Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, () is a

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

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

that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is

Rob Roy MacGregor Robert Roy MacGregor ( gd, Raibeart Ruadh MacGriogair; 7 March 1671 – 28 December 1734) was a Scottish outlaw, who later became a folk hero. Early life Rob Roy was born in the Kingdom of Scotland at Glengyle, at the head of Loch Katrine, a ...

of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Clan is also known to have been among the first families of Scotland to begin playing the

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...

in the early 17th century.

History

Origins of the clan

The Clan Gregor held lands in

Glen Orchy Glen Orchy ( gd, Gleann Urchaidh) is a glen in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It runs from Bridge of Orchy to Dalmally. Geography Glen Orchy is about 17 km or 11 miles long, and runs south-west from Bridge of Orchy () to Dalmally () fo ...

, Glenlochy and Glenstrae. According to

Iain Moncreiffe Sir Rupert Iain Kay Moncreiffe of that Ilk, 11th Baronet (9 April 1919 – 27 February 1985), Chief of Clan Moncreiffe, was a British Officer of Arms and genealogist. Biography Moncreiffe was the son of Lieutenant-Commander Gerald Moncre ...

the MacGregors were descended from an ancient

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

royal family, through the Abbots of Glendochart. This is alluded to in the clan's motto: "Royal is my race". There is also a tradition that Gregor was the brother of

Kenneth MacAlpin Kenneth MacAlpin ( mga, Cináed mac Ailpin, label= Medieval Gaelic, gd, Coinneach mac Ailpein, label=Modern Scottish Gaelic; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), King of the Picts (843–858), and the K ...

. Though there is little evidence to support this tradition, it is supported by the Scottish historian, William Skene. It is possible that the eponymous Gregor from whom the family derives may have been Griogair, son of Dungal, who was allegedly co-ruler of

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kin ...

. Most modern historians agree that the first chief of Clan Gregor was Gregor ''of the golden bridles''. His son was Iain Camm ''One eye'', who succeeded as the second chief sometime before 1390. The barony of Loch Awe which included much of the MacGregor lands was granted to the chief of

Clan Campbell Clan Campbell ( gd, Na Caimbeulaich ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The ...

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...

. The Campbells had already built Kilchurn Castle which controlled the gateway to the western Highlands and they harried the MacGregors who were forced to retire deeper into their lands until they were restricted to Glenstrae.

16th century and clan conflicts

Iain of Glenstrae died in 1519 with no direct heirs. He was the second of his house to be called ''the Black''. The succession of ''Eian'' was supported by the Campbells, and he married a daughter of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy. In 1547 Eian's son, Alistair, fought against the English at the

Battle of Pinkie Cleugh The Battle of Pinkie, also known as the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh ( , ), took place on 10 September 1547 on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. The last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Cro ...

but died shortly after. Colin Campbell refused to recognize the claim of Gregor Roy MacGregor to the estates, and for ten years Gregor waged a war against the Campbells. He was an outlaw who raided cattle and sheltered in the high glens. However, in 1570, he was captured and murdered by the Campbells. The chiefship was claimed by his son, Alistair, but he was unable to stem the Campbell's persecution of his kinsmen, who over time became known as the ''Children of the Mist,'' a name associated with the MacGregors due to the extent of their losses. Additionally, John Drummond, of

Clan Drummond Clan Drummond is a Highland Scottish clan.Way, George and Squire, Romily. (1994). ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs). pp. 120 - 121. ...

was the king's forester and was subsequently killed after hanging a number of MacGregors for poaching. The chief took responsibility for the killing and it was condemned by the Privy Council.

17th century, clan conflicts and civil war

In response to the execution of two MacGregor clansmen in the year 1603, Alasdair MacGregor marched into Colquhoun territory with a force of over four hundred men.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The

Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...

). Published in 1994. pp. 108–109. The chief of

Clan Colquhoun Clan Colquhoun ( gd, Clann a' Chombaich ) is a Scottish clan. History Origins of the clan The lands of the clan Colquhoun are on the shores of Loch Lomond. During the reign of Alexander II, Umphredus de Kilpatrick received from Malduin ...

, in response, had been granted a royal commission to suppress the MacGregors. Colquhoun assembled a force of five hundred foot and three hundred horse and advanced to Glen Fruin to repel the Highland raiders. MacGregor split his force in two and while the main MacGregor force and the Colquhouns engaged in combat, the second MacGregor force attacked the Colquhouns from the rear. The Colquhouns were driven into the Moss of Auchingaich where their cavalry was useless and over two hundred Colquhouns were killed. At the end of the eighteenth century, in an act of good will, the chiefs of the two clans met and shook hands on the very site of the former slaughter. In April 1603

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

issued an edict that proclaimed the name of MacGregor as "altogidder abolisheed". This meant that anyone who bore the name must renounce it or suffer death. In 1604, MacGregor and eleven of his chieftains were hanged at

Mercat Cross, Edinburgh The Mercat Cross of Edinburgh is a market cross, the structure that marks the market square of the market town of Edinburgh. It stands in Parliament Square next to St Giles' Cathedral, facing the High Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Descr ...

