A rich and heady brew of the blood of norsemen and Celts runs through the veins of bearers of the proud name of MacLeod today.
• They are believed to descend from the thirteenth century Leod, son of Olaf, King of Man and the Northern Islands, and it was he who greatly expanded their territory from their original power base in the Shetlands.
• At the height of their fortunes the clan came to control vast swathes of territories that included Skye, Raasay, Harris, Lewis and Assynt, while the imposing Dunvegan Castle on Skye was their main stronghold.
• Two separate branches of the clan emerged, the MacLeods of Lewis and Assynt and the MacLeods of Harris, Glen Elg and Dunvegan, but both were united under the motto of ‘Hold Fast’.
Gordon Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
A name with a number of possible points of origin, the Gordons hold a prominent place in the pages of the drama that is Scotland's frequently turbulent history. • From about the twelfth century, they...
Smith Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
The origins of the surname Smith can be traced back to the mists of time when man discovered how to extract precious metals from ores and skillfully fashion them into implements of both war and peace...
Robinson Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
Although to be found throughout Scotland, it was mainly in what for centuries was the largely untamed far north that bearers of the Robinson name led a particularly precarious and violent existence...
Boyd Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
The blood of Norman warriors who first arrived on British shores with the Conquest of 1066, flows through the veins of the Boyds of today. • By the twelfth century they had found a new home in...
Menzies Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
With their name derived from Mesnieres, an area near Rouen in Normandy, the Menzies came to hold high honours and distinction after first settling in Scotland after being granted lands in western...
Gordon Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
A name with a number of possible points of origin, the Gordons hold a prominent place in the pages o…
Smith Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
The origins of the surname Smith can be traced back to the mists of time when man discovered how to …
Robinson Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
Although to be found throughout Scotland, it was mainly in what for centuries was the largely untame…
Boyd Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
The blood of Norman warriors who first arrived on British shores with the Conquest of 1066, flows th…
Menzies Ancestry Scottish Clan History Booklet, Scottish Gift
With their name derived from Mesnieres, an area near Rouen in Normandy, the Menzies came to hold hig…