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Clan MacNab (Tartans, Crest) and The Story Behind

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MacNab

Clan Crest: The head of a savage affrontée, Proper

Clan Motto: Timor Ommis Abesto (Let fear be far from all)

Clan Badge: Stone bramble or common heath

Lands: Killin

Historic Seat: MacNab Castle

Clan Chief: Jamie Macnab of Macnab

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MacNab Clan History

The name MacNab is derived from the Gaelic Mac an Abu, which means "son of an abbot." This strongly suggests that the Clan MacNab's founder was a clerical professional. He is thought to have been the Abbot of Glendochart.

The MacNabs were a fairly large clan in the 13th and 14th centuries. They, like the MacDougalls, were opposed to Robert the Bruce's struggle for the Scottish throne. Bruce and the MacDougalls clashed several times. At the Battle of Dalry, Clan MacNab sided with Clan MacDougall against Robert the Bruce. It was fought sometime during the summer of 1306, and MacDougall won. Despite this defeat, Bruce's cause was successful, and he was crowned king. His victorious troops ravaged the MacNabs' lands, destroying all family writs. After Gilbert MacNab received a charter from David II, only the Bowain, or Bovain, barony remained in the family's possession. Gilbert is said to have died during the reign of King Robert II.

Finlay MacNab, the clan's chief, received a charter dated January 9th, 1502, and his son, titled the fifth "Laird," was a witness to a charter from the King to a Duncan Campbell in 1511.

During the Anglo-Scottish Wars in 1513, the 8th chief, Finlay MacNab's eldest son, is thought to have been killed at the Battle of Flodden Field. In 1525, the chief died at Eilan Ran. He was laid to rest at Killin, on the lands of Ewer and Leiragan, which he had granted to his wife, Mariat Campbell, for the duration of her life. In turn, the sixth "laird," Finlay MacNab, mortgaged a large portion of the lands to Campbell of Glenorchy, an ancestor of the Marquis of Breadalbane. On July 12, 1606, the 7th laird, also known as Finlay MacNab, formed a friendship bond with his cousin Lauchlin MacKinnion of Strathairdle of Clan MacKinnion. This chief Finlay continued the violent feud with the Clan Neish, or MacNeish, who held the lands in the upper part of Strathearn and lived on Neish Island in the lower part of Loch Earn.

Many battles were fought between the MacNabs and the Neishes, with varying degrees of success for each. The last battle between the two was at Glenboultachan, which the MacNabs won. In battle, nearly every Neish was killed. Though a small number survived and continued to live on Neish Island, plundering and stealing from neighboring families.

One Christmas, the MacNab chief sent a servant to Crieff for supplies for the upcoming festivities. However, on his way back to the MacNab home, the servant was beaten and robbed of everything he owned, leaving him with no choice but to return to his master empty-handed. The MacNabs blamed the Neishes for the attack, so the chief's twelve strong and athletic sons were dispatched to Neish Island to exact revenge, which they duly did. The brothers, one of whom was said to be particularly strong and athletic, Iain mion Mac Appa, or "Smooth John MacNab," set off to Loch Earn carrying their boat on their shoulders. When the men arrived at the loch, they rowed over to Neish Island and slaughtered every Neish there, with the exception of two who managed to hide under a bed. The young men took back the heads of the Neishes, along with any plunder they could carry, as trophies of their revenge attack. When the twelve returned, they presented their findings to the chief, and the piper played the Pibroch of Victory.

During the Civil War, the MacNab clan supported Charles I's Royalist cause and is known to have fought alongside James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. The Clan MacNab, along with the chief of the time, were known to have fought on the victorious side at the Battle of Kilsyth, on August 15, 1645, alongside their friends and allies Clan Robertson and Clan Ogilvy. Following the battle, the MacNab chief was given command of Kincardine Castle, a Royalist garrison near Auchterarder. However, the castle was besieged by General David Leslie's Convenanter forces, and MacNab found it impossible to maintain a strong enough defense during the night, so he launched an attack with his 300 men. Except for the MacNab chief and one other man, who were both captured and sent to Edinburgh as prisoners, everyone survived the siege. MacNab was sentenced to death, but he escaped and rejoined the Royalist forces to fight on. Smooth John MacNab, now considerably older than at the time of the Neish revenge raid, led a number of MacNabs into battle and was killed.

The MacNabs' land was once again ravaged, this time by Covenanters, and the family lost many of their papers.

