Clan Chattan History and Origin

The rugged hills of the Scottish Highlands have long echoed with the war cries of ancient families, but few names carry as much mystique, power, and historical complexity as Clan Chattan. Known colloquially as the "Clan of the Cats," Clan Chattan was not a single, monolithic family, but rather a unique and exceptionally powerful highland confederation. At its historical zenith, this tribal coalition comprised seventeen distinct clans, bound together for mutual security, protection, and political dominance in the central Highlands. Spanning a vast ancestral territory that stretched across Badenoch, Strathspey, Strathnairn, Strathdearn, and parts of Deeside, Clan Chattan was a force of such magnitude that it frequently caused deep apprehension to both the Scottish Crown and the rival Lords of the Isles.

Whether you are a dedicated genealogy researcher tracing your family roots, a history enthusiast captivated by the drama of the Jacobite uprisings, or simply curious about the origin of the famous warning, "Touch not the cat bot a glove," this comprehensive guide explores the deep-seated Clan Chattan History and Origins. From mythical founders and bloody judicial combats to legendary strongholds and modern clan structures, this is the definitive chronicle of the great Highland confederation.

The Origin & Name Meaning

The true origins of Clan Chattan are shrouded in a blend of early medieval hagiography, folklore, and competing administrative records. To understand where the name "Chattan" (Na Catanaich or Clann Chatain in Scottish Gaelic) truly originates, historians generally analyze three distinct theories that have survived the centuries:

• The Hagiographical/Ecclesiastical Theory (Most Widely Accepted): The most popular and historically plausible account asserts that the clan derives its name from Gillichattan Mor (translated as the "great servant of Saint Cathan"). Saint Cathan was a highly revered 6th-century Celtic Christian saint associated with Bute, Colonsay, and the western isles. Traditional accounts record that Gillichattan Mor was appointed the co-arb (hereditary bailie or guardian) of the abbey lands of Ardchattan Priory in Lorne by Duncan MacDougall, the Lord of Argyll.
• The Geographic Theory: A secondary theory suggests that the ancestral family of the clan took its name from Catav (or Cait), the ancient Gaelic designation for Sutherland and Caithness, indicating that the clan's founders originally migrated from the far northern tip of Scotland.
• The Teutonic Migration Legend: Popularized by early modern chroniclers, this romantic myth claims the clan represents the descendants of the Catti, a fierce Germanic tribe documented by the Roman historian Tacitus. Expelled from Germany by advancing Roman legions, the Catti allegedly fled to the Lower Rhine and eventually sailed north, landing on the coasts of Caithness (literally, the "promontory of the Catti").

Historically, prior to the late 13th century, Clan Chattan was a conventional, singular clan with its own agnatic, patrilineal chiefship. Based in Lochaber around Glenloy and Loch Arkaig, the early chiefs established their primary seat at the strategic fortress of Tor Castle. Administrative records from the 13th century trace the line of these "Old Clan Chattan" chiefs through Gilpatrick MacEwen (1219) and Ferquhar MacHeth (1234), ultimately terminating in the direct male line with Dougal Dall (the "Blind Dougal"), the 6th hereditary chief, whose only child, Eva, would go on to permanently alter the course of Highland history.

Rise to Power & Key Alliances

The Marriage of 1291 and the Feudal Crisis

The pivot point of Clan Chattan's rise to power occurred in 1291, when the heiress Eva married Angus Mackintosh, the 6th Chief of Clan Mackintosh. Through this monumental union, Angus Mackintosh assumed the title "Captain of Clan Chattan," merging the fortunes of the Mackintosh and Chattan dynasties.

However, this marriage ignited a profound legal and social crisis that lasted for nearly six centuries. Under traditional Gaelic Celtic law, a clan chiefship was strictly agnatic (male-line only) and could not pass through a female line. Consequently, the male representatives of the old blood claimed that the patriarchate devolved upon Clann Mhuirich (the Macphersons of Cluny), who descended from Muirach, the 12th-century prior of Kingussie. Conversely, the Mackintoshes successfully utilized Anglo-Norman feudal law and royal charters to maintain their position as Captains of the collective confederation.

Royal Support and Key Alliances

Angus Mackintosh was a staunch ally of King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence, leading the Clan Chattan forces at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. In 1319, Bruce rewarded this unwavering loyalty by granting the Mackintoshes the forfeited Badenoch lands of the defeated Clan Comyn.

