Clan MacLennan
| Clan MacLennan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Gille Fhinnein | |||
| Motto | Dum spiro spero | ||
| Profile | |||
| Plant badge | Furze | ||
| Chief | |||
 |
|||
| Ruairidh Donald George MacLennan of MacLennan | |||
| The Chief of the Name and Arms of MacLennan | |||
|
|||
|
|||
Clan MacLennan, also known as Siol Ghillinnein, is a Highland Scottish clan which historically populated lands in the north-west of Scotland. The surname MacLennan in Scottish Gaelic is Mac Gille Fhinnein, meaning the son of the follower of St Finnan.
The MacLennans settled around Kintail and were related to the Clan Logan. However some historians have said that Logan was the original name of the clan with MacLennan not coming into use until the fifteenth century.
In the fifteenth century a feud took place between the clans Logan and Fraser. Gillegorm Logan led his clan towards Inverness to attack the Frasers but was ambushed and most of his men were killed in the battle, that took place at North Kessock. The Clan Logan chief, Gilligorm, was amongst those killed. Gilligorm's pregnant widow was captured by the Frasers and soon gave birth to a child. The Frasers intentionally broke the child's back, who was named Crotair MacGilligorm because of his deformity. Another version of the story is that the child was actually born deformed and was placed with the monks at Beauly Priory. However he disregarded the decree of Pope Innocent III and instead preferred to follow Celtic practices. He married and had children and it is from his Gaelic name Gille Finnan that the clan's name of MacLennan was adopted.
The heraldry of the MacLennans and the Logans is similar and alludes to the historic link between the two clans.
Crotair MacGilligorm was educated by the monks at Beauly Priory and later founded churches at Kilmor, Sleat and Kilchrinin, Glenelg. His son, called Gille Fhinnein, is the supposed progenitor of the Clan MacLennan.
The shield of the chief of the Clan MacLennan also shows their link to the Clan Mackenzie, whose banner was the caber-feidh. The Clan MacLennan along with the Clan Macrae were strong supporters of the Mackenzies and may at one time have been custodians of the Mackenzie's castle at Eilean Donan.
...
Wikipedia