The Hebridean Clans

In today’s world, the clan system is seen as a positive part of Scotland’s heritage: clan societies link together Scots who have been dispersed all over the world by emigration, providing a sense of heritage and belonging. While many people do not have the time or inclination to research their family tree, their surname can indicate that their ancestors were once part of a Scottish clan. Any MacNeil is more than likely a descendant of the MacNeils of Barra and a Macleod would probably find that some Lewis blood lurks in their veins but it is not so easy as that - there are MacNeills in Lewis and MacLeods in Harris too. A link to a clan name is a good starting point, but how much more interesting it can be to find the actual history of your family.

However, the history of the Hebridean clans is not such a peaceful and united story. Here, Bill Lawson tells the story of the rise and fall of clanship in the Outer Hebrides.

Although the days when the clans held influence and structured Hebridean society have long since gone, the stories of the old clan chiefs and their feuds still have a certain romantic, if blood-thirsty, interest.

With the collapse of the authority of the Lordship of the Isles in the fifteenth century, rivalry between the main clans led to many bloody feuds between them, often exacerbated by mainland authorities, eager to use this as an excuse for the "pacification" of the Islands, to their own advantage.