through oral tradition and recent genealogical reconstructions.

MacIntyres of Badenoch

This branch settled in Badenoch around the late 15th century and became affiliated with the Clan Chattan Confederation. Originally entering as bards or retainers to the Mackintosh chiefs, they became the sixteenth and final clan admitted to the alliance. They fought with the Macphersons during the Jacobite risings and maintained a presence in central Highland townships. The Badenoch MacIntyres gradually lost their distinct identity by the 19th century and are now considered a nonactive branch.

MacIntyres of Balquhidder

Several families bearing the name MacIntyre were recorded in Balquhidder, Perthshire, from the early 16th century. Their exact origin is debated—some believe they were an eastern offshoot of the Glen Noe line, while others suggest they were MacLarens using the occupational name “Mac an t-Saoir.” These families fought with the Stewarts and MacLarens in the 1745 Rising. By the 19th century, they had merged culturally with the MacLaren clan and are no longer considered an active MacIntyre branch.

References (APA Format)

Electric Scotland. (n.d.). The MacIntyres of Letterbaine; The Macintyres and the ’Forty-Five’. Retrieved from https://www.electricscotland.com

Gazetteer for Scotland. (2022). MacIntyre – Overview. Retrieved from https://www.scottish-places.info

MacLaren of MacLaren, M. (1984). The MacLarens: A History of Clan Labhran (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Clan MacLaren Society.

Way, G., & Squire, R. (1994). Clans & Tartans: The Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. Glasgow: HarperCollins.

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, March 15). Clan MacIntyre. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacIntyre