Clan MacInnes is a

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

originally from the western highlands of Scotland.

Origin

The origin of the name "MacInnes" is an anglicized form of Gaelic ''Mac Aonghuis'', a patronymic from the personal name ''Aonghus'', one of the most ancient names among the Gael. In the genitive the "g" of this word is pronounced, and the name is left with the sound MacAon'es or Maclnnes. Who this Angus was, is unknown. The name Maclnnes could also mean "the Son of the Islet."

Ancient Alliance

Before the defeat of the Lord of the Isles and the dispersion of the clans by King Alexander II, a single confederacy, the Siol Gillivray, appears to have included the MacGillivrays, Maclnneses, MacEacherns, and MacMasters. Clan Maclnnes had its headquarters in the heart of Morven, and at the head of

Loch Aline Loch Aline (Scottish Gaelic: ''Loch Àlainn'') is a small Seawater, salt water loch home to fish, birds and game, located in Morvern, Lochaber, Scotland. Key features of interest are Kinlochaline Castle, Ardtornish Castle and the Ardtornish est ...

, which winds away into the hills from the Sound of Mull, the ruin of an old square tower is still pointed out as the ancient seat of the chiefs. Kinlochaline was within a short distance of Ardtornish, on the Sound of Mull itself, one of the main seats of the

Lords of the Isles Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...

, and the Maclnneses were probably, therefore, closely allied with and subject to these rulers.

Destruction of the chiefly line

Around 1358 the chief of the clan and his sons were killed at the castle at Ardtornish by members of

Clan Maclean Clan Maclean (; Scottish Gaelic: ' ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highlands Scottish clan. They are one of the oldest clans in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands and owned large tracts of land in Argyll as well as the Inner Hebrides. Many early Macle ...

on the orders of the Lord of the Isles for apparently meddling in his marriage. Most of the MacInnes lands were subsequently ceded to Clan Maclean by 1390. The current chieftain of the Campbells of Craignish claim to be the succeeded chief of Clan MacInnes. The Maclnnes chiefs are buried near Kilcolumkil, a short distance away.

Legendary bowmen

Some of the clan survivors moved to

Sleat Sleat ( ) is a peninsula and civil parish on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan '' MacDonald of Sleat''. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic , which in tur ...

on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of ...

merging with

Clan MacKinnon Clan MacKinnon ( ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the islands of Isle of Mull, Mull and Skye, in the Inner Hebrides. Popular tradition gives the clan a Dal Riada, Dalriadic Gaelic origin. The 19th-century historian W. F. S ...

and became known as Sliochd Neill a’ bhogha (The Line of Neil of the Bow). One of these families held the office of hereditary bowman to the Chiefs of

Wars of Montrose

In 1645, during the Wars of Montrose, Kinlochaline was besieged by Irish auxiliaries. Clan Maclnnes held out until a breach was made in the wall and defence became hopeless.

Clan symbols

The clans original crest was a bee alight upon a thistle and the motto “E labore Dulcedo” (in labor, pleasure) presumably related to an episode when a sleeping clan Chief was awakened in time by a bee sting resulting in the clan defeating a party of Vikings. This symbol is no longer in use. Clan MacInnes Original crest badge

Clan Association

The International Association of Clan MacInnes came into existence in 1970. On November 26, 2018, the Court of the

Lord Lyon The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new gran ...

advised the International Association of Clan MacInnes that they were at liberty to choose between a plain circlet and the belt and buckle for the IACM Crest.

References

External links

Clan association
Armigerous clans Scottish clans {{Scotland-clan-stub