Clan Matheson

Clan Chief:            Sir Fergus John Matheson of Matheson,

                         7th Baronet of Lochalsh.

Origin of Name:    Bear's son

Gaelic Name:        MacMathain, [Son of the bear)

Clan Crest:           An arm rising from an antique crown

                         brandishing a curved sword

Clan Motto:           Fac et spera (Do and hope)

Lands:                    Lochalsh, Sutherland

Of the many beasts which wander this earth, few represent the virtues of strength and courage to greater effect than the great bear, a creature which has awed humanity from the earliest times. It is little wonder that the Clan Matheson's name is derived from this noble animal, from the Gaelic Mac Mhathghamhuin, meaning "son of the bear". This is a proud origin, with the name being synonymous with "son of the heroes", suggesting that the great deeds of later Mathesons had been matched by their earliest ancestors. Indeed, Cormac Macmaghan is remembered in the 13th Century as a leader of Alexander III's army, marching against the Viking strongholds in Western Scotland. In 1262, the Scottish army crossed the water to the Isle of Skye, in an early effort to break the power of the Norsemen. The following year the campaign came to fruition when the Scots defeated King Haakon's army at the Battle of Largs, driving the Norsemen from Scotland's bonny shores. 

Clan Matheson were favoured by the powerful Celtic Earls of Ross, with whom they had fought the Vikings, and were granted lands in Lochalsh, Lochcarron and Kintail. Clan Matheson's lands were set amid the rugged splendour of Scotland's western seaboard, an area immortalised in the song and verse of the nation's bards.

The Mathesons were closely allied with the Lords of the Isles, who ruled this part of Scotland almost as an independent kingdom until the mid15th Century. The Mathesons fought for Donald, Lord of the Isles, at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, flexing the renowned Matheson muscle for the sake of their alliance. The strength of the Clan Matheson was well known, with the Matheson chief being able to summon two thousand stout-hearted warriors on a whim. However, the Mathesons were faced with difficult circumstances after the fall of the Lords of the Isles, when they became pressured between the feuding factions of their two most powerful neighbours, the MacDonalds and the MacKenzies. The Mathesons met these turbulent times with some finesse, managing to persevere through all manner of challenging situations. 
By the mid16th Century, Iain Dubh of Clan Matheson was the constable of the mighty MacKenzie stronghold of Eilean Donan Castle, famed for its picturesque setting on a rocky inlet at the meeting place of the three lochs of Alsh, Duich and Long. With characteristic courage, Iain Dubh laid down his life defending this castle, in the year 1539. The Clan Matheson were by no means renowned just for their adventurous spirit, but for their significant achievements in other areas of Scottish and world history. From the earliest times Mathesons were involved in the affairs of Scotland, with Dougal Matheson, Prior of Beauly, sitting in Scotland's Parliament during the early 16th Century. This tradition of greatness was continued down through the generations and by 19th Century, James and Alexander Matheson had established the great Far Eastern trading company of Jardine Matheson. This company was enormously successful, and with the Mathesons' considerable wealth, bought up large parts of land in western Scotland, including most of the Isle of Lewis and nearly 220,000 acres of Ross-shire. Alexander was made the baronet of Lochalsh in 1882. 
The chief is Sir Fergus John Matheson of Matheson, 7th Baronet of Lochalsh, resides in Norfolk.

The Matheson Clan Crest is an arm rising from an antique crown brandishing a curved sword in a horizontal position and the proud Matheson clan motto, “Fac et spera’’ meaning (Do and hope).

Clan Donald

Clan Chief:          Godfrey James Macdonald,of Macdonald - 

                        34^th Chief of Clan Donald.

Origin of Name:  Domhnull (world ruler)

Gaelic Name:      MacDhomhnuill

Clan Crest:          A crown from which a hand in armour

                        is holding a cross

Clan Motto:       Per Mare Per Terras (By sea and by land).

Lands:                 The Western Isles

Clan Donald, is the largest and most powerful of all the Highland clans and their influence has assured them a major position in the history of Scotland. The Clan dominated all of the Isles and large areas of Western Scotland which, for centuries, they ruled like an independent kingdom under their Chief, The Lord of the Isles. With the unswerving loyalty of the other Clans in their Highland confederation - such as the MacFies, MacKinnons, MacLeans, Macleods, MacNeils and the MacQuarries the Clan progressed from strength to strength. Such was the success of their fleets and their armed power that they were looked upon as a threat to the Crown of Scotland itself. By the end of the fourteenth century, their expansion had been curtailed but they remained a dominant force in Scotland.

The Clan is descended from Somerled of the Isles, the great Scottish warrior lord and gifted leader, who, in the 12th Century, sailed from his base in the Isle of Skye against the Norsemen and ousted them from the Western mainland and the Isles. The Clan inherited its name from Somerled’s grandson, Donald of Islay. The motto of the Clan is "Per mare per terras" -"By sea and by land" - referring to the power of the MacDonalds on both the land and the Western Seas.

Scotland’s Highlanders have long been renowned for their fierce fighting nature and the MacDonalds have well proven their highland blood. From the victory in 1314 over the English at the battle Bannockburn and the rebellion of 1745, when the Clan was the first to rally to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s standard, the MacDonald’s willingness to fight for Scotland has been well demonstrated. This tradition of Somerled has continued, with many Generals and soldiers of renown carrying the Clan name. One notable, Flora MacDonald, risked her life to help Prince Charles escape, emigrated to America and later raised a company of Highlanders there to fight during their War of Independence.

The current chief of Clan Donald is Godfrey Macdonald, 8^th Baron Macdonald of Macdonald and 34^th Chief of Clan Donald. He resides on the Isle of Skye, Ostaig House, near to the Clan’s ancient stronghold, Armadale Castle.

 The MacDonald Clan Crest is a crown from which a hand in armour is holding a cross and the proud Clan MacDonald motto "Per Mare Per Terras" means (By sea and by land).