Series in which Paul Murton uncovers the history of Scotland's most famous clans.
1. The MacGregor. He begins his journey by exploring his own MacGregor ancestry. In the 17th century this Highland clan reached such heights of infamy that it was outlawed by the State and the name MacGregor became punishable by death.
2. The MacDonalds. For almost 400 years the MacDonalds dominated the Highlands and Islands of Scotland but at the end of the 15th century this mighty clan was ripped apart by a bitter family feud. The struggle between father and son had disastrous consequences from which the MacDonalds never recovered.
3. The MacLeods. During the 16th century terrible atrocities were committed as rival Highland clans battled for supremacy. The Age of Feuds and Forays was a high point for Gaelic culture but one stained with blood. One clan in particular flourished during this violent chapter in Scottish history and its name was MacLeod.
4. The Campbells. There can be few Highland Clans more mired in bloodshed than Clan Campbell. The Campbells combined an understanding of the law with formidable might to become the most powerful and influential clan in the country. But in the middle of the 17th century Scotland was ravaged by a bloody civil war that gave the Campbell's bitter rivals, the MacDonalds an opportunity to exact revenge. Thousands died as these two mighty Highland Clans battled for supremacy.
5. The Frasers. The story of Clan Fraser begins in the twelfth century when a French knight named Frezel left Normandy for a new life in Scotland. His descendents became one of the most powerful and ferocious Highland Clans. Almost a thousand years later Simon, the twenty-fifth chief of the clan, landed back in Normandy during D-Day, June 1944. Series looks at the history of Scotland's most famous clans.
6. The MacKenzie. Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire. The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they are believed to be related to Clan Matheson and Clan Anrias. All three descend from the 12th century Gill'Eòin of the Aird. Based initially in Kintail, the clan was recorded at Eilean Donan on Loch Duich, a stronghold with which it was for many centuries associated. For generations, the constable of Eilean Donan was traditionally Macrae of Inverinate, with the result that the Clan Macrae became known as "Mackenzie's shirt of mail". There were also strongholds at Kilcoy Castle and Brahan Castle and the Mackenzies of Tarbat had their seat at Castle Leod, in Strathpeffer in the 17th century.
