The Scottish Clans

Gaelic Name: Friseal
Motto: Je suis prest (I am ready)
Origin of Name: French fraisse (Strawberry)
Lands: East Lothian, Aberdeenshire
Pipe Music: Lovat’s March

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

Robert the Bruce’s chamberlain was Sir Alexander Fraser and it is from his brother, Sir Simon Fraser, that the Frasers of Lovat descend. Sir Simon acquired the Bisset Lands around Beauly when he won the hand of its heiress, and these lands became the family home.

A record from 1367 describes Hugh Fraser as ‘Lord of Lovat and portioner of Ard’, the first known connection the Frasers had with Lovat land. By 1422 the Frasers of Lovat had extended their lands to include Stratherrick by Loch Ness.

Around 1460 Hugh Fraser became the first Lord Lovat or Lord Fraser of Lovat. The chiefs made Beaufort Castle their seat in 1511, and it is still Fraser property today.

A memorable battle arising from a disputed chiefship was between the Frasers of Lovat and the MacDonalds of Clanranald in 1544, which became known as the Battle of the Field of Shirts. It earned this name because in the heat of that day the men fighting had to throw off their heavy plaids and continue to battle in their white shirts.

The romantic name belies the horror on an area of wild marshland alongside Loch Lochy where, of the hundreds of men who came at each other, only five Frasers and eight MacDonalds remained alive. Both the Lovat chief and his son and heir were among the dead and were buried at Beauly Priory.

Despite the costs of that day, the Lovat Frasers multiplied and created many branches, such as Fingask, Reelig and Inverallochy.

A strong Lovat representation was present at Culloden Moor in April 1746, some believe as many as two battalions. After the disaster on the field, the Fraser estates were plundered by Cumberland and his troops. The chief was captured at Loch Morar and taken to London to be beheaded at Tower Hill one year after the Battle.

The Frasers of Lovat later helped in the raising of Highland regiments that saw action across the British Empire, fighting in the American War of Independence, in Quebec, and in the Napoleonic Wars.

In 1899 Lord Lovat raised the Lovat Scouts for service in the Boer War.

The Lovat Scouts went on to win honours in the First World War and during World War 2, led by the then Lord Lovat along with his piper, Bill Millen. They landed on the Normandy beaches on D Day and were part of the dramatic relief of the Pegasus Bridge, a vital strategic position.

Lord Lovat, a much respected and decorated war hero died in 1996 and was buried to the accompaniment of his trusted piper.

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Gaelic Name: Friseal
Motto: All my hope is in God
Badge: Yew
Lands: East Lothian, Aberdeenshire
Origin of Name: French fraisse (Strawberry)

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

The origin of the name Fraser is believed to lie with a knight called Frezel from the lordship of La Frezeliere in Anjou, who came to Scotland in the 11th century.

In 1160 the name of Simon Fraser is recorded as the owner of Keith lands in East Lothian, and he gave the church there to Kelso Abbey. Simon became a popular name for Frasers. His grand-daughter became the heiress to the Keith lands and they passed to the family who would adopt Keith as their name.

Oliver Castle and Tweeddale passed to the Frasers until the wars of independence, after which the clan moved north and expanded across the Highlands. During the wars, Sir Simon Fraser fought for Wallace at Rosslyn in 1302, defeating the English. While fighting for Robert the Bruce in 1306 he was captured, and like Wallace, was executed in the cruellest style, being hung and quartered.

The co-heiress of the Earl of Ross was Joanna, and her hand was won by Sir Alexander Fraser of Cowie and Durris in 1375, bringing to the family the lands of Philorth and the castle now called Cairnbulg.

In 1592, Sir Alexander, 8th of Philorth, was given a charter by James VI to the fishing village of Faithlie. He improved the harbour, making the area a thriving town, which soon became a free port and burgh called Fraserburgh.

Fraserburgh was to have had a university but the religious troubles and competition from Aberdeen stemmed the town’s growth. By building Fraserburgh Castle the Laird bankrupted himself, and had to sell the Castle of Philorth. The marriage of Alexander, 9th of Philorth, brought him the title of Lord Saltoun, a title bourne by the Clan Fraser chiefs till today.

The first Lord Fraser was created in 1663 by Charles I, and occurred at a time when the chiefship was disputed by the Frasers from Oliver Castle who had settled in Mar.

It was Andrew Fraser, 1st Lord Fraser, who completed Castle Fraser.

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Gaelic Name: Foirbeis
Motto: Grace me guide
Badge: Broom
Lands: Aberdeenshire
Origin of Name: Placename, Aberdeenshire
Pipe Music:The Battle of Glen Eurann

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

Forbes is a parish in the Aberdeenshire area. A reliable tradition tells that the ‘Braes o’ Forbes’ were once uninhabitable because of bears living in the area. Oconachar, founder of the clan, killed the bears and claimed the land as ‘first occupier’. The present chief still holds part of the Lordship of these Forbes lands.

In 1271, the chief of the time, Duncan de Forbes, obtained a charter from Alexander III for the land, confirming his claim. In the fourteenth century John de Forbes of the Black Lip had four sons with whom the family expanded widely and prosperously. William began the Pitsligo line, John was progenitor of the branch of Polquhoun and Alistair of Brux was ancestor of extensions in Skellater and Inverernan.

