is an Highland Scottish Clan . The Gaelic form is ''Clann Mhic Leòid''. ''Clann'' means children, while ''mhic'' is the genitive of ''mac'', the Gaelic for son, and ''Leòid'' is the genitive of Leòd. The whole phrase therefore means ''The children of the son of Leod''. The Clan MacLeod is made up of two branches, '''Siol Tormod''' (the MacLeods of Harris and Skye) and '''Siol Torquil''' (the MacLeods Of Lewis ).
The of the Scottish Gaelic name Leòd, which is thought to have been derived from the Old Norse name Ljótr, meaning ''ugly''.''A Dictionary of English Surnames'', p.292. The Clan MacLeod of Lewis claims its descent from Leod, whom according to MacLeod tradition was a younger son of Olaf The Black , King Of Mann (r. 1229 – 1237 ).
MacLeod tradition is that Leod who had possession of Harris and part of Skye , married a daughter of the Norse Seneschal of Skye, MacArailt or Harold's son. who held Dunvegan and much of Skye. Leod's two sons, Tormod and Torquil, founded the two main branches of the Clan MacLeod, ''Siol Tormod'' and ''Siol Torquil''. Torquil's descendants held the lands of the Isle of Lewis until the early Seventeenth Century when the MacKenzies successfully overthrew the Lewismen, partly with the aid of the Morrisons , and the MacLeods of Harris (Siol Tormod). Younger branches of Siol Torquil held the mainland lands of Assynt and Cadboll longer, and the Isle Of Raasay until 1846 .''The Highland Clans'', p.171-174. Siol Tormod held Harris and Glenelg on the mainland, and also the lands of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye.
Leod, according to tradition, died around 1280 and was buried on the holy island of Iona , where six successive chiefs of the clan found a last resting-place after him.
A 2007
During the Wars Of Scottish Independence Norman, who became the 2nd chief of the MacLeods of Skye, assumed power around the year 1280. He fought with King Robert The Bruce when the English were defeated at the Battle Of Bannockburn in 1314. In 1380 the Clan MacLeod along with Clan MacLean and Clan MacKinnon were defeated in battle by MacDonald, Lord Of The Isles , who vindicated his right as Lord of the Isles. The MacLeods then submitted and became firm supporters of the Lord of the Isles and Clan Donald , only to become enemies again in the late 15th century.
- Battle Of Tuiteam Tarbhach , 1406, was fought between the Clan MacKay and the Clan MacLeod Of Lewis . This battle was fought at Tuiteam-tarbhach in the south west part of Sutherland where it meets Ross-shire. Angus MacKay of Strathnaver married the sister of MacLeod of Lewis. MacLeod of Lewis found that his sister had been mis-treated and on his way home he decides to spoil Strathnaver and Brae-Chat in Sutherland. As a result the battle was fought in which the chief of the MacLeods of Lewis was killed.History of the House and Clan of MacKay by Robert Makay (1829). p.49 - 50
- By 1495 the chief of Clan MacDonald's title as Lord Of The Isles had been revoked. Soon afterwards the Clan MacLeod successfully took Dunscaith Castle from the MacDonalds led by their chief Alistair Crotach MacLeod. They went on to besiege Knock Castle before withdrawing and in 1498 the MacLeods captured Duntulm Castle from the MacDonalds. http://www.seoras.com/2004/08/04/macleod-chieftans/
built by the MacLeods in 1590]]
- In 1578 the Battle of the Spoiling Dyke took place. The Clan MacDonald barred the doors of Trumpan Church, or Kilconan Church as it was once known, east of the shores of Ardmore Bay. They then set fire to the church full of worshippers. No one escaped alive except one girl who although mortally wounded managed to give the alarm. On hearing the news, the Chief of Clan MacLeod and his men set off for Ardmore bay where a battle ensued. The MacDonalds were killed almost to a man. The corpses of the MacDonalds were dragged along and then buried in a turf dyke, thus the incident being known as the "Battle of the Spoiling Dyke". The atrocity by the MacDonalds was to exact vengeance on the MacLeods for their atrocity of the massacre of MacDonalds in cave on the island of Eigg a couple of years earlier. This again was a tit-for-tat revenge between the two clans.
