Clan MacLaren ( gd, Cinneadh MacLabhrainn) is a Highland

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognised ...

.Way, George and Squire, Romily. ''Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia''. (Foreword by The Rt Hon. The Earl of Elgin KT, Convenor, The

Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (SCSC) is the organisation that represents the Chiefs of many prominent Scottish Clans and Families. It describes itself as "the definitive and authoritative body for information on the Scottish Clan System ...

). Published in 1994. Pages 236 - 237. Traditional clan lands include the old parish of Balquhidder which includes the villages of

Lochearnhead Lochearnhead (Scottish Gaelic: Ceann Loch Èireann) is a village in Perthshire on the A84 Stirling to Crianlarich road at the foot of Glen Ogle, north of the Highland Boundary Fault. It is situated at the western end of Loch Earn where the A8 ...

and Strathyre, and is about long and broad, spanning , long known as "Maclaren Country".

History

Origins of the clan

There are two quite separate possible origins for the surname MacLaren. One of these comes from the county of Perthshire while the other comes from the island of

Tiree Tiree (; gd, Tiriodh, ) is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The low-lying island, southwest of Coll, has an area of and a population of around 650. The land is highly fertile, and crofting, alongside tourism, an ...

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

. In Argyll the MacLaren family is said to be descended from Fergus MacErc, founder of the kingdom of

Dál Riata Dál Riata or Dál Riada (also Dalriada) () was a Gaelic kingdom that encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland, on each side of the North Channel. At its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is n ...

. In

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

the clan name is ''Clann Labhruinn''. However the ancestor of the MacLarens is generally given as Laurence, Abbot of Achtow in Balquhidder, who lived during the thirteenth century. Balquhidder was part of the ancient princedom of Strathern whose heraldry is shown in the heraldry of the MacLarens. The heraldry borne by the clan suggests that they descend from a cadet branch of the dynasty of the Earls of Strathearn. There is scholarly research by Ronnie and Máire Black which suggests that the Abbot of Achtow in Balquhidder did not exist. However, Skene's translation of the manuscript of 1450 is still widely considered by academia to be the correct version. There is also a tradition that the MacLarens fought at the Battle of the Standard under Malise I, Earl of Strathearn, for

David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later King of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest son of Mal ...

Wars of Scottish Independence

Three names identified as belonging to the Clan MacLaren are found in the

Ragman Rolls Ragman Rolls are the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favour of Balliol i ...

of 1296, giving allegiance to

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vas ...

. These are Maurice of Tiree, Conan of Balquhidder and Leurin of Ardveche. During the Wars of Scottish Independence it is probable that the Clan MacLaren fought for

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...

at the Battle of Bannockburn, under the standard of Malise, Earl of Strathearn in 1314, where the English were defeated. The last Gaelic Earl of Strathearn was deprived of his title in 1344 when the MacLarens came under pressure from their more powerful neighbours.

15th and 16th centuries

In 1468 the Clan MacLaren fought in support of the

Clan Stewart of Appin Clan Stewart of Appin is the West Highland branch of the Clan Stewart and have been a distinct clan since their establishment in the 15th century. Their Chiefs are descended from Sir James Stewart of Perston, who was himself the grandson of Al ...

at the Battle of Stalc.Battles and Historic Events
stewartsociety.org. Retrieved 20 August 2017.Battle of Stalc
graveyardsofscotland.wordpress.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017. The MacLarens also fought alongside the Stewarts of Appin at the Battle of Black Mount in 1497 or 1498. Balquhidder passed into the hands of the Crown and in 1490 a Stewart was appointed the royal ballie. (see: Stewart of Balquhidder). Then in 1500 James IV of Scotland granted the lordship to Janet Kennedy, his mistress, and the chief of the Clan MacLaren found that his lands had become part of another barony. Balquhidder would later pass to the