Smooth John MacNab, the chief at the time, married a daughter of Campbell of Glenlyon, resulting in intermarriage between the MacNabs and the Campbells. In 1647, they had one daughter and one son, Alexander MacNab. Alexander was only four years old when his father was killed on the battlefield of Worcester. Following Smooth John's death, the family attempted but failed to obtain financial assistance.

During the Jacobite uprisings, the MacNab clan was split. The chief, John MacNab, was a member of the government's Black Watch Regiment. He took part in the Battle of Prestonpans and was imprisoned at Doune Castle until after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Another branch of the MacNabs, however, supported the House of Stuart and fought alongside the Jacobites. Allister MacNab of Inshewan and Archibald MacNab of Acharne led these MacNabs.

A large portion of the MacNab estate was transferred to the House of Breadalbane. This was because of the debts accumulated on the estate by the twelfth chief. The last chief who lived in Kinnell immigrated to Canada. The chief later returned to Scotland and sold the Dreadnought Hotel in Callander, his last property here. He left all his heirlooms to Sir Allan MacNab, Prime Minister of Canada, whom he considered the next chief, when he died. However, Sir Allan's son was killed in a shooting accident, leaving the position of chief open due to numerous claims.

The Clan MacNab family's secluded, romantic burial place among the trees on the islet of Inch Buidhe, not far from Kinnell, is in Glendochart.

MacNab Places & People

People of Clan MacNab

McNab, Colin

Colin McNab (born 1961).

Scotland's second Grandmaster, having completed the requirements for the title in 1992, just after Paul Motwani. He struggled to get his rating up to the required 2500 level after achieving his three norms, and is possibly unique among Grandmasters in only achieving a published rating of 2500 six years after being awarded the title. The FIDE regulations in effect at the time stated that a 'intermediate' rating would suffice at any stage of an event, and that ratings between 2498.5 and 2500 would be rounded up, which is exactly what happened in 1992.

McNab also won the Scottish Chess Championship in 1983, 1991, 1993, and 1995, as well as the Commonwealth Championship in 1992. His opening repertoire is known for its seemingly quiet fianchetto systems, and he has written a book on The Fianchetto King's Indian as well as co-authoring the Ultimate Pirc with John Nunn. He is well-known as an endgame expert and has written a regular column for Scottish Chess magazine for many years. He also holds a doctorate in mathematics, having earned a DPhil at Oxford University.

MacNab Tartans

MacNab the Elder

MacNab Contemporary

MacNab Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan MacNab Crest

Crest Description: A savage affrontée's head, Proper

Coats of Arms of MacNab

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.

MacNAB (MacNAB)

Sable, on a chevron, Argent, three crescents, Vert, in base a second open boat with oars sailing in the sea, Proper.

Arms: Argent, a bend sinister wavy Azure between two crescents with a thistle flower Vert from each issuant therein, a chief wavy Azure.

Crest: A bull's head Azure armed Or issuing from a circlet of garbs Or.

On a grassy mound Vert a beaver Or armed Azure gorged with a collar of maple leaves Gules alternating with trillium flowers Argent seeded Or leaved Vert pendent therefrom a circular sawmill blade proper, sinister a white tailed stag Or attired and unguled Azure gorged with a like collar.

FAIR IS THE LAND • STRONG ARE THE PEOPLE

Origin/meaning

On November 17, 2000, the arms were officially granted.

The diagonal band and upper area of blue represent the Madawaska and Ottawa rivers, which are prominent features of the local landscape and have played important roles in the history of settlement and economic development. The green crescents are one of the main elements in the Chief of the Clan McNab's coat of arms, and they honor the township's Scots founder. The thistle flower represents Braeside, and when the two elements are combined, the union of the two former municipalities is forever remembered.

The circlet of garbs represents the township's traditional agricultural economy, and the steer's head represents the industry's continuing importance.

The beaver and deer are mammals that have been and are present in significant numbers in the township's rich natural heritage. Each is adorned with a collar of maple leaves and trillium flowers, representing Canada and Ontario, respectively. A circular sawmill blade hangs from this collar, alluding to the historic forest industry and the various mills in Braeside and Arnprior. The white pine symbolizes the original old growth forest that still exists near Gillies Grove, as well as the prospect of new beginnings.

The motto honors the beauty of the landscape as well as the community's ongoing determination to contribute to its well-being.

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