Clan Cameron is a West HighlandScottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber,[7] and within their lands lies Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.[8] The Chief of the clan is customarily referred to as simply "Lochiel".[9]
Like with many clans, the origins of Clan Cameron's chiefly family are uncertain and there are several theories, as well as fanciful origin legends.[9] One such legend claims that Lochiel, like the Royal House of Stuart, was descended from Banquo, Thane of Lochaber (specifically the progeny of "his sister Marion who married one Angus").[9][10][11] The first chief may have been called Cameron from his crooked nose (Scottish Gaelic: cam-shròn, cf. Camshron); such nicknames were common in Highland Gaelic culture, and his descendants would have then adopted the name.[9][12]
It has also been suggested that Donald Dubh Cameron (fl.1410), the first authentic chief, was descended from the medieval family of Cameron/Cambrun of Ballegarno (whose name derived from Cameron, Fife; cam-brun "crooked hill"), who in turn descended from the ancient Scoto-PictishMormaers of Fife.[13]Moncreiffe of that Ilk corroborated this theory.[14]
Uniting the Mael-anfhaidh kindred
Around the beginning of the 15th century (or possibly earlier), the Camerons established themselves as a Highland clan in the western end of the Great Glen in Lochaber.[14] The aforementioned Donald Dubh likely did so through the marriage of a local heiress of the Mael-anfhaidh kindred (Clan Mael-anfaidh, which Moncreiffe translates as "children of He who was Dedicated to the Storm").[14] The Collins Scottish Clan Encyclopedia states that the heiress was from the MacMartin of Letterfinlay family.[13]
By the 15th century, after the Mael-anfhaidh chiefship had passed into the Cameron family, the local families of MacMartin of Letterfinlay, MacGillonie of Strone and MacSorley of Glen Nevis were absorbed within the incoming Clan Cameron.[14] In consequence, the early chiefs of the Highland Camerons were sometimes styled "MacGillonay".[14] Studies of Manuscript 1467 have thrown closer light on the relationships between the Camerons, MacGillonies, MacMartins and others.[15][16][17] The MacMartins and MacMillians are also sometimes described as being related to the Old Clan Chattan[18][19]
Since the 15th century though, Clan Cameron chiefs have been more commonly styled Mac Dhomnuill Dubh, in reference to the first Cameron chief whom succession can be traced.[14] Donald Dubh was the first "authentic" chief or captain of this confederation of tribes which gradually became known as the Clan Cameron,[13] taking the name of their captain as the generic name of the whole, until the clan was first officially recognized by that name in a charter of 1472.[8][9]
It was in the time of chief Allan MacDonald Dubh Cameron, XII Chief of Clan Cameron that a feud began with the Clan Mackintosh and the larger Clan Chattan Confederation over disputed lands. The sept Macphail is found in both clans and relates to some members of this family migrating with Clan Chattan to the east whilst others remained and became part of Clan Cameron.[20] This feud would continue sporadically for about 300 years.[13]
The first recorded battle was the Battle of Drumlui in 1337 in which a dispute arose between the Clan Mackintosh and Clan Cameron over land at Glenlui and Loch Arkaig.[21]
The Battle of the North Inch was fought in 1396 as a trial by combat, between thirty selected warriors on each side from the Clan Cameron and Chattan Confederation of Clan Mackintosh.[9][23]
In 1472, Alan MacDonald Dubh, 12th Chief of the Clan Cameron was made constable of Strome Castle on behalf of the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh. He was later killed in battle in 1480 fighting the Mackintoshes and MacDonalds of Keppoch.[9]
In 1544, a feud took place over the disputed chiefship of the Clan MacDonald of Clan Ranald and this resulted in the Battle of the Shirts where the Camerons provided archers in support of the MacDonalds against the Clan Fraser of Lovat who were defeated. Legend has it that only five Frasers and eight MacDonalds survived. The Camerons subsequently carried out successful raids upon the Clan Grant and Clan Fraser lands, which were incredibly rich and fertile to the Lochaber men. Owing to his role in this conflict Ewen Cameron fell into disfavour with the Earl of Huntly, Chief of Clan Gordon and Lieutenant of the North. Chief Ewen Cameron would be executed as a result of this battle and other actions at Elgin in 1547.[9][32]
The Battle of Bun Garbhain was fought in 1570 when Donald Dubh Cameron, XV Chief of Clan Cameron, had died, leaving an infant son, Allan, at the head of the clan. During the battle the Chief of MacKintosh is believed to have been killed by Donald 'Taillear Dubh na Tuaighe' Cameron, (son of the XIV Chief of Clan Cameron), with a fearsome Lochaber axe.[9][33]
During the Civil War at the Battle of Inverlochy 1645, Clan Cameron fought on the side of the Royalist Scots and Irish who defeated the Scottish Covenanters of Clan Campbell.[9] The clan continued to oppose Oliver Cromwell, and played a leading role in Glencairn's rising of 1651 to 1654.[9]
In 1668, Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, XVII Chief was responsible for keeping the peace between his men and Clan Mackintosh. However, when he was away in London a feud broke out between Clan MacDonald and the Mackintoshes. As Sir Ewen was away he was not able to hold back his clan, and they made contribution to the MacDonald victory over the Mackintoshes and Mackenzies at the Battle of Mulroy, east of Spean Bridge.[9][36]
Jean Cameron of Glendessary, known as 'Bonnie Jean Cameron', was a popular Jacobite heroine, cousin of Lochiel and said to have been a mistress of Prince Charles. Indeed, led by her the Camerons of Glendessary provided 300 men for Lochiel at Glenfinnan. The MacMartins sept of the clan are also said to have been amongst the most loyal and valuable followers of Lochiel. In the 1745 Jacobite rising, the MacMartins were "out with" Lochiel's regiment.[43]
Another Cameron clansman and French Royal Armynoncommissioned officer named John Du Cameron, who was known as an Sergeant Mòr, fought as a Jacobite, but remained on the run and continued fighting after Culloden and even after the Act of Indemnity. While being hunted down as an outlaw, Sgt. du Cameron engaged in both cattle raiding and selling protection against theft. He was eventually captured in 1753 and executed, but remains a popular local folk hero.[44]Dr Archibald Cameron of Lochiel who was the chief's brother and a leading Jacobite was also captured and executed in 1753.[45]
Colonel John Cameron (1771–1815), son of Ewen Cameron, 1st Baronet and grandson of John Cameron of Fassiefern – a brother of the Gentle Lochiel, was another distinguished military commander, whose family became baronets as a result of his martial success.
After Culloden, Clan Cameron's land was forfeited and reverted to the government. In 1784 it was returned to Donald Cameron 22nd of Lochiel, grandson of the "Gentle Lochiel", who was only 15 at the time.[46] The land was managed by a trust until 1819, when Donald Cameron succeeded to his inheritance. The first clearance took place in 1801 at Clunes. Major emigrations, notably to Canada, began in 1802. The clearances continued under the name of Donald Cameron 22nd of Lochiel when he took over from the Trust in 1819.[47]
The Clan Cameron Museum at Achnacarry has a display of Cameron history including an account of the Cameron clearances.[48] The library also has copies of the books referenced in this section.
Some traditional Cameron land, on the eastern side of Loch Lochy, was not returned in 1784. In 1770 control had passed to the Duke of Gordon who proceeded to raise rents and clear the land with the aid of his Factor, the Revd John Anderson. The Duke's clearances from the Lochaber Estate through his reverend factotum went on until 1806.[49]
Many Camerons around the world trace their origins to people removed from their lands during the Highland Clearances.[50]
Donald Cameron of Lochiel, XXIII Chief fought with distinction at the Battle of Waterloo with the Grenadier Guards. He retired in 1832. Later that same year he married Lady Vere Hobart, daughter of Hon. George Vere Hobart and sister of the 6th Earl of Buckinghamshire. Vere Hobart was descended from the Camerons of Glendessary through her mother Janet Maclean (Hobart's second wife), daughter of Alexander Maclean of Coll and Catherine Cameron, daughter of Allan Cameron, 5th of Glendessary (sister of famed Jean Cameron of Glendessary).[9]
A commemorative obelisk is to be found at Fort William honoring the bravery of Col John Cameron, who died at Quatre Bras, part of the Battle of Waterloo.[51]
Notably, the Cameron Highlanders were the last battalions that wore the kilt in battle, due to the purposeful delaying of orders by commanding officers in the battalions (no one wanted to give up the kilt) and a surprise attack by the Germans (successfully repelled). For this they earned the nickname of 'Ladies from Hell'.[9]
Sir Donald Hamish Cameron of Lochiel, KT XXVI Chief served with Cameron Highlanders, later becoming Honorary Colonel, and was appointed a Knight of the Thistle in 1973.
