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The
MacLeod clan traces its heritage back to Leod, the younger son of
Olaf the Black who was one of the last Norse kings of Man and the
Isles.
- On
the death of his father in 1237, Leod inherited Lewis and Harris
along with parts of Skye. Through marriage to the Norse seneschal
of Skye, the family acquired Dunvegan Castle, which remains in
the family to this day.
The
two main branches of Clan MacLeod are the:
· MacLeod of Lewis
descendants of Leod's son, Torquil, and the
· MacLeod of Harris and Skye
whose lineage is from another son, Tormod |
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The MacLeods followed MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, in the Battle
of Harlaw of 1411. But in the aftermath, when James IV sought
to break the power of the Lords of the Isles, the Clan MacLeod
successfully steered a hazardous political path.
The
8th Chief, Alistair Crotach, also displayed an aptitude for politics.
Not only did he manage to avoid the wrath of James V at a time when
most Highland chiefs were being imprisoned or driven from their
lands, he also obtained the title to Trotternish, Skye in 1542.
Trotternish had long been in dispute with the MacDonalds of Sleat.
The MacLeods of Lewis, having never fully accepted the commands
of the MacLeods of Dunvegan, were compelled to do so however on
the death of Torquil MacLeod of Lewis in 1597. The barony subsequently
fell to Sir Roger MacKenzie of Cogeach, Torquil's son-in-law. The
representation of the MacLeods of Lewis then passed to the MacLeods
of Raasay.
In the 17th century, the MacLeod chief led his Clan to England to
fight for the Royal cause at the Battle of Worcester of 1651. Cromwell's
forces killed over 500 MacLeods, forcing the Clan to sit out the
Jacobite rising of 1715. Thirty years later, the MacLeod of Lewis
adjudged the '45 to be ill-conceived and declined to join Bonnie
Prince Charlie at Culloden. However, the MacLeods of Raasay thought
differently and heeded the call to arms.
Today,
Dunvegan Castle has been renovated and is still the home of the
Chief. An active Clan society exists with branches around the globe.
| MacLeod
of Lewis motto |
I
shine, not burn |
| Tartan |
MacLeod
of Lewis |
| Gaelic
Name |
MacLeòid
pron. MacLeotch
|
| Plant
Badge |
Juniper |
| Septs
of MacLeod of Lewis |
Askey,
Askie, Aulay, Callam, Callum, Caskey, Caskie, Challum, Lewis,
MacAbe, MacAllom, MacAllum, MacAsgill, MacAskey, MacAskie, MacAskill,
MacAulay, MacCabe, MacCalim, MacCallam, MacCallum, MacCaskill,
MacCalume, MacCaskell, MacCaskie, MacCaybe, MacClure, MacCorkindale,
MacCorquodale, MacCorkill, MacCorkle, MacGilliechallum, MacKaskill,
MacKorkill, MacKorkle, MacLewis, Malcolmson, Norie, Norrie,
Norry, Nory, Tolmie |
|
Visit |
The
Ui Church, six miles from Stornoway, is said to be the burial
ground for 19 chiefs of the MacLeods of Lewis. One of them
is commemorated on a carved gravestone now propped against
the wall. Another carved slab, which has Celtic designs, is
thought to be for his daughter. The church is reputedly built
on the site of a cell occupied by Saint Cartan in the 7th
century.
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