. As a result, the Clan Gregor was scattered, with many taking other names such as Murray or Grant. They were hunted like animals and flushed out of the heather by bloodhounds. An Edinburgh burgess, Robert Birrel, who kept a diary of events at the time, described the episode thus, An Act of the Scottish Parliament from 1617 stated (translated into modern English): Clan Lamont of

Cowal Cowal ( gd, Còmhghall) is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland, that extends into the Firth of Clyde. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by the Argyll Forest Park managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. The Arroch ...

defied this and provided aid and refuge for fleeing MacGregors in their lands in the wake of the persecution. Despite the savage treatment of the MacGregors, they had nevertheless fought for the king during the Scottish Civil War. Two hundred men of the Clan Gregor fought for the Earl of Glencairn in what was known as

Glencairn's rising Glencairn's rising was a Royalist revolt in Scotland against the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell from 1653 to 1654. It was led by William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn (1610–1664), who was given command of the Royalist forces in Scotland ...

, against the Commonwealth. In recognition of this,

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child o ...

repealed the proscription of the name, but William of Orange reimposed it when Charles's brother James VII was deposed.

18th century and Jacobite risings

was born in 1671, a younger son of MacGregor of Glengyle. (However, given the circumstances, he had been forced to assume his mother's surname of Campbell). The adventures of Rob Roy MacGregor have been immortalized and romanticized by

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

in his novel '' Rob Roy''. Rob Roy was undoubtedly a thorn in the flesh of the government until he died in 1734. He supported the Jacobite cause in 1715 and after the Battle of Sheriffmuir he set out plundering at will. In one such raid on

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

, the town was put into panic and

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dum ...

was forced to open fire with its cannon. He also led Clan Gregor at the

Battle of Glen Shiel The Battle of Glen Shiel ( gd, Blàr Ghleann Seile) took place on 10 June 1719 in the West Scottish Highlands, during the 1719 Jacobite Rising. A Jacobite army composed of Highland levies and Spanish marines, was defeated by British troops, rei ...

in 1719. He is buried in Balquhidder churchyard. During the 1745 uprising, some of Clan Gregor fought at the

Battle of Prestonpans The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile C ...

with the Jacobite army under the Duke of Perth. Some of Clan Gregor were among the Jacobite force that was defeated at the

Battle of Littleferry The Battle of Littleferry (also known as the Skirmish at Golspie) took place during the Jacobite rising in 1746, just before the Battle of Culloden. Scottish forces loyal to the British-Hanoverian Government defeated a Scottish Jacobite force. ...

in 1746 in Sutherland, and therefore missed the

Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden (; gd, Blàr Chùil Lodair) was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force under Prince Wi ...

that took place the next day and which they would have been too late. After the rising, when the MacGregors were returning home, no-one ventured to interfere with them when they strode across

Atholl Atholl or Athole ( gd, Athall; Old Gaelic ''Athfhotla'') is a large historical division in the Scottish Highlands, bordering (in anti-clockwise order, from Northeast) Marr, Badenoch, Lochaber, Breadalbane, Strathearn, Perth, and Gowrie. H ...

, with their flying colours they strode passed Finlairg Castle where according to one source the

militia "durst not move more than pussies", and the MacGregors defying in broad daylight the outposts which Lord Campbell of Glenorchy had established in the passes. Persecution of the MacGregors did not end until 1774, when the laws against them were repealed.

19th century and restored clan

To restore pride in the clan, the chiefs needed to be re-established. Eight hundred and twenty six MacGregors subscribed to a petition declaring General John Murray of Lanrick to be the true chief. Murray was in fact a MacGregor who was descended from Duncan MacGregor of Ardchoille, who had died in 1552. His son was Sir Evan, who played a part in the visit of

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in 1822, where he and his clansmen were given the tremendous honour of guarding the

Honours of Scotland The Honours of Scotland (, gd, Seudan a' Chrùin Albannaich), informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels, are the regalia that were worn by Scottish monarchs at their coronation. Kept in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle, they date from th ...

, better known as the Scottish Regalia and the oldest set of crown jewels in the British Isles.

Clan chief

The current chief of Clan Gregor is Sir Malcolm Gregor Charles MacGregor of MacGregor, 7th Bt. of Lanrick and Balquhidder, 24th Chief of Clan Gregor. His Gaelic designation is ''An t-Ailpeanach'', a name which bears testimony to the clan's traditional descent from

Siol Alpin Siol Alpin (from Gaelic, Sìol Ailpein: Seed of Alpin) is a family of seven Scottish clans traditionally claiming descent from Alpin, father of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, of whom the Scots tradition considered the first King of Scots ...

Clan profile

*Crest badge: The crest badge suitable for members of Clan Gregor to wear consists of the chief's heraldic crest and

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...

