The Last Years of Clan MacIain
The History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland, from AD 1493 to AD 1625, by Donald Gregory, was published in 1881. Its pages contain a detailed history of the last years of...
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How Did the Ordinary MacIains Live?
Such evidence as we have for the day-to-day life of the ordinary member of Clan MacIain comes from the archaeological remains that we find all over Ardnamurchan and from a few other sources, such...
Early Roots of Clan MacIain
1. GILLEBRIDE King of the Sudereys: Iain Sprangach MacDonald, founder of Clan MacIain, was descended on his father’s side from Gilbert (Gillebride or Gillebhride) Mac Gille Adomnan, known as ‘na h-Uamh’ from the fact...
The MacIain Grave-slabs
Above the village of Kilchoan stands the ruins of St Comghan’s Church, once the parish church of Ardnamurchan. While there would have been an earlier building on the site, this structure was probably built...
Ardnamurchan’s People Today
The 230 square kilometres of Ardnamurchan today supports a year-round resident population of about 300, almost all of whom live in small, scattered villages. The largest of these is Kilchoan, with a population of...
Where is Ardnamurchan?
Ardnamurchan is a peninsula which protrudes into the Atlantic Ocean, with the isles of Skye, Rum, Eigg and Muck to the north and Mull to the south. The Point of Ardnamurchan is the most...
An Outline History
An Outline History of the MacIains of Ardnamurchan 1158 Somerled completes his defeat of the Norse King of the Isles, Godred Olafsson, and takes his kingdom. Somerled’s grandson, Angus Mor MacDonald, lays the foundation...
MacIain Places
There are a number of places on Ardnamurchan which are special to the MacIains. Mingary Castle: Mingary Castle was built some time between about 1265 and 1295, probably by the MacDougalls when they held...
The MacIain People
When Iain Sprangach MacDonald took control of his lands, the people he is likely to have found there would have been a mixed lot. Some would have been descended from the Gaelic-Norse population which...
