![]() The Kingdom of the Isles already included most of the lands granted to Angus Og by Royal Charter, but had been shared by Clan Dougal, Clan Donald and their unrelated neighbors. There is record of this as early as Robert the Bruce who granted lands to chiefs who supported him at Bannockburn. This cultural change began first in the Lowlands and finally spread into the Highlands after Culloden. Clan Donald was one of the last clans to be absorbed by the feudal Lord system. The feudal concept of Landlords was Norman/ Saxon culture that was in conflict with, and gradually replaced Celtic culture. Neither did they cease to be Clan Donald when they found employment in the 18th & 19th century shipyards & industries of Glasgow.Ĭlan maps are a representation of the royal land grants to feudal lords who became a new type of feudal clan chief. Thousands of MacDonalds were “transported” to British colonies because they stubbornly refused to abandon their Highland culture during the “Disarming Act” and the “ Daunting of the Isles “. They did not cease to be Clan Donald if they moved to Ireland or any other country. MacDonalds were and are currently found all over Scotland as well as most other countries. Obviously all MacDonalds did not always live in the Western Highlands and Islands of Scotland where Clan Donald’s roots go deep. That each area was inhabited by only one clan is simplistic and not historically accurate. They too often misrepresent that each clan inhabited only certain areas of Scotland and to the exclusion of all other clans. Maps that divide Scotland into small parcels of land attributed to different clans are not what they appear. Although these may be interesting and even a good starting place to learn about your clan, they should not be taken literally. A word of caution about so called “clan maps”.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |