Scottish Clans and Tartans: Book Guide

Clans and Family Names

Clans (from the Gaelic clann "children") can be thought of as extended family who share allegiance to a single leader, or chief. Smaller families often became part of the clan as a sept, for both protection and influence.

Clan chiefs were often the major landowners across Scotland, and their homes and strongholds have been documented in Martin Coventry's extensive The Castles of Clans. It features more than 750 clans, families and septs.

Feuds, Forays and Rebellions by clan historian John L Roberts, covers the 15th and 16th centuries, and particularly charts the disintegration of the Clan Donald from 1475. Clan, King and Covenant, also by Roberts, charts the history of the Highland clans during the 17th century, particularly the civil war and the wars been the MacDonalds and the Campbells. Roberts is also the author of Lost Kingdoms, on the early Celtic Scottish clans; all of these books are substantial historical studies.

The Jacobite Clans of the Great Glen, 1650-1784 by Bruce Lenman attempts to explain the Scottish clan system and its demise under Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745.

For those interested in the "look and feel" of Highland clans should start with Stuart Reid's Highland Clansman 1689-1746, an Osprey military history title full of illustrations, and an analysis of the 1745 rebellion and the battle of Culloden.

Lighter reading can be found in Dane Love's Tales of the Clan Chiefs, a collection of forty stories all associated with leading Scottish clans. Tom Johnston's Our Scots Noble Families was first published in 1909, and was once banned by Scottish newsagents and booksellers John Menzies because it was too "political". Finally, Scottish Clans and Tartans is a simple 32-page souvenir guide to the major Scottish clans.

The Surnames of Scotland by George F Black is a huge reference guide to the origin, meaning and history of Scottish family names, and is an essential research tool for genealogists and historians. Scots Kith and Kin is another handy guide to clans and family names.

Heraldry

For those who are serious about Scottish Heraldry, there's no other title than Bruce A McAndrew's £90 tome Scotland's Historic Heraldry. It is lavishly illustrated and contains the coats-of-arms of all of Scotland's major families. If £90 is a stretch, Scots Armorials is a more frugal £12.

Tartans

Although today we often think of tartans and clans being inexorably linked, this was not always the case. It wasn't really until the 19th century did clans start formally adopting specific tartans. Scottish family names and chiefs are regulated by the Court of the Lord Lyon, but tartans have no official governing body.

There are plenty of general guides to tartans out there:

• Tartan: The Highland Habit by Hugh Cheape is a great introduction, and this best-selling book was revised and updated a couple of years ago
• Tartans of Scotland: An Alphabetical Guide to the History and Traditional Dress of the Scottish Clans by Blair Urquhart has a long title but is really a handy pocket book
• Tartans by Brian Wilton
• The pocket sized Tartans of Scotland by James Scarlett
• Tartan by American publisher Berg is a more fashion-orientated title

It's all to easy to go overboard with the tartan, but if that's your thing and your getting hitched soon, then Eric Merrill Budd's Scottish Tartan Weddings promises to be a practical guidebook for all things plaid. Kilts & Tartan Made Easy by Nick Fiddes is a much more modern book on the subject.

Clan Books

Some books about the histories of specific clans.

Campbell

• A History of Clan Campbell - Alastair Campbell
• The Campbells, 1250-1513 - Stephen I Boardman
• No Tragic Story: The Fall Of The House Of Campbell - Raymond Campbell Paterson

Donald

• Clan Donald - Donald J Macdonald
• Clan Donald's Greatest Defeat - John Sadler
• The Lords of the Isles: A History of Clan Donald - Raymond Campbell Peterson

Douglas

• From The Bloody Heart: The Stewarts and the Douglases - Oliver Thomson

Fraser

• The Frasers of Castle Fraser: A Scottish Family in the Nineteenth Century - Lavinia Smiley
• The Long Horizon - Iain R Thomson

MacFarlane

• History Of Clan MacFarlane - Angus MacFarlane

MacKay

• The Clan Mackay: A Celtic Resistance to Feudal Superiority - Margaret O MacDougall

MacPherson

• People of the Wild Cat Country: Tales from Badenoch and Strathspey - Lady Sandra Macpherson of Glentruim

Stewart

• From The Bloody Heart: The Stewarts and the Douglases - Oliver Thomson