Home / Scottish Clans - Histories, Tartans Crests and much more / Clan MacGillivray (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

Clan MacGillivray (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

By ScotsTee Shop

MacGillivray

Gaelic Name:MacGhille-Bràth

Clan Crest: A cat-a-mountain sejuant guardant Proper, his dexter fore-paw on the ground, his sinister in a guardant posture and his tail reflexed under his sinister paw

Clan Motto: Touch not this cat

Origin of Name: Gaelic, ‘Son of the servant of judgement’

Clan Badge: Boxwood

Lands: Mull, Lochaber, and Morvern

Clan Chief: None, armigerous clan

⇨ View All MacGillivray Tartan Products

MacGillivray Clan History

Even before King Somerled drove the Norsemen from the western Isles, the MacGillivrays were a powerful clan. After Alexander II conquered Argyll in 1222, the Clann Mhic Gillebràth were dispersed.

Gillivray, the clan's progenitor, sought the protection of the MacKintosh chiefs and attended the clan Chattan conference. As Episcopalians, they were persecuted by their Calvinist and Presbyterian neighbors, but they fought in both the 15th and 45th wars.

The MacKintosh chief remained loyal to the Hanoverian commission in 1745, but his wife 'Colonel Anne' rallied the clan to the Jacobite cause. Alexander MacGillivary led the clan Chattan but was defeated at Culloden, where his name is still etched on the wall.

Following that, clan emigrations across the Atlantic began.

The Dunmaglas estates were sold in 1890, and the last chief is thought to have died in Canada.

MacGillivray Places & People

Clan MacGillivray Individuals

MacGillivray, William

The 5th Earl of Selkirk's plan to settle destitute Gaels from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands as farmers on Red River was opposed by the head of the North West Company and members of the Legislative Council of Lower Canada.

Selkirk was defeated through murder, arson, perjury, theft, and blackmail.

MacGillivray, William

William MacGillivray (1796-1852).

MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen and raised on the Scottish island of Harris. He went back to Aberdeen to study medicine at King's College. From 1831 to 1841, he was Curator of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh's museum and Professor of Natural History at Marischal College, Aberdeen.

From 1830 to 1839, MacGillivray was a friend of John James Audubon and wrote a large portion of Audubon's Ornithological Biographies. MacGillivray's Warbler was named after him by Audubon.

He died in Aberdeen and was buried in the New Calton Cemetery in Edinburgh. His eldest son, John MacGillivray, wrote a book about the voyage around the world of the HMS Rattlesnake, on which he served as naturalist. In 1853, another son, Paul, published an Aberdeen Flora.

MacGillivray Tartans

MacGillivray Modern

MacGillivray Hunting Ancient

MacGillivray Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan MacGillivray Crest:

A cat-a-mountain sejuant guardant is depicted on the crest. Proper, with his dexter forepaw on the ground, his sinister in a guardant posture, and his tail reflexed beneath his sinister paw.

Coats of Arms of MacGillivray:

A word about Coats of Arms:

A coat of arms is granted to an individual under Scottish heraldic law (with the exception of civic or corporate arms). A 'family coat of arms' does not exist. With the exceptions noted above, the arms depicted below are personal arms. Only the person who has been granted these weapons has the right to use them.

The MacGILLIVRAY of Dunmaglass

Quarterly, 1st, Or, a cat-of-the-mountain, sejant, guardant, Proper, his dexter forepaw on the ground, his sinister forepaw guardant, and his tail reflexed under his sinister paw; 3rd, Azure, a salmon, naiant, Argent; 4th, Or, a lymphad, sailing sinister-wise, Azure, its oars in saltire and flagged, Gules (for Clan Chattan).