Clan Chattan

Clan Chattan, also sometimes referred to as "Clan Dhugaill" after its progenitor Dougall-Dall, 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 fomenting internal dissension.

Origins and early history

There are multiple theories about the true origins of this clan:

The name Chattan may derive from the Catti who were a germanic tribe that had been driven out by the Romans.
Another theory is that the name comes from Catav in Sutherland.
The most widely accepted theory is that they descended from Gillichattan Mor who was the great servant of Saint Cathan. Gillichattan is believed to have been appointed the co-arb or bailie of the abbey lands of Ardchattan Priory, by the Lord of Argyll, Duncan MacDougall.

In the time of Malcolm II of Scotland, the Clan Chattan possessed the lands of Glen Loy and Loch Arkaig. It was here that Tor Castle became the clan chief's seat. Not much is certain about the history of the clan until towards the end of the 13th century.

The merging of the Chattan and Mackintosh clans

Eva,, daughter and heiress of Gilpatric or Dougal Dall, 6th chief of Clan Chattan in Lochaber, married Angus Mackintosh, 6th chief of Clan Mackintosh, in 1291. Thus Angus Mackintosh also became 7th chief of Clan Chattan. Some members of alternative male inheritance lines have however questioned the validity of this decision through a female line which would lead to occasional discord. Neither side of this dispute have questioned the historicity of Aife, merely the inheritance line.

Migration out of Lochaber

The couple resided at Tor Castle before withdrawing to Rothiemurchus apparently due to the enmity of Aonghus Óg of Islay, chief of Clan Donald, the uncle of Angus Mackintosh. Tradition has it that he had intended to marry Eva off to one of his family members and in so doing acquire the Clan Chattan lands. As a result, the lands at Arkaig were occupied by Clan Cameron who claimed that they had been abandoned. This was the beginning of a long and bitter feud that was fought between the Clan Chattan and Clan Cameron until 1666.
Another reason for the migration is explained in MacPherson clan traditions is that in 1309, Robert the Bruce offered the lands of Badenoch to them if they destroyed the Bruce's enemies, the Clan Comyn.

Earliest written documents

The earliest official document, the MS 1467 which recognises the Clan Chattan is dated 1467; but the chronicler Bower, writing about 1440, speaks of Clan Chattan in 1429. Bellenden, in his translation of Boece, about 1525, is the first who mentions this clan having been at the Inches in Perth in 1396, and this probably owing to a misprint in the original, of Clan Quhete for Quhele'. He referred to it as Quhattan.

From singular clan to Confederation

Prior to the 14th century, the Clan Chattan was a conventional clan. However it evolved into an alliance or confederation of at least seventeen clans which was made up of:

firstly of the descendants of the "blood" or the original clan and possibly Clan Vean/Clan MacBean ). The MacMartins of Clan Cameron and Clan MacMillan are also sometimes described as have being originally related to the Old Clan Chattan but parted ways.
secondly of the Clan Mackintosh and their cadet branches and Clan Davidson.
thirdly of families who were not originally related by blood. Other lesser known clans are also recorded:
* The Vic Gories, who took protection around 1369.
* The Dhus of Strathnairn, who took protection around 1373.
* Clan Slioch Gow Chruim/The Gows or Smiths, who took protection around 1399.
* Clan Clerich/The Clarks, who took protection around 1400.
* Clan Tarril, the Kinrara MS also states, " In the time of Lachlan, a small clan from Strathnairn settled in Petty, becoming followers of Mackintosh." Within two generations however, their status changed. Gillespie, a brother of the Earl of Ross, entered Petty with reivers driving off cattle and inhabitants. The invaders were surprised at Culloden by Duncan and two other sons of Malcolm Mackintosh, who recovered the stolen goods, but were too late for Clan Tarril, nearly all of whom were slain.
* The Sliochd Gillie vor MacAonas who took protection around 1485.
* The Finlay Cheir who took protection around 1502. and
*'Clan an t-Saoir', Clan Andrish or the MacAndrews. The Kinrara MS states a Donald MacGillandris, was part of a bridal retinue of Mora MacDonald of Moydart, future wife of the 10th Chief of Mackintosh. Settled at Connage in Petty. This family is mentioned in a royal summons for the "Maisterfull spoliatioun’’ of Halhill in 1513 with Dougal Mor Mackintosh.
The Skene assumption

, however, gave a different version of how Clan Chattan was formed prior to the Mackintosh alliance. Clan Vuirich and Clan Day were the original co-founders and referred to as old Clan Chattan. Added to these were six "stranger septs" who took protection from the clan. These were Clan Vic Ghillevray, the Clan Vean, the Clan Vic Govies, the Clan Tarrel, the Clan Cheanduy, and the Sliochd Gowchruim or Smiths.
However, Skene's phrase about "stranger septs" and the names linked to them is not supported by any of the works of the respected Clan Chattan historians, and may therefore be a historical error by Skene, whose shortcomings have been noted by later writers – one of Skene's harshest critics was the Scottish philologist Alexander MacBain.

