Septs of Clan Cumming (Comyn)
Clan Cumming, also historically known as Clan Comyn, is a legendary Scottish clan of Norman-Flemish origin whose historical trajectory is one of the most dramatic stories of medieval Scotland. The surname is derived from northern French localities—either Comines near Lille or Bosc-Bénard-Commin near Rouen in Normandy. The progenitor of the British line, Robert de Comyn, came to England in William the Conqueror's time and was appointed Earl of Northumberland. His grandson, William Comyn, migrated north in the mid-twelfth century during the reign of King David I, securing lands in Roxburghshire and rising to become Chancellor of Scotland.
The family’s Scottish territorial empire was consolidated through his nephew, Richard Comyn, whose marriage to Hextilda of Tynedale, a granddaughter of the Celtic King Donald III (Donald Bane), infused the lineage with royal blood. By the late thirteenth century, the Comyns had risen to become the most powerful family in Scotland. They held three of the thirteen historic earldoms—Buchan, Menteith, and Atholl—as well as the extensive Lordship of Badenoch. This meant they controlled nearly a quarter of all Scottish earldoms.
The cultural identity of the clan is richly preserved in its classical Gaelic nomenclature and martial symbolism:
- Gaelic Name: Na Cuimeinich (Collective), Cuimeanach (Singular), or Cuimean (Surname).
- Historic Bynames: Na Cuimeanaich Clach na Cearc ("Cummings of the Hen Stone") and Clann a'Ghaill ("Children of the Lowlander").
- Historic Territories & Seats: The primary power base was the wild, mountainous district of Badenoch in Inverness-shire. Their principal historic seats were the impregnable island fortress of Lochindorb Castle and the towering courtyard fortress of Inverlochy Castle in Lochaber.
- Modern Seat: Altyre House near Forres in Moray, Scotland.
- Current Clan Chief: Sir Alexander "Alastair" Penrose Gordon-Cumming of Altyre.
- Motto: Courage.
- Slogan & War Cry: "An Cuimeanach! An Cuimeanach!" accompanied by the warning proverb, "Fhad 's a bhios maide sa choill, cha bhi foill an Cuimeineach" ("As long as there is a stick in the forest, there will be no treachery from a Cumming").
- Crest Badge: A lion rampant Or (golden), holding in his dexter paw a dagger Proper.
- Plant Badges: The Common Sallow (Pussy Willow) and the Cumin plant (a punning reference to the surname).
- Pipe Music: "Willie Cumming's Rant".
The Septs & Their Connections
A Scottish clan was rarely a single bloodline; it was a complex network of blood kin, aligned branches, and regional dependents who sought the protection of a dominant family. When the Comyn dynasty fell from national power, many of these families adopted alternate surnames to survive proscription. The major septs associated with Clan Cumming and their historical connections include:
| Sept Name (and Variants) | Connection Type | The Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Lendrum (Landrum) | Genetic Cadet Line | Following the catastrophic "Herschip of Buchan", where Robert the Bruce systematically devastated the Comyn lands, a younger son of the Comyn Earl of Buchan settled on the Aberdeenshire estates of Lendrum. To evade the royal ban on the "Comyn" surname, he adopted Lendrum (derived from the Gaelic leathan druim, meaning "broad ridge"). Later, during "The Troubles", brothers John and James Landrum emigrated to Virginia, establishing the prominent Landrum branch in America. |
| Cheyne (Chesney, Cheney, Chiene, Chaney, MacCheine, MacCheyne) | Feudal and Marital Alliance | Originally of Norman French extraction (from chesne, meaning "oak"), the Cheynes allied closely with the Comyns through multiple marriages. Notably, Sir Reginald le Chen of Inverugie married a daughter of William Comyn, Earl of Buchan, and Francis le Chen of Straloch married Isabel Comyn. Sir Reginald subsequently served as Chamberlain of Scotland during the height of Comyn political regency. |
| Russell (Russel, Russall) | Marital and Political Alliance | This Norman family became permanently linked to the Comyns after the death of Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith. His widow, Countess Ada, courted scandal by marrying an English baron, Sir John Russell. Despite being stripped of their Menteith titles following accusations of poisoning the late Earl, the descendants of the Russell-Comyn union remained fiercely loyal to Clan Cumming, settling estates near the surviving Cumming chief line. |
| MacNiven (Niven, Nevin, Nevinson, Nivison) | Feudal Dependents / Geopolitical Kinship | Derived from the Gaelic Mac Naoimhín ("son of the little saint"), the MacNivens of Breachachie lived in Badenoch under the direct protection of the Comyn chiefs. Their unwavering loyalty made them prime targets of rival clans during Bruce's campaigns. Following the Comyn downfall, the MacNivens were brutally targeted by the Macphersons, who seized their lands. MacNiven is historically recognized as a sept of both Clan Cumming and Clan Mackintosh. |