Clan Murray Clan Murray () is a Highland Scottish clan. The chief of the Clan Murray holds the title of Duke of Atholl. Their ancestors were the Morays of Bothwell who established the family in Scotland in the 12th century. In the 16th century, descendants ...

of Atholl. The persecution of the

Clan Gregor Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, () is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Clan ...

by the

Clan Campbell Clan Campbell ( gd, Na Caimbeulaich ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The ...

drove the MacGregors from their own lands into Balquidder where the Clan MacLaren lacked the power to stop them. As a result, the MacGregors plundered the lands of the MacLarens killing eighteen MacLaren households; men, women and children, and taking over the homesteads of those they killed.Maclaren, Margaret of Maclaren. "The Maclarens, A History of Clan Labhran." The MacLarens appealed to the Campbells for help, but they demanded that the MacLarens acknowledge them as their feudal superiors as the price of protection. However it appears that the Crown continued to regard the MacLarens as an independent clan as they are listed in the Acts of Parliament in 1587 and 1594, for the suppression of unruly clans.

The Civil War and Jacobite Risings

During the Scottish Civil War the Clan MacLaren fought for James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose, in support of

Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after hi ...

at the

Battle of Inveraray A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, Battle of Inverlochy (1645), Battle of Auldearn,

Battle of Alford The Battle of Alford was an engagement of the Scottish Civil War. It took place near the village of Alford, Aberdeenshire, on 2 July 1645. During the battle, the Royalist general James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose defeated the forces of ...

and the Battle of Kilsyth. In 1689 the Clan MacLaren again fought for the Stuart cause, this time under

John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee John Graham, 7th of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee (21 July 1648 – 27 July 1689) was a Scottish soldier and nobleman, a Tory and an Episcopalian. He was responsible for policing southwest Scotland during and after the religious unrest and r ...

, at the

Battle of Killiecrankie The Battle of Killiecrankie ( gd, Blàr Choille Chnagaidh), also referred to as the Battle of Rinrory, took place on 27 July 1689 during the 1689 Scottish Jacobite rising. An outnumbered Jacobite force under John Graham, Viscount Dundee and ...

Jacobite rising of 1715

During the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire ...

the Clan MacLaren fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in support of the Jacobite cause.

Jacobite rising of 1745

During the

Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...

the Clan MacLaren fought in support of the Jacobite cause at the

Battle of Prestonpans The Battle of Prestonpans, also known as the Battle of Gladsmuir, was fought on 21 September 1745, near Prestonpans, in East Lothian, the first significant engagement of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Jacobite forces, led by the Stuart exile C ...

and the

Battle of Falkirk Muir The Battle of Falkirk Muir (Scottish Gaelic: ''Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice''), also known as the Battle of Falkirk, took place on 17 January 1746 during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Although it resulted in a Jacobite victory, their inability to ...

where they were victorious on both occasions. The Clan was also present at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 where the Jacobite army met defeat. Donald MacLaren of Invernentie served in the role of Captain in the Appin Regiment. He and the Appin Regiment were positioned in the center of the first line to the left of Lord George Murray's Atholl Brigade. He was injured at Culloden but escaped the field and rode back to Balqhidder and then on to Leny where he was injured during a skirmish with the Perthshire Militia on the 19th of July, 1746.Order Book of the Appin Regiment, C. Stewart Henderson (ed.), (1746) p. 168 MacLaren was taken into custody along with Major David Stewart of Ballahallan, Captain Malcolm MacGregor of Concour, Sergeant King alias Macree (from Lord Murray's regiment) and three privates. These men were transported to Stirling Castle and imprisoned.SC-346545, National Library of Scotland, folio of prisoner lists of Sterling Gaol 1746 He was treated by the prison physician for his wounds on the 20th of July and subsequently, on September 3, 1746, bound to a dragoon for transfer to Carlisle to stand trial for treason. Clan Stewart marker 2