. The chief's crest is: ''a lion's head erased Proper, crowned with an antique crown Or''. The chief's slogan within the crest badge is (), which translates from

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

to "Royal is my race". *Plant badge: The clan badge or plant badge of Clan Gregor is

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

Signet and seal in Iowa

Descendants of

settled around

McGregor, Iowa McGregor is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 742 at the time of the 2020 census. McGregor is located on the Mississippi River across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Pike's Peak State Park is located just so ...

, and in 1849, it was reported that the original MacGregor seal and

signet Signet may refer to: *Signet, Kenya, A subsidiary of the Kenyan Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), specifically set up to broadcast and distribute the DTT signals * Signet ring, a ring with a seal set into it, typically by leaving an impression in sea ...

was owned by Alex McGregor of Iowa. The

clan seal was inscribed, ''"Triogal Ma Dh'ream/Een dhn bait spair nocht"'', which was interpreted as "I am of royal descent/Slay and spare not". The signet was a

bloodstone Bloodstone may refer to: *Heliotrope (mineral) or bloodstone, a form of chalcedony Film * ''Bloodstone'' (1988 film), an Indian-American action/comedy film *'' Bloodstone: Subspecies II'', a 1993 horror film * Bloodstone: An Epic Dwarven Tale, ano ...

from

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of ...

, and was sketched by William Williams. (The "E'en do but spair nocht" bit is Scots.)

Tartans

Many tartans are associated with the name ''MacGregor''. However, only the following are recognized as "

clan tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

s" by the current chief of Clan Gregor:

Septs

The following table lists clan names and

sept A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ...

names recognized by the Clan Gregor Society. The society states that people who bear the following surnames, or who descend from a woman with one of the following surnames, is eligible for membership. The prefixes ''M, ''Mc'' and ''Mac'' are considered interchangeable, and other spelling variations are also omitted from this list. *Alpin *Fletcher *Greer *Gregg *Graig *Gregor *Gregorson *Gregory *Gregson *Greig *Grewer *Grier * Grierson *Grigg(s) *Grigor *Gruer *Hubberd *King *Lawrence *MacAdam *Macaldowie , , Macara , , Macaree , , MacChoiter *McGehee *MacConachie *MacCrowther *MacEan *MacEwin *MacGregor *MacGrigor *MacGrowther *MacGruder *Macilduy *MacLeister *MacLiver *MacNee *MacNeice * MacNeish *MacNie *MacPeter(s) *MacPetrie *Magruder *Malloch *

Neish Neish is a name of Scottish origin. Clan Neish (or MacNeish) is a sept of either Clan Gregor or Clan Innes. People with the name * Arthur Charles Neish, late Canadian plant biologist and Fellow of the Royal Society of London * Bruce Neish, former ...

*Patullo/Pittillow *Peter *Petrie *Gragg The following names are documented aliases of MacGregor from the proscription. Membership is available for individuals who can show evidence of descent or a family tradition of MacGregor connection. *Bain *Beachley *Black *Bowers *Bowie *Coleman *Comrie *Dochart *Dunn *Lakie *Landless *Lawrence *Leckie *Lockie *Mor *Roy *Skinner *White *Whyte *Willox The following names are traditional aliases of MacGregor with little documented evidence. Membership is available for individuals who can show evidence of descent or a family tradition of MacGregor connection. *Argyl *Arrowsmith *Begland *Brewer *Caird *Callander *Clark *Craigdallie *Crerar *Crowther *Denison *Docherty *Dorward *Dowie *Fisher *Gair *Goodsir *Grayson *Gudger *Guinness *Kirkwood *Leishman *MacAndrew *MacAngus *MacCanish *MacGeach *Macgehee *Macghee *MacGill *MacGrew *Macnocaird *Macnucator *Nelson *Neilson *Nucator *Orr *Paterson *Peat *Peet *Peterson *Shankland *Stringer *Tainsh *Telfer *Telford *Tossach *Walker *Weliver The following names are other clan names that are known to have been used by the MacGregors. People with the names from this list are properly the domain of other Clan and Family societies, however the MacGregor clan welcomes inquiries from persons bearing these names who can show their descent from a MacGregor who adopted the name as an alias. *Balfour *Buchannan *Campbell *Cunningham *Donald *Dougal *Douglas *Drummond *Erskine *Ferguson *Gordon *Graham *Grant *Hay *Johnson *Johnston *Livingston *MacAlastair *MacDonald *MacDougal *MacEwan *MacFarlane *MacIan *MacInnes *MacLaren *MacNeil *MacNicol *MacPherson *Menzies *Murray *Ramsay *Stewart *Stirling *Williams *Wilson

Notes

References

External links

Clan Gregor Society

American Clan Gregor Society
{{Scottish clans

Gregor Gregor is a masculine given name. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People * Gregor Abel (born 1949), Scottish footballer * Gregor Adlercreutz (1898–1944), Swedish equestrian * Gregor Aichinger (c. 1565–1628), Ger ...