Macphail Hunting Clan Collection

I. Introduction

Amid the mist-shrouded hills and ancient glens of Scotland, where the echoes of the past resound with the clash of steel and the call of the wild, the MacPhail Hunting Clan stands as a proud emblem of Highland tenacity. A branch of the storied Clan MacPhail, their name evokes not only their lineage but the rugged landscapes they roamed, their tartan a banner of their bond with the hunt and the untamed heart of Scotland’s history.

II. Origins of the MacPhail Hunting Clan

The MacPhail name, rooted in the Gaelic Mac Phàil or "son of Paul," traces its genesis to the western Highlands near Lochaber, where the clan held Fassfern until 1291. The "Hunting" distinction arises from their association with the MacPhail Hunting Tartan, a pattern of earthy greens, browns, and muted reds that mirrors the hues of the Highland wilderness. Scholars tie the broader MacPhail lineage to Paul Cattanach, a figure of note in the Kinrara Manuscript, linked to the Clan Chattan confederation in the 13th century. The Hunting Clan likely emerged from this stock, their name and tartan reflecting a legacy of tracking game through the forests and moors of Inverness-shire, where their chiefly line settled near Inverarnie.

III. Historical Evolution of the MacPhail Hunting Clan

A. Roots in Clan Chattan

The MacPhail Hunting Clan’s tale begins with the migration of Clan Chattan from Lochaber to Strathnairn in the 13th century, following the marriage of Angus, 6th Chief of Mackintosh, to Eva, heiress of Clan Chattan. While some MacPhails remained in the west with clans like the Camerons, the Hunting Clan’s ancestors followed eastward, settling near Loch Moy. Their affinity for the hunt likely grew in these fertile lands, where deer, boar, and fowl abounded, shaping their identity within the broader Chattan federation.

B. Land and Legacy

By the 16th century, the MacPhails of Inverarnie, from whom the Hunting Clan descends, held significant leases. In 1547, Duncan Makconquhy Dow MacPhail secured half the towns of Tullich and Elrick, a tenure that persisted through generations. In 1631, another MacPhail leased Invernarnie itself, encompassing lands along the rivers Nairn and Findhorn, for 1000 Pound Scots. This foothold endured until 1773, when the lease expired, dispersing the clan southward. The Hunting Clan’s tartan, with its camouflage-like palette, suggests a people attuned to the rhythms of the wild, their lives intertwined with the pursuit of sustenance and sport.

C. A Modern Revival

Though the chiefly line of Clan MacPhail faded with Paul MacPhail’s death in 1904, the Hunting Clan’s identity was reborn through their tartan. Designed to evoke the landscapes of their Highland past, this weave of forest greens and russet tones honors their heritage as hunters and stewards of the land, a symbol embraced by descendants seeking to reclaim their roots.

IV. Clan MacPhail Hunting Crest and Motto

A. Crest Symbolism

The MacPhail Hunting Clan bears the crest of the broader MacPhail lineage: a stag salient, leaping with grace and power. This emblem, resonant with the hunt, reflects their agility and mastery over the wild, a noble beast that mirrors their own spirit. The stag’s presence may also nod to Saint Giles, a patron of woodlands, blending spirituality with their earthly pursuits.

B. Clan Motto

"Memor Esto" meaning "Be Mindful", guides the Hunting Clan as it does their kin. For them, it is a charge to remember the trails they blazed, the prey they tracked, and the traditions that bound them to the Highlands—a motto of reverence and vigilance in equal measure.

V. Clan MacPhail Hunting Tartan

The MacPhail Hunting Tartan is a tapestry of the Highlands themselves—deep greens for the pine-clad hills, browns for the loamy earth, and reds for the blood of the hunt. Unlike the universal tartans of larger clans, this design is a modern creation, tailored to the Hunting Clan’s narrative. It serves as both a cloak of camouflage and a banner of pride, linking scattered MacPhails to the rugged terrain where their ancestors once roamed.

VI. Prominent Figures of the MacPhail Hunting Clan

A. Donald MacPhail (15th Century)

In 1490, Donald MacPhail, a tenant of Dullatur, bore witness to a bond between the Lairds of Mackintosh and Kilravock, followed by another in 1492 with the Dunbars. His role in these alliances hints at the Hunting Clan’s standing within Clan Chattan, their presence a bridge between land and loyalty in a fractious era.

B. Andrew MacPhail (16th Century)

In 1566, Andrew MacPhail, minister of Inverness and Petty, preached in Gaelic, his voice a lifeline for Highland culture amid the Reformation. His service reflects the clan’s broader contributions, perhaps even inspiring the spiritual undertones of their stag crest.

VII. Folklore and the Hunter’s Spirit

The MacPhails, including the Hunting Clan, are woven into Highland lore through the ballad "MacPhail of Colonsay and the Mermaid of Corrivrekin." This tale of a MacPhail ensnared by a mermaid, fathering children beneath the waves before returning to the land, evokes a mythic hunter’s journey—a narrative of pursuit and escape that resonates with their tartan’s earthy hues.

VIII. Conclusion

The MacPhail Hunting Clan strides through Scotland’s history with the quiet grace of a stag through the glen. From their origins in Lochaber to their heartland near Inverarnie, they have tracked a path of resilience and reverence, their tartan a testament to a life lived in harmony with the wild. Though their chiefly line has dimmed, their legacy endures in the rustle of leaves and the whisper of the wind, a clan whose story is etched in the very soil of the Highlands. In the grand saga of Scotland’s clans, the MacPhail Hunting Clan stands as a hunter’s hymn—a melody of pursuit, pride, and an unbreakable bond with the land they called home.