Clan Sutherland

Clan Sutherland
Na Sutharlanaich
Crest: A cat-a-mountain saliant Proper
Motto	Sans Peur (Without Fear)
Slogan	Ceann na Drochaide Bige!
Profile
Region	Highlands
District	Sutherland
Plant badge	Cotton Sedge
Pipe music	The Earl of Sutherland's March
Chief
Elizabeth Millicent Sutherland
The 24th Countess of Sutherland
Seat	House of Tongue (Tongue, Sutherland)
Historic seat	Dunrobin Castle
Septs of Clan Sutherland Cheney, Cheyne, Chiene, Clyne, Duffes, Duffus, Federith, Gray, Grey, Keith, Mouat, Mowat(t), Moray, Murray, Norman, O'May
Clan branches Earl of Sutherland (chiefs) Sutherland of Duffus (senior cadets) Sutherland of Killipheder (Agnatic seniority) Sutherland of Forse Sutherland of Langwell Sutherland of Kinsteary Sutherland of Clyne Sutherland of Uppat Sutherland of St. Vincent Sutherland of Dirlot Sutherland of Skelbo
Allied clans Clan Murray (13th to 16th centuries) Clan Gordon (16th century) Clan Mackay (18th century) Clan Gunn (18th century) Clan Sinclair (18th century) Clan Munro
Rival clans Clan Murray (18th century) Clan Gordon (18th century) Clan Mackay (14th, 15th & 16th centuries) Clan Gunn (16th century) Clan Sinclair (16th century)

Clan Sutherland is a Highland Scottish clan whose traditional territory is the shire of Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. The chief of the clan was also the powerful Earl of Sutherland, however in the early 16th century this title passed through marriage to a younger son of the chief of Clan Gordon. The current chief is Elizabeth Sutherland who holds the title Countess of Sutherland.

The progenitor of the Clan Sutherland was a Flemish nobleman by the name of Freskin, who was also the progenitor of the Clan Murray. It has been claimed that Freskin was Pictish but it is much more likely that he was a Flemish knight, one of a ruthless group of warlords who were employed by the Norman kings to pacify their new realm after the Norman conquest of England.David I of Scotland who was brought up in the English court, employed such men to keep hold of the wilder parts of his kingdom and granted to Freskin lands in West Lothian. The ancient Pictish kingdom of Moray (Moireabh in Scottish Gaelic) was also given to Freskin and this put an end to the remnants of that old royal house. In a series of astute political moves Freskin and his sons inter married with the old house of Moray to consolidate their power. Freskin's descendants were designated by the surname de Moravia ("of Moray" in the Norman language). Freskin's grandson was Hugh de Moravia who was granted lands in Sutherland and was known as Lord de Sudrland. Hugh's younger brother, William, was progenitor of the Clan Murray. Hugh's eldest son (also called William) was William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland. The place name and clan name of "Sutherland" came from it being the 'land to the south' of the Norse Earldom of Orkney and Caithness. Although the senior line of chiefs who were the Earls of Sutherland had the surname 'de Moravia', they often used the territorial surname 'Sutherland' and the younger sons of the family also took the surname 'Sutherland', thus creating the cadet branches of the Clan Sutherland.