Tor Castle: Ewen Cameron, XIII Chief of Camerons, rebuilt "Tor Castle" in the early 15th century. It was abandoned (but not torn down) by his great-great-great-grandson SirEwen "Dubh" Cameron of Lochiel, XVII Chief of Camerons. Tor Castle was used by the Camerons as a refuge from attacks by the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch.[4]
Achnacarry Castle: Chief Sir Ewen wanted a more "convenient house" and built Achnacarry Castle circa 1655, which was burned to the ground by Hanoverian forces following the Battle of Culloden in 1746.[4] In 1802, Donald Cameron, XXII Chief, built a new mansion house at Achnacarry,[4] after repaying a huge fine to the British Government to regain the estates of his ancestors. The house remains, near the line of trees that Lochiel (the Gentle) planted on the day that he heard of the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie. There is a museum in a cottage nearby, founded by Sir Donald Cameron of Lochiel in 1989.[4]
The Camerons of Lochiel also had a castle on Eilean nan Craobh (Tree Island) in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.[4][52]
There are two crests that can be worn, the original Dexter Arm crest and the Five Arrows crest representing the five united branches of the clan with a band under the overall leadership of the Camerons of Lochiel. The five branches are:
Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel was a Scottish soldier and the 17th Chief of Clan Cameron. He fought as a Cavalier during the Civil War and was one the principal Jacobite leaders during the 1689 Rising. He is regarded as one of the most formidable Scottish clan chiefs of all time, with Lord Macaulay praising him as the "Ulysses of the Highlands". An incident demonstrating his strength and ferocity in single combat, when he bit out the throat of an enemy, is used by Sir Walter Scott in Lady of the Lake.
Clan Chattan is a unique confederation of Highland clans. This distinctive allied community comprised at its greatest extent seventeen separate clans, who each had their own clan chief recognized under Scottish law, but were further united and bound to the superior chief of the Confederation for mutual solidarity, sustenance and protection in the Middle Ages and early modern period in the Great Glen and Cairngorms. A tribal coalition of this magnitude was a source of apprehension to both the Lord of the Isles and the Kings of Scots and records exist of machinations to "crying doon the Clan Chattan" by formenting internal dissension.
Clan Mackintosh is a Scottish clan from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The chiefs of the clan are the Mackintoshes of Mackintosh. Another branch of the clan, the Mackintoshes of Torcastle, are the chiefs of Clan Chattan, a historic confederation of clans.
Achnacarry is a hamlet, private estate, and a castle in the Lochaber region of the Highlands, Scotland. It occupies a strategic position on an isthmus between Loch Lochy to the east, and Loch Arkaig to the west.
The Battle of Mulroy was a Scottish clan battle fought in August 1688 in the Lochaber district of Scotland. It was fought between the Clan Mackintosh who were supported by government troops under Kenneth Mackenzie of Suddie against the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch who were supported by the Clan Cameron over disputed lands in the Braes of Lochaber. The battlefield has been inventoried and protected by Historic Scotland under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy of 2009.
Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, also known as Clan MacDonellof Keppoch or Clan Ranald of Lochaber, is a Highland Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. The progenitor of the clan is Alistair Carrach MacDonald, 4th great-grandson of the warrior Somerled. The clan chief is traditionally designated as the "Son of Ranald's son".
Clan MacBean, is a highland Scottish clan and is a member and historic sept of Clan Chattan.
The Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh was a Scottish family and a branch of the larger Clan Donald.
Archibald Cameron of Lochiel was a Scottish nobleman, physician, and prominent leader in the Jacobite rising of 1745. He was the personal physician of Charles Edward Stuart and appears in the Jacobite Army muster roll as "ADC to the prince." Dr Cameron was the younger brother of Donald Cameron of Lochiel, who led Clan Cameron in the rising, and outlawed Roman Catholic priest Alexander Cameron. After returning to Scotland in 1753, he was captured by the government and, at Tyburn, he was executed for high treason, being the last Jacobite to be executed. In popular memory, he is sometimes referred to as Doctor Archie.
Donald Cameron of Lochiel, popularly known as the Gentle Lochiel, was a Scottish Jacobite, soldier and hereditary chief of Clan Cameron, traditionally loyal to the exiled House of Stuart. His support for Charles Edward Stuart proved pivotal in the early stages of the 1745 Rising. Lochiel was among the Highlanders defeated at the Battle of Culloden, and thereafter went into hiding before eventually fleeing to France.
The Battle of Achnashellach was a Scottish clan battle said to have taken place in the year 1505, in the Scottish Highlands at Achnashellach. It was fought by the Clan Cameron against the Clan Mackay and the Clan Munro.
Donald Cameron, known as Black Taylor of the Axe was a famed warrior of the Scottish Highlands during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. Born illegitimate, his father was Ewen Cameron of Lochiel, 14th chief of Clan Cameron, and his mother was the daughter of the chief of Clan MacDougall. Donald Cameron is claimed as the eponymous ancestor of the Taylor sept of Clan Cameron. He is alluded to in the coat of arms of the chief of Clan Cameron, as a likeness of him appears as the supporters holding a Lochaber axe.
The Battle of Bun Garbhain was a Scottish clan battle fought in 1570, in the Scottish Highlands, between the Clan Cameron and the Clan Mackintosh.
The Raid on Ross was a conflict that took place in 1491 in the Scottish Highlands. It was fought between the Clan Mackenzie and several other clans, including the Clan MacDonald of Lochalsh, Clan MacDonald of Clanranald, the Clan Cameron, and the Chattan Confederation of Clan Mackintosh.
The Stand-off at the Ford of Arkaig occurred in September 1665 at Achnacarry, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Fort William, Scotland. The Chattan Confederation led by the Clan Mackintosh assembled an army to challenge Clan Cameron in a 360-year-old dispute over the lands around Loch Arkaig. After a week of stalemate, the long-running feud was ended by a deal in which the Camerons bought the land from the Mackintoshes.
Tor Castle is a ruined castle, about 3 miles north east of Fort William, Highland, Scotland, west of the River Lochy and east of the Caledonian Canal, near Torlundy.
The Battle of Craig Cailloch was a Scottish clan battle fought in 1441 between the Clan Cameron and Clan Mackintosh. The two clans had defected from Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross during his war with James I of Scotland. Alexander lost the war but was subsequently appointed Justiciar of Scotia by James and became reconciled to the Chattans. Alexander encouraged the Chattans to invade the lands of the Camerons which resulted in a battle on Craig Cailloch in 1441. The battle was bloody and several leading Chattan men were killed. Afterwards Malcolm Mackintosh led further raids into Cameron territory to avenge the deaths. Donald Dubh, leader of the Camerons was later forced into exile in Ireland.
The Camerons of Erracht were a minor noble Scottish family and a branch of the Clan Cameron, a Highland Scottish clan. In Scottish Gaelic they are known as the Sliochd Eòghain mhic Eòghain.
Donald Dubh Cameron was the first authentic chief of Clan Cameron. Traditionally, it is held that the Camerons are of ancient Celtic origin and descend Banquo, Thane of Lochaber, while other legends include descent from a Danish prince.
Ewen Mór Cameron of Lochiel was the 13th Chief of Clan Cameron in Lochaber.
↑ Ronald Black - 1467 MS: The Camerons (1), West Highland Notes & Queries, Ser. 3, no. 26, Oct 2014, pp. 3-8
↑ Ronald Black - 1467 MS: The Camerons (2), West Highland Notes & Queries, Ser. 3, no. 27, April 2015, pp. 3-15 and no. 28, Aug. 2015, p.39
↑ Ronald Black - 1467 MS: The MacMillans, West Highland Notes & Queries, Ser. 3, no. 28, Aug 2015, pp. 4-14
↑ History of the Camerons; with genealogies of the principal families of the name by Alexander Mackenzie, F.S.A., SCOT., Editor of the "Celtic Magazine” Inverness: A & W Mackenzie 1884
↑ History of Greater Britain (Historia majoris Britanniae, tam Angliae quam Scotiae) Paris 1521
↑ MacKenzie, Alexander (2008). The History of the Camerons. Vol.IX. BiblioBazaar (reprint). p.156. ISBN978-0-559-79382-0.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help) Modern reprint of November 1883 article with a detailed account of Cameron history from 1654 to 1665.
↑ 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. 206-207.
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