Alexander, the eldest of the brothers, fought in the 1411 Battle of Harlaw against the invaders from the Isles, led by Donald. He was created Lord Forbes by James I around 1444. To this day the Lordship is regarded as Scotland’s premier. His own three sons would extend the family with the branches of Corsindae and Monymusk, Corse, and later the Baronets of Craigievar.

There was a point where, from the coasts of Banff and Buchan, to the mountains of Aberdeenshire, there were one hundred and fifty Forbes houses and estates. Clan Forbes was, through the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, constantly at odds with their powerful, predatory neighbours the Gordons, Earls of Huntly. The consistent murders by both sides escalated, fuelled with the excuses of religious self-importance, into two battles at Craibstone and Tillieangus during 1571.

These were followed by the plunder of Lord Forbes’ seat itself, and then the murder of twenty-seven Forbes’ of Towie at Corgarff. It eventually took two Acts of Parliament to force them to lay down their arms against each other.

During the 1715 rebellion, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, President of the Court of Session, was in opposition to the Jacobite cause. He is remembered however, for his efforts to win the rebels better treatment from their captors. Speaking out for the people after Culloden, Butcher Cumberland responded with the sneer, ‘that old woman talked to me about humanity.’ A memorial to Duncan Forbes stands in the Parliament Hall at Edinburgh.

Built in 1815, Castle Forbes stands on the land claimed by Oconachar, overlooking the Don.

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Gaelic Name: MacFhearghuis
Motto: Dulcius ex asperis (Sweeter after difficulties)
Badge: Little sunflower
Lands: Argyll, Perthshire, Dumfries and Galloway
Origin of Name: Gaelic Fearghas (Super choice)

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

The name Fergusson sprang to life in many, widely spread parts of Scotland. Ideally the name could be traced back so as to bring the families together to a single ancestral family, but when we consider that the name Fergus in Gaelic means ‘the angry’ and ‘the bold and proud’, we can appreciate that such a descriptive term would have been applied to someone at some time in almost every village.

The Fergussons of Argyllshire claim to be the descendants of Fergus mac Erc, a Scots king from the times of Dalriada, and represent the connection with the boars head on their shield. Also making a connection with the early Scots from Ireland are the Fergussons of Dumfries and Ayrshire, such as the Earls of Carrick. They have records to link their descent to Fergus, Prince of Galloway who was founder of Dundrennan Abbey before he died in 1161.

The Kilkerran Fergussons are reckoned to have possessed their area since the 12th century. The first written record available however, is regarding John Fergusson of Kilkerran in 1464. Carrick had a great number of Fergussons by the 1600s, for whom Kilkerran was their chief.

The Atholl Fergussons were patriots, following the fated Montrose through his incredible military accomplishments in the Civil War, and again in the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745 they fought with their Strathhardle namesakes against the Hanovarians.

In contrast to the list of noble Fergusson soldiers all through British military history, Robert Fergusson, an Aberdeen bank clerk’s son, who was born in 1750, died on the straw floor of an Edinburgh asylum aged twenty three, and was buried in an unmarked grave.

When Robert Burns came to Edinburgh, he found Fergusson’s grave, dug out his head and held it in an embrace, for in his few years Fergusson had composed a body of poetry which Burns held as his aspirational model.

Burns was granted permission to erect a monument to the young Scots genius.

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Gaelic Name: MacFhearchair
Motto: Fide et fortitudine (By fidelity and fortitude)
Badge: Scots fir
Lands: Aberdeenshire, Invercauld
Origin of Name: Gaelic Fearchar (Super dear one)

Septs of the Clan:

Associated Names (with spelling variations):

History

This clan were members of the Clan Chattan confederation. Their originator was Farquhar, the fourth son of Alexander Cier (Shaw) of Rothiemurchus, owner of the Braes of Mar in Aberdeenshire, near which the River Dee has its source.

Farquhar had a son, Donald, who married the heiress of Invercauld, Isobel Stewart, and had a son, Finla . Finla Mor could be considered the first Farquharson. At the Battle of Pinkie in 1547 he was the standard bearer and died in the battle. He left nine sons, as keen to father as himself, and the clan soon became numerous and influential.

In 1595 however, they were not yet as strong as some with desires for Farquharson property, so they wisely entered a bond of manrent with the chief of the MacKintosh, thereby associating themselves with the Clan Chattan confederation. This was a popular form of household insurance in 16th century Scotland.

The Erskines attempted to reclaim the Earldom of Mar around this time. John Erskine, 18th Earl of Mar, built Braemar Castle in 1628, towards this end. Eventually however, with his foes rapidly becoming known as ‘the fighting Farquharsons’ because of their increasing ferociousness, the castle was ultimately taken from him and his plans ruined.

During the Rising of 1745, the chief of MacKintosh was Angus, who was an officer in the Black Watch, fighting against the Jacobites. His wife, however, was Anne, daughter of Farquharson of Invercauld, and she rallied the Clan MacKintosh to fight under Clan Chattan for the Jacobite cause.

When Angus was captured at the Battle of Prestonpans, he was sent home to his wife. Anne greeted him with the words, ‘Your servant, Captain’. He famously retorted, ‘Your servant, Colonel’. From then on she has been known as Colonel Anne. After later saving Bonnie Prince Charlie from capture at one point, Colonel Anne was imprisoned at Inverness for six weeks.

Since 1941 the clan chief has been Captain Alwyne Compton Farquharson of Invercauld, and his estate is world famous for the Braemar Highland Gathering, a favourite with royalty since Queen Victoria’s reign.

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