Following this territorial expansion, the Chattan Confederation evolved into a massive, organized alliance of three distinct structural categories:

• Clans of the Blood of Old Clan Chattan: Genealogical cousins to the heiress Eva who claimed direct agnatic descent from the original pre-1291 kin-group (including Clans Macpherson, Macbean, MacPhail, and Cattanach).
• Mackintosh Cadet Branches: Independent territorial clans descended from the younger sons of Mackintosh chiefs (such as Clans Shaw of Tordarroch, Farquharson, and MacThomas).
• Allied (Stranger) Septs: Families with no blood ties who voluntarily joined the confederation for protection (including Clans MacGillivray, Davidson, Macqueen of Strathdearn, Maclean of Dochgarroch, and MacIntyre of Badenoch).

To formalize their mutual defense pact, the chiefs of the confederation signed historic contracts of perpetually amity, known as Bonds of Union. The most famous of these was signed at Termit in 1609, where thirty of the leading men of Clan Chattan gathered to put aside past disputes, witnessed solemnly by the Provost of Inverness.

The Jacobite Risings and Culloden

The confederation was deeply royalist and committed to the Stuart cause during the Jacobite crusades. In the Jacobite rising of 1715, Brigadier William Mackintosh of Borlum famously commanded the Chattan forces, though the campaign ultimately ended in defeat and the brief imprisonment of Lachlan, the 20th Chief of Mackintosh.

The drama peaked in the Jacobite rising of 1745. Angus, the 22nd Chief of Mackintosh, was a serving captain in the government's Black Watch regiment. In his absence, his spirited 22-year-old wife, Lady Anne (Farquharson) Mackintosh, boldly defied her husband and raised the entire Chattan Confederation for Bonnie Prince Charlie. Dubbed "Colonel Anne" by her adoring clansmen, she appointed the fearsome Alexander MacGillivray of Dunmaglass to command the unified Clan Chattan Regiment. At the tragic Battle of Culloden in 1746, it was the Clan Chattan Regiment that led the legendary, desperate Highland charge, piercing the Hanoverian front line with terrifying fury before being cut down by grapeshot.

Feuds and the Darker History

Highland history is rich with dramatic, long-standing vendettas, and Clan Chattan was involved in some of the most violent feuds in Scottish history.

The 350-Year Feud with Clan Cameron

The most notorious and bloodiest feud was fought against Clan Cameron over the disputed lands of Glenloy and Loch Arkaig in Lochaber. The dispute erupted in the 14th century when the Mackintoshes withdrew to Badenoch and the Camerons seized the Lochaber lands, claiming they had been abandoned. For over three centuries, the two super-clans clashed in savage battles, including Drumlui (1337), Invernahavon (1370), and Palm Sunday (1429). This epic feud only officially ended in 1665 with the dramatic Standoff at the Fords of Arkaig, where a physical clash was averted by Campbell mediators, and Ewen Cameron of Lochiel agreed to purchase the disputed lands from Mackintosh for 72,500 merks.

The Deadly Internal Rivalries

Rivalries within the confederation were often just as lethal as external feuds. The legendary Battle of Invernahavon (1370) was severely compromised because of an intense internal argument between the Macphersons of Cluny and the Davidsons over who would occupy the place of honor on the right wing of the Chattan battle line. Outraged that the Davidsons were granted the post, the Macphersons withdrew from the field, leaving the remaining Chattan forces outnumbered and severely defeated by the Camerons. The Macphersons only joined the fray the following morning after being goaded by a Mackintosh messenger who called them cowards.

The Slaughter at Rait Castle (1424)

The long-standing rivalry with Clan Comyn came to a shocking, darker climax in 1424. Following decades of cattle raiding and land disputes, the Comyns invited the leading chieftains of Clan Chattan to a grand feast of reconciliation at Rait Castle. However, the Comyns planned to murder their guests at the table. Having been secretly forewarned of the plot, the Clan Chattan men waited for the signal—the presentation of a black bull's head—and drew their daggers first, slaughtering their Comyn hosts in a bloody scene that still haunts the castle ruins to this day.

The Battle of the North Inch (1396)

To settle these ongoing Highland feuds, King Robert III decreed a staged "trial by combat" to the death, held on the North Inch of Perth in September 1396. Thirty champions from Clan Chattan faced thirty champions of "Clan Quhele" (historically believed to be either the Camerons or the Davidsons) within secure barriers before the King and his entire court.

Just as the battle was to commence, Clan Chattan discovered they were one man short. They quickly hired Henry Wynd (Hal o' the Wynd or Gow Chrom), a bandy-legged local Perth blacksmith and armourer, for half a gold French crown to fill the gap. The battle was an absolute bloodbath. Led by the doughty Shaw Mor (Seath Mòr), the Chattan champions emerged victorious. All 29 of the opposing warriors were killed, save for one sole survivor who bravely leaped into the River Tay and swam to safety. Only eleven Chattan men survived, and Henry Wynd was subsequently adopted into the clan, becoming the founding progenitor of the Gows and Smiths of Clan Chattan.