Sir Æneas Mackintosh/Charles-Fraser Mackintosh assumption

Noted historian of Clan Chattan, Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, in his 'An Account of the Confederation of Clan Chattan; its kith and kin' published a list of 16 associated tribes of Clan Chattan, along with an associated date reference, as written down by Sir Æneas Mackintosh. It begins with The Clan vic Gillivray, 1271. The second clan is The Clan Wurrich, 1291 and the third is The Clan Vean, 1292; then the fourth is The Clan Day, 1350. Others follow including The Clan Tearlich, 1400, The Clan Revan, 1400 and The Clan Phail, 1500.
In his 'The Mackintoshes and Clan Chattan', A. M. Mackintosh arranges his chapters to provide a history of Clan Chattan, its chiefs and its Mackintosh branches, then in Chapter XV details the 'Tribes and Families of Clan Chattan other than the Mackintoshes of Inverness-shire'.

He begins with the heading 'Clans Springing from the Mackintoshes': the Shaws, the Farquharsons, the Mackintoshes of Dalmunzie, the McCombies and Clan Thomas.
Then A. M. Mackintosh comes to Part II of this chapter headed 'Clans Supposed to be of the Blood of the Old Clan Chattan' : the MacPhersons, the Cattanachs, the MacBeans and the MacPhails.
The author then covers in Part III of the same chapter, headed 'Clans Not of the Blood of either MackIntoshes or Old Clan Chattan': the MacGillivrays, the Davidsons, the Macleans of Dochgarroch, Clan Tarril, the Smiths or Gows, the MacQueens or Clan Revan, Clan Andrish and the Clarks or Clan Chlerich.
The members today

Today, the Clan Chattan Association, which is based in Scotland with members across the world, comprises the following twelve principal clans:

Old Chattan Chiefs

The following is a list of the traditional chiefs of the Clan Chattan before marriage between Aife/Eva, heiress of Clan Chattan, with the Chief of Clan Mackintosh, through whose marriage a new line of Mackintosh Captains of Clan Chattan was created :

No.	Name
1	Gillicattan Mor, first known chief of Clan Chattan
2	Diarmid
3	Gillicattan,
4	Muirach, father of Gillicattan, and Ewan Ban, father of the 3 branches of Clan Macpherson
5	Gillicattan
6	Dougal or Gilpatric, his daughter married Angus Mackintosh, 6th chief of Clan Mackintosh, thus Mackintosh became 7th chief of Clan Chattan.

Thereafter the Chiefs of Clan Mackintosh are also the Chiefs of Clan Chattan. See: Chiefs of Clan Mackintosh.

The Chattan Confederation Chiefs

Each Clan in the Confederation retained their chiefs, but acknowledged the Mackintosh chief as the overall Captain of the Confederation.

The separation of titles

In 1942, the Lyon Court separated the leadership of Clan MacKintosh and Clan Chattan. The leadership of Clan Chattan passed to the Mackintosh of Torcastle line. The Chief of Clan Mackintosh had been at the same time Captain of Clan Chattan, until the death of Alfred Donald Mackintosh of Mackintosh CBE, who chose as his heir to the Mackintosh inheritance Rear-Admiral Lachlan Donald Makintosh CB DSO DSC. The omission of a stipulation in Alfred's will, concerning inheritance of the captaincy of Clan Chattan, led The Lord Lyon of the day to create the historic separation of the two titles. Lachlan became The Mackintosh of Mackintosh, and his cousin Duncan Alexander Eliott Mackintosh became Mackintosh of Mackintosh-Torcastle, and Head of the hail kin of Clan Chattan.
At this juncture the chieftainship of Mackintosh and Clan Chattan split.
The last few Clan Chattan Confederation chiefs therefore were:

Duncan Alexander Eliott Mackintosh of Mackintosh-Torcastle, born 1 December 1884 and died 29 May 1966. He married Ellen Primrose Smith and they had three sons and two daughters.
Kenneth Mackintosh, born 23 November 1916, who became the 32nd Chief of Clan Chattan. He married Margaret Farmer and had two children.
Duncan Alexander John Mackintosh, born in 1946, according to Burke's Peerage.
However, a genealogy published in an updated history of the Clan Mackintosh noted that Duncan died young, and that his younger brother Malcolm Mackintosh succeeded their father, who died in 1976, as 33rd Chief of Clan Chattan, becoming styled as Malcolm Mackintosh of Mackintosh-Torcastle and Clan Chattan.

Clan Mackintosh therefore remains the principal clan of the Clan Chattan Confederation and the current and past Mackintosh of Mackintosh has been President of the Clan Chattan Association.