- In 1601 the Battle of Siol Thormoid took place. Donald Gorm MacDonald Of Sleat had married the sister of Sir Rory Macleod of Harris. For some reason Donald Gorm MacDonald did not like his wife. Sir Rory MacLeod sent a message to Donald Gorm MacDonald, asking him to return his sister. Donald Gorm not only refused to obey this request, but also divorced her. He then married the sister of Kenneth MacKenzie , Laird of Kintail. Sir Rory MacLeod took this disgrace (as he thought it) so highly, that, he assembled his men and invaded part of Donald Gorm MacDonald's lands on the Isle of Skye, which lands Sir Rory MacLeod claimed to be his. Donald Gorm MacDonald then assembled his forces, and invaded MacLeod's lands of Harris, which he wasted and spoiled, carried away their store and bestial property, and killed some of the inhabitants. Rory MacLeod and his men travelled with the Siol Thormoid (the MacLeods of Harris) to the Isle of North Uist (which was Donald Gorm MacDonald's). He sent his cousin, Donald Glas MacLeod, with some forty men, to spoil the island, and they also took valuable property which had been stored in a church. Donald MacIan-MacJames (a kinsman of Donald Gorm MacDonald), accompanied by twenty others, encountered Donald Glas Macleod. After a sharp skirmish, they killed Donald Glas MacLeod, with the most part of his company, and so rescued the goods. Sir Rory, seeing the bad success of his men, retired home for the time being. Both sides continued to steal and slaughter. In the end, Donald Gorm MacDonald assembled his whole forces in the year 1601 and invaded Sir Rory MacLeod's lands drawing them into a fight. Sir Rory Macleod was then in Argyll looking for advice from the Earl of Argyll against the Clan MacDonald. Alexander MacLeod (Sir Rory's brother) resolved to fight with Donald Gorm MacDonald, even though his brother was absent. The battle lasted for the most part of the day, both contending for the victory with great obstinacy. The Clan MacDonald, in the end, defeated their enemies, taking Alexander MacLeod prisoner. The two sides later made peace and Alexander MacLeod was released.
, Isle Of Skye . Dunvegan has been home to the same MacLeod family for over 700 years.]]
- In 1608 after a century of feuding which included battles between the Clan MacDonald the Clan MacKenzie and Clan MacLean all of the relevant MacDonald Chiefs were called to a meeting with Lord Ochiltree who was the King's representative. Here they discussed the future Royal intentions for governing the Isles. The Chiefs did not agree with the King and were all thrown into prison. Donald the Chief of the Clan MacDonald Of Sleat was incarcerated in the Blackness Castle . His release was granted when he at last submitted to the King. Donald died in 1616 and then , his nephew succeeded as the chief and became the first Baronet of Sleat.
- During the Civil War, after the Battle Of Carbisdale in 1650 the defeated James Graham, 1st Marquess Of Montrose surrendered himself to Neil MacLeod of Assynt at Ardvreck Castle . At the time, Neil was absent and it is said that his wife, Christine, tricked Montrose into the castle dungeon and sent for troops of the Covenanter Government. Montrose was taken to Edinburgh, where he was executed on 21 May 1650.
- By 1651 the Scottish Covenantor government had become disallusioned with the English parliament and supported the Royalists instead. As many as 800 MacLeods fought as Royalists at the Battle Of Worcester in 1651.
During the 1745 to 1746 Jacobite Uprising the main part of Clan MacLeod supported the British government however a small number of them supported the Jacobites. The chief MacLeod of MacLeod led 500 men of the Clan MacLeod in support of the British government at the second Battle Of Inverurie (1745) on the 23rd December 1745. However approximately 120 men of the Clan MacLeod fought for the Jacobites and the House Of Stuart at the Battle Of Culloden in 1746 where they were attached to the Clan MacLachlan and Clan MacLean regiment.
# Leod ''Leòd'' (c.1200-1280)
# Norman ''Tormod'' (1260-1320)
# Malcolm ''Calum cas Reamhar MhicLeoid'' (1296-1370)
# John ''Iain Ciar'' (1320-1392)
# William ''Cleireach'' (1365-1402)
# John ''Iain Borb'' (1392-1448)
# William Dubh "Long Sword" (1415-1500)
# Alexander ''Alasdair Crotach'' (1450-1547)
# William (1512-1552), succeeded in 1541
# Mary (1543-1602)
# Donald (1514-1556), succeeded in 1556
# Norman ''Tormod'' (1516-1585), succeeded in 1559
# William (1560-1590)
# John (1580-1595)
# Sir Roderick ''Ruairidh Mor'' (1562-1624)
# John ''Iain Mor'' (1600-1649), succeeded in 1626
# Roderick "The Witty" ''Ruairidh Mor'' (1636-1664)
# John ''Iain Breac'' (1637-1693)
# Roderick ''Ruairidh og'' (1674-1699)
# Norman (1685-1706)
# John (1704-1706)
# Norman "The Red Man" (1706-1772)
# Norman "The General" (1754-1801)
# John Norman (1783-1835)
# Norman (1812-1895)
# Norman Magnus (1839-1929)
# Sir Reginald, KCB (1847-1935)
# Dame Flora Louise Cecilia, DBE (1878-1976)
# John (1935-2007)
# Hugh Magnus (b. 1973)
: The Heir Presumptive is Elena Mary Wadezhda (b. 1977), daughter of the 29th Chief.