| MacSkimming (MacSkimmon, Skimming, Miskimmin, Miskimon) | Lowland Geopolitical Alignment | Meaning "son of Simon" (from the Gaelic Mac Shimí), this family was originally based in Galloway and Wigtownshire, residing within the territories of the Comyns of Kilbride. Over generations of proximity, local registrars frequently interchanged the spellings of Skimming and Cumming. During the migration of Galloway Scots to Ulster, the name mutated into variants like Miskimmin and Miskimon. |
| Common (Commons, Coman, Cowman) | Anglicization / Phonetic Name Evasion | Derived from the Gaelic Comán or Ó Comáin, these names are phonetically similar to Comyn. After the Red Comyn was assassinated by Robert the Bruce and the Comyn name was officially outlawed by the crown, surviving branches and followers in the Lowlands adopted these anglicized spelling variants to escape royal persecution while maintaining their ancestral ties. |
| Badenoch (Baddenoch) | Territorial Vassalage | A purely territorial surname adopted by former vassals, dependents, and families residing in the Badenoch Highlands. When the Comyn Lords of Badenoch were forfeited and stripped of their titles, these families adopted the name of their homeland to maintain regional solidarity. |
| Buchan (Boghan) | Territorial Vassalage | Similar to Badenoch, Buchan is a territorial surname adopted by local families who lived under the lordship of the Comyn Earls of Buchan in northeast Aberdeenshire. Taking the name allowed them to preserve their historical connection to the fallen earldom. |
Stories & Legends
The history of Clan Cumming is defined by legendary, blood-soaked feuds and dynastic tragedies that shaped the destiny of medieval Scotland.
The Red Comyn's Murder at Greyfriars Kirk
The ultimate climax of the rivalry between the Comyns and the House of Bruce occurred when Robert the Bruce invited John "the Red" Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, to meet under a treaty of neutrality at Greyfriars Church in Dumfries. Hoping to negotiate a political compromise to secure the vacant Scottish throne, the two men instead quarreled bitterly at the high altar. Bruce urged Comyn to back his claim, but Comyn was outraged by the suggestion that he betray his terms of peace with King Edward of England.
In a fit of rage, Bruce drew his dagger and stabbed the Red Comyn at the high altar. As Bruce rushed out of the church, declaring "I doubt I have slain the Red Comyn," his companion Roger de Kirkpatrick famously retorted, "I mak siccar" ("I shall make sure"), and ran inside with his daggers to finish the deed. The Red Comyn's uncle, Sir Robert Comyn, was also killed while bravely trying to defend his nephew. This sacrilegious assassination resulted in Bruce's excommunication by the Pope and triggered a brutal civil war that ultimately destroyed the Comyn dominance.
The Tragedy of Rait Castle
Engaged in a vicious feud over Nairnshire territories with Clan Mackintosh, the Comyns sought to settle the score once and for all by inviting their rivals to a "feast of reconciliation" at their fortified hall-house, Rait Castle. The dinner, however, was a macabre trap; the Comyns planned to slaughter the Mackintoshes when a bull's head—the ancient symbol of death—was carried into the hall.
Unbeknownst to the Comyn laird, his own daughter had fallen in love with a young Mackintosh man and secretly betrayed the plot to her lover. When the feast commenced and the signal was given, the forewarned Mackintoshes struck first, drawing their hidden daggers and slaughtering their Comyn hosts around the banquet table.
The surviving Comyn laird, realizing his daughter had betrayed them, chased her in a fury to the upper chambers. As she attempted to climb out of a window to escape, the laird sliced off her hands with his claymore, and she fell to her death. To this day, the ruined, roofless shell of Rait Castle is reputedly haunted by the ghost of the handless daughter.
Tartan & Dress
Sept members and descendants of Clan Cumming are entitled to wear several exceptionally beautiful registered tartans:
- Cumming Modern: This is the most widely recognized tartan of the clan. It features a vibrant, fiery red ground crossed by bold, intersecting green, blue, and black stripes, accented with yellow overstripes.
- Cumming Hunting (Ancient / Modern / Weathered): For those seeking more muted, rustic tones, the Hunting versions are predominantly forest green, deep brown, and black. The Ancient version utilizes soft, natural vegetable-dye tones, while the Weathered variant replicates the faded, slate-blue and brown hues of fabrics weathered by the Highland elements.
- Lendrum Tartan: Sept members of the Lendrum or Landrum families are additionally entitled to wear the Lendrum Tartan, which was officially recorded in the Scottish Register of Tartans under the Lord Lyon. Intriguingly, this sett is structurally identical to the red-and-black MacFarlane tartan. Though there is no historical or geographic connection between the MacFarlanes of Arrochar and the Aberdeenshire Lendrums, this duplicate sett has been proudly worn by the sept for over a century due to a historic registration or textile-weaving overlap.