During the course of that transport MacLaren was freed or freed himself (the escape has been related both ways) and escaped by throwing himself off a cliff called the Devil's Beef Tub near Moffet. Although the King's dragoons fired after him, the mist hid his movements and his escape was successful. He remained in hiding as a fugitive

fugitive A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...

in Balquhidder until the amnesty of 1757. There were McLarens in the other regiments as well during the

:
''Lieutenants''
Alexander McLaren, younger of East Haugh, Pitlochry, Strath Tay;Atholl, Duke of, Chronicles of Atholl and Tullibardine Families, 5 vols.de Johnstone, Chevalier James, Memoirs of the rebellion in 1745 and 1746 (London 1820) Duncan McLaren, Brewer, Wester Invernentie, Balquhidder;Seton, B. Gordon and Arnot, J. Gordon, Prisoners of the '45 Scottish History Society (Edinburgh 1890) Orrott McLaren, Uncle to Younger of East Haugh, Pitlochry, Strath Tay
''Other Ranks''
Donald McLaren, Tenant, Dowally, Strath Tay; Duncan McLaren, Perthshire 3rd Battalion; James McLaren, Servant to Haugh of Killmorich, Strath Tay; John McLaren, Cottar, Rotmell, Strath Tay; Robert McLaren, (Whitefield's)

Crest Badge

The

crest badge A Scottish crest badge is a heraldic badge worn to show allegiance to an individual or membership in a specific Scottish clan. Crest badges are commonly called "clan crests", but this is a misnomer; there is no such thing as a collective ''clan' ...

suitable for members of Clan to wear consists of the

heraldic crest A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after th ...

and slogan. The crest is: ''A lion's head erased Sable crowned with an antique crown of six (four visible) points, between two branches of laurel issuing from the Wreath at either side of the head both Proper Or''. The slogan within the crest badge is ''CREAG AN TUIRC'', which translates from

as "''The Boars Rock''".

Clan Badge

The clan badge badge is a laurel branch.

Tartan

The MacLaren tartan colors are dark green, navy blue, yellow, red and black. The MacLaren tartan was adopted by Scouts in 1921 for Mr. W. de Bois MacLaren, who donated Gilwell Park to the Scouting Association. The MacLaren tartan was adopted by the Scouts as a way of honoring MacLaren for his donation to the Scouts and, as per

World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...

, is worn by Scouts the world over.

Chiefly house of Clan Labhran

The following is taken from the book entitled "The MacLarens, A History of Clan Labharn" by Margaret MacLaren of Maclaren, p. 138. "The names from Lorn Mor to John (c1400) are taken from the genealogy of Clan Lawren quoted by Skene (Celtic, Vol. III, p 483) from a MS of 1467 based on a genealogy in the Book of Ballymote and from other medieval genealogies. Skene considers the genealogy reliable from Donald Og (contemporary of Kenneth MacAlpine) onwards. The derivation from Lord Mor is sound, as are most of the names, but for the period before 800 the different sources for the genealogies not only of the various chiefly houses, but even for the main royal line are confused and often contradictory. The line given is that which seems the most probable. The genealogy quoted by Skene ends about 1380-1400 with the names of the three brothers, John, Donald and Anichol Og, and so far no references have come to light to supply the missing names between John and Patrick Mor whose testament, recorded in the Dunblane Commissariat, shows that he died in 1544" In 1957 Donald MacLaren of MacLaren and Achleskine successfully matriculated his Arms at the Lyon Court. He also purchased land in Balquhidder, including Creag an Tuirc (the "Boar's Rock"), the traditional rallying point of the Clan. The label "chiefless and landless" was finally removed. Following his death, Donald's son, Donald succeeded as Chief in 1966.The Clan MacLaren Society - About Clan MacLaren
clanmaclarensociety.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.

Notes and references

External links

- Clan DNA project

- Clan History presented through the use of citations and primary source examples

- Website of the North American branch

- Website of the Clan MacLaren Society {{DEFAULTSORT:Clan Maclaren Clan MacLaren, MacLaren