Clan Castles & Territories

At its peak, the hegemony of Clan Chattan stretched across mid-Inverness-shire from sea to sea, commanding vast mountain passes and fertile river valleys. The following are their most famous historical strongholds:

Tor Castle

Located on a sheer precipice overlooking the River Lochy near Fort William, Tor Castle was the primary, ancient seat of the early chiefs of Clan Chattan. It was built on the early Lochaber lands of Glenloy and Loch Arkaig. Seized by Clan Cameron in the 14th century, the castle became the geographic epicentre of the 350-year feud between the two clans.

Moy Hall

Situated on the picturesque shores of Loch Moy near Inverness, Moy Hall is the current, active seat of the Chief of Clan Mackintosh. The original Moy Hall was built around 1700 to replace the ancient, island-based Moy Castle on Loch Moy, where the chiefs resided for safety. Although the grand 19th-century version of the hall was demolished in the 1950s due to dry rot, it was replaced by a modern house that remains in the family today.

Cluny Castle

Nestled at Laggan near Newtonmore, Cluny Castle was the hereditary home of the Macpherson chiefs. Following the Jacobite defeat at Culloden in 1746, the original castle was looted, burned, and razed to the ground by government forces as part of their scorched-earth reprisals. A new, magnificent mansion house was built on the historic site in 1805, which still stands today.

Dunmaglas

Located in the rugged hills of Strathnairn, Dunmaglas was the ancestral stronghold of the chiefs of Clan MacGillivray, who held the estate from at least the 16th century. The territory features Carn Na Croiche (the "Cairn of the Gallows"), a prominent hill where the MacGillivray chiefs routinely hanged criminals under their absolute feudal authority.

Symbols & Identifiers

To display your loyalty to the great "Super-Clan" of the Highlands, Clan Chattan members utilize several historic symbols and markers:

• The Clan Motto: The famous, warning motto is "Touch not the catt bot a glove" (or Na bean don chat gun lamhainn in Scottish Gaelic). The word "bot" (or "but") translates to "without". It serves as a literal warning that the wildcat's claws are unsheathed and dangerous unless you are wearing a protective glove.
• The Plant Badge: Historically, clansfolk wore sprigs of the Red Whortleberry (Gaelic: Lus nam braoileag; Latin: Vaccinium vitis-idaea, sometimes called the cowberry or lingonberry) in their bonnets behind their crest badges to identify themselves in battle. Boxwood and Bearberry were frequently used as alternative plant badges, as their leaves are practically indistinguishable.
• The Crest: The crest badge of a Clan Chattan member features a cat salient Proper (a fierce Scottish wildcat leaping forward with claws unsheathed).
• The Tartan: While each constituent branch has its own family tartan, there is a dedicated Clan Chattan Tartan (ancient sett in green, red, and blue). Formerly known as the "Mackintosh Chief" tartan, it was officially recognized by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in 1938 to represent the unified kin of the confederation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Clan Chattan a Highland or Lowland clan?

Clan Chattan is a uniquely powerful confederation of Highland clans whose historic territory spanned Badenoch, Strathspey, Strathnairn, and Strathdearn in the central Highlands of Scotland.

What is the war cry of Clan Chattan?

The historic war cry and slogan of the confederation is "Loch Moidh!" (meaning "Loch of Moy"), referencing the lake surrounding the island stronghold of the Mackintosh chiefs.

Who is the current chief of Clan Chattan?

The current Chief of the confederation is Malcolm Kenneth Mackintosh of Mackintosh-Torcastle and Clan Chattan (the 33rd Chief), who currently resides in New Zealand.

Is there a legal difference between Clan Chattan and Clan Mackintosh?

Yes. In 1942, the Court of the Lord Lyon formally separated the two titles; the leadership of the Clan Chattan Confederation passed to the Mackintosh of Torcastle line, while the Mackintosh of Mackintosh remains chief of Clan Mackintosh.

References

• Fraser-Mackintosh, C. (1898). An account of the confederation of Clan Chattan: Its kith and kin. Glasgow: John Mackay.
• MacBain, A. (1896). The chiefship of Clan Chattan. Inverness: Inverness Field Club.
• Mackintosh, M. (1948). The Clan Mackintosh and the Clan Chattan. Edinburgh: W. & A.K. Johnston.
• Mackintosh-Shaw, A. (1880). Historical memoirs of the house and clan of Mackintosh and of the Clan Chattan. London: R. Clay, Sons and Taylor.
• Skene, W. F. (1837). The Highlanders of Scotland: Their origin, history, and antiquities. London: John Murray.
• Way, G., & Squire, R. (1994). Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia. Glasgow: HarperCollins.