- Dunvegan Castle has always been the seat of the Chief of the Clan MacLeod, where the clan also holds the legendary Fairy Flag .
- Ardvreck Castle is among several other castles which have been owned by the MacLeods.
- Dunscaith Castle castle was fought over fiercely between the MacLeods and Clan MacDonald with both clans taking possession on several occasions.
A relic of the Clan MacLeod is the 2007
, which appears in the early collections of Logan (1831) and Smibert (1850).''The Setts of the Scottish Tartans'', p.83-84]], in the '' Vestiarium Scoticum ''.''Scotland's Forged Tartans'', p.33-34]]
- MacLeod of MacLeod: Hold fast.http://www.clanmacleod.org/about-macleods/arms-and-tartans.php Retrieved on August 06 2007
- MacLeod of Lewis: I birn quil I se. ( 2007 (''I burn while i see'').
The earliest appearance of a MacLeod Tartan was in the '' Vestiarium Scoticum '', published in 1842 . The ''Vestiarium Scoticum'' composed and illustrated by the dubious " Sobieski Stuarts " is the source for many of todays ''Clan'' tartans. Today the work of the "Sobieski Stuarts" have been proven to be a forgery. One critic of the ''Vestiarium Scoticum'' even likened the MacLeod tartan's design to that of a horse blanket.''The Setts of the Scottish Tartans'', p.83-84
Septs are clans or families who were under the protection of a more powerful clan or family. Scottish clans were largely collections of different families who held allegiance to a common chief.
- Beaton (Betha, Bethea, Bethune, Beton).http://www.clanmacleod.org/about-macleods/macleod-septs.php Retrieved on May 2 , 2007
- Harold (Harald, Haraldson, Harrold, Herrald, MacHarold, MacRaild).
- MacAndie (Andie, MacHandie, MacKande, MacKandy, Makcandy).
- MacCaig (MacCoig, MacCowig, MacCrivag, MacCuaig, MacKaig, MacQuigg).
- MacClure (MacAlear, MacClewer, MacLeur, MacLewer, MacLur, MacLure, McClure ).
- MacCrimmon (Cremmon, Crimmon, Grimmond, MacCrummen, MacGrimman, MacGrymmen, MacRimmon).
- MacWilliam (McCullie, MacKilliam, MacKullie, MacWilliams, MacWillie, MacWylie, Williamson).
- Norman (Normand, Norval, Norwell, Tormud).
- Allum {Callam, Callum, Challum, Gillecallum, MacAllum, MacAlman, MacCallum, MacCalman, MacGillechallum, Malcolm, Malcolmson}.http://www.clanmacleod.org/about-macleods/macleod-septs.php Retrieved on May 2 , 2007
- Lewis (MacLewis).
- MacAskill (Askey, Caskey, Caskie, Kasky, MacAsgill, MacCaskie, MacCaskill, MacKaskill, Mackaskill, MaKasky, Taskill).
- MacAulay (Aulay, Calley, Caulay, Coll, MacAllay, MacAlley, MacAuley, MacCaulay, MacCauley, MacCorley).
- MacCabe .
- MacCorkill (Corquodale, MacCorcadail, Maccorke, MacCorkill, MacCorkindale, MacCorkle, MacCorkle, MacCorquodale, MacKerkyll, MacKorkyll, MacOrkill, MacThorcadail, McCorkie, McKurkull).
- Nicol (deNicole, MacNichol, MacNickle, McNychol, Necolson, Nichol(s), Nicholl, Nicholson, Nickle, Nicoll, Nicollsoun, Nicolson, Nuccol, Nuckall, Nucolsone).
- Norie (Noray, Nore, Norn, Norrey, Norreys, Norrie, Norris, Norye).
- Tolmie.
- . ISBN 0-517-546580.
- Reaney, Percy H. ''A Dictionary of English Surnames''. , 2005 . ISBN 0192806637.
- Stewart, Donald C. & Thompson, J Charles. & Scarlett James (editor). ''Scotland's Forged Tartans, An analytical study of the Vestiarium Scoticum''. . ISBN 0-894595-67-7.
- Stewart, Donald C. ''The Setts of the Scottish Tartans, with descriptive and historical notes''. . ISBN 0 85603 011 9.
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