Scottish Clans - Clan MacNAUGHTON

SCOTTISH CLANS - MacNAUGHTON


MOTTO I HOPE IN GOD	CLAN TARTAN MacNAUGHTON TARTAN

The MacNaughtens are one of the clans who claimed descent from the great Pictish rulers of Moray. The name Nechtan, which may mean ‘pure’ or ‘clear’, was popular in at least one branch of the Pictish royal line. In the thirteenth century there are records of three Macnachten brothers, Gilchrist, Athe and Gilbert. In 1267 Gilchrist received a charter from Alexander III granting him the keepership of a castle warding the narrow Pass of Brander. By coming to Loch Awe, the Macnachtens became neighbours of the Campbells. When Robert the Bruce set out to gain the throne, the Campbells were quick to come to his support while the Macnachtens opposed him. Macnachtens formed part of the Macdougall host that fought against Bruce’s army at the Pass of Brander in 1306, and later at Dalrigh near Tyndrum. The Macnachtens appear to have changed their allegiance and a Baron Macnachten, possibly Alexander of that Ilk, is recorded fighting at Bannockburn in 1314.

In 1548 Gilbert Macnachten succeeded as chief. When he died without issue, the succession passed to his younger brother, Alexander. He started the rebuilding of Dunderave Castle on Loch Fyne and it was completed by his son, lain, in 1596. In 1653 Alexander, who was a fervent royalist succeeded to the chiefship and he called out his clansmen, accompanied by Argyll’s son, for the abortive rising against the Cromwellian occupation. The expedition was sheer folly and earned Macnachten the enmity of Argyll. Although Alexander was knighted after the Restoration in 1660 he was later denounced as an outlaw. The lands were almost entirely lost through debt, and the next chief, who succeeded in 1685, inherited little more than an empty title. He joined the forces of Graham of Claverhouse fighting for James VII at Killiecrankie in 1689. He was denounced as a Jacobite rebel and his remaining lands were forfeited. His younger son, John, was the last chief of this line. He was forced to make a formal disposition of the remainder of the estate in 1710 to Sir James Campbell of Ardkinglas.

The 17th and last chief of the MacNaughtons was John of Dundarave who fell out with Campbell of Ardkinglas whose daughter he was to marry. MacNaughton thought he was to marry the younger daughter with whom he was in love, however after drinking too much prior to the ceremony he discovered he’d been wed to the eldest daughter. On realising this he promptly deserted his wife and eloped to Ireland with his love, the second daughter. Ardkinglas gained possession of the MacNaughton estates on the grounds of incest and the chiefship became vacant. In 1818, the Lord Lyon King of Arms accepted Edmund A MacNaghton of Bushmills Co. Antrim as chief of the clan and its his descendant Sir Patrick Macnaghton of that Ilk and Dundarave Co. Antrim who is the present-day chief.