clan1

We have decided to add a Scottish heritage page to our site. We hope you enjoy this and maybe you have further information we have been unable to find for ourselves. We would appreciate any contributions to add to this page. It will be updated as we discover more on our ancestory as we still have a lot of unanswered questions. At this point, we don't have a lot of personal information, mostly basic clan history. If we have included something someone may find inaccurate please let us know as it would not have been intentional.

We have 3 Clans that we have researched. Obviously, Clan Macdonald (Phillip's father's side), Clan MacGregor of which McNeish is a Sept (Karen's mother's side) and Clan Grant (Karen's father's side). We will explain about Septs.

Septs were families that a clan could regard as loyal, either families related to the clan by blood, or families that obtained protection from the clan. In the times of the Scottish Clans spelling of the name and the inclusion or exclusion of the Mac or Mc was the preference of the individual. Sometimes a serious family dispute would lead to an individual changing the spelling to show this, or change might be made to show allegiance to another branch of the clan, or to avoid persecution. This created the blood related septs.

The introduction of the English language drastically changed the spellings of names. The gaelic sounds were transformed into English words by the registrars of births, deaths and marriages, leading to the spellings and variations today.

Gaelic Name:                         Macdhomhnuill
Motto:                                    Per Mare Pre Terras (By Sea & By Land)
Plant Badge:                         Heath
Lands:                                   Western Isles
Origin of Name:                    Gaelic, Domhnill (world ruler)

Magnus Barefoot, the King of Norway, sailed across the North Sea in 1098 to re-establish his country's power in Celtic Lands. He made an agreement with Edgar, King of Scots, that he would settle for all the islands of the west coast he could reach whilst his boat's rudder was in a fixed position.

At this point in times, we have no idea where in Scotland Phillip's direct ancestors were born, when they were born or when the immigrated to New Zealand. We are hopefully going to find this out in the near future and include this information.

Gaelic Name:                         MacGrioghair
Motto:                                    'S roighal mo dhream (My race is Royal)
Plant Badge:                         Pine
Lands:                                    Argyll and Perthshire
Origin of Name:                    Son of Gregory (Flocksman)
Pipe Music:                           Ruaig Ghlinne Freoine

The MacGregor motto "My Blood is Royal" is their claim to royal descent. The clan were one of the most famous victims of the Clan Campbells expansionism.

It held lands in Glenstrae, Glenlochy and Glenorchy. With the capture of Iain MacGregor in 1296, his property was passed to the Campbell Clan. They were pushed further into Glenstrae.