MacLachlan

Gaelic Name: MacLachlainn

Clan Crest: Issuant from a crest coronet of four (three visible) strawberry leaves. Or, a castle set upon a rock, all Proper

Clan Motto: Fortis Et Fidus (Brave and faithful)

Origin of Name: Gaelic, ‘Son of Lachlan’

Clan Badge: Mountain ash

Lands: Argyll, Lochaber, Perthshire, and Stirlingshire

Clan Chief: Euan MacLachlan of MacLachlan

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MacLachlan Clan History

The MacLachlan clan is of ancient origin, descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King of Ireland in 400 A.D. Lochlainn was the name of the senior branch of Niall's descendants, and the name first appears in Scotland in the thirteenth century, when Lachlan Mor of this family lived on the shores of Loch Fyne.

Lachlan was the name given not only to the clan, but also to Lachlan Water, Lachlan Bay, Strathlachlan, and Castle Lachlan.

By the fifteenth century, the clan's chiefs were known as "the Lords of Strathlachlan" and were closely associated with the church, being especially generous to Glasgow's preaching friars. In addition to these ecclesiastical ties, the MacLachlan clan formed astute political alliances and thrived as a result of their support for Robert the Bruce.

By allying with the powerful Campbell clan, the MacLachlans ensured their position as a powerful force in Scotland. The MacLachlan clansmen were known for their loyalty to the Stewarts, and the MacLachlan chief was present in Scotland in 1715 when James VIII, the 'Old Pretender,' raised his standard.

Lachlan MacLachlan, the clan's seventeenth chief, was appointed commissary-general to Charles Edward Stewart's staff. He led 300 of his clansmen to the Battle of Culloden, where he was killed.

Following Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland ordered the burning of Castle Lachlan, forcing the chief's family to flee. The lands were eventually restored thanks to the intercession of long-standing allies, the Campbells, and a new Castle Lachlan was built near the ruins of the original castle.

MacLachlan Places & People

People of the Clan MacLachlan

Angus Henry MacLachlan was born in 1908.

He was an Australian journalist who worked for newspapers all over the world. From 1966 to 1971, he was the head of the Reuters News Agency.

Anne Dore McLaughlin (born 1941).

A senior US government official and outspoken political figure in the United States.

MacLachlan Tartans

Ancient MacLachlan

MacLachlan Contemporary

MacLachlan had aged.

Modern MacLachlan Hunting

MacLachlan Crest & Coats of Arms

Clan MacLachlan Crest

Issuant from a crest coronet of four (three visible) strawberry leaves. Alternatively, a castle built on a rock, all Proper

Coats of Arms of MacLachlan

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.

MacLachalan's name is MacLachalan.

Quarterly, Or, a lion rampant, Gules; Argent, a dexter hand couped, fessways, holding a cross patée, paleways, Gules; 3rd, Or, a lymphad, her oars in saltire, Sable, placed on the sea, Proper; 4th, Argent, on a base, undée, Vert, a salmon, naiant, Proper.

The heraldic arms of the 24th Chief.

The red lion on the gold field is known as the "Dalriadic Royal Lyon" and has appeared on the Arms of Scotland since the 12th century.

The red hand holding a red cross appears in the second quarter of the Arms. This represents the Clan's association with the Kindred of St Columbia, and thus with royalty in Northern Ireland, as Saint Columba was a prince in Ulster before migrating to Iona. It's worth noting that the red hand is an emblem of Ulster and the royal O'Neill family.

The third quarter of the Arms depicts a galley with oars; the galley was originally an emblem of the Mother Goddess before being adopted by Norse sea kings and the Lord of the Isles. The Gaelic name Lochlainn means "Northern Lands," and it is thought to have been given to the son of an O'Neill royal family member and a Norwegian princess; this branch of the MacLochlainns were Kings of Aileach and High Kings of Ireland.

In the fourth quarter of the Arms, a salmon swims in a green sea. In this context, the salmon is an emblem derived from the royal O'Neills. The salmon was the sacred royal fish in the Celtic world, particularly among the ancient Gaels; ancient Irish kings wore the salmon as a brooch.