110-568: Clan Gregor , also known as Clan MacGregor , is a 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 is also known to have been among the first families of Scotland to begin playing the bagpipes in the early 17th century. Clan Gregor held lands in Glen Orchy , Glenlochy and Glenstrae. According to Iain Moncreiffe
220-603: A Gaelic-speaking point of view, includes both the Western Isles and the Highlands. The area is very sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes the highest mountain in the British Isles , Ben Nevis . During the 18th and early 19th centuries the population of the Highlands rose to around 300,000, but from c. 1841 and for the next 160 years, the natural increase in population
330-576: A Lamont stronghold that was unlawfully seized by the power-hungry Campbells. During the destruction their forces wrought on the Campbells, MacColla's men committed many atrocities, and even the Lamonts themselves took part in the brutal slaughter when they attacked the Tower of Kilmun . Once the tower had surrendered under promise of their lives being spared, the prisoners were then "taken thrie myles from
440-699: A MacGregor who adopted the name as an alias. Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( Scots : the Hielands ; Scottish Gaelic : a' Ghàidhealtachd [ə ˈɣɛːəl̪ˠt̪ʰəxk] , lit. ' the place of the Gaels ' ) is a historical region of Scotland . Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period , when Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of
550-619: A Universal Service Obligation to charge a uniform tariff across the UK. This, however, applies only to mail items and not larger packages which are dealt with by its Parcelforce division. The Highlands lie to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault , which runs from Arran to Stonehaven . This part of Scotland is largely composed of ancient rocks from the Cambrian and Precambrian periods which were uplifted during
660-589: A daughter of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy. In 1547 Eian's son, Alistair, fought against the English at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh but died shortly after. Colin Campbell refused to recognize the claim of Gregor Roy MacGregor to the estates, and for ten years Gregor waged a war against the Campbells. He was an outlaw who raided cattle and sheltered in the high glens. However, in 1570, he was captured and murdered by
770-716: A hunting trip, they encountered and raped three Lamont women. In a rage, Lamont clansmen caught up with the three courtiers and brutally murdered them. The incident was passed along to the King, who punished Clan Lamont by rescinding nearly eight square miles of their lands in Strath Echaig and granting them to the Campbells . As a result of this increasing lordship of Lamont lands, Clan Campbell became even more bold in asserting their power over Argyll, and more specifically, Cowal. Whether by force or through sheer kindness, in 1442
880-532: A petition declaring General John Murray of Lanrick to be the true chief. Murray was in fact a MacGregor who was descended from Duncan MacGregor of Ardchoille, who had died in 1552. His son was Sir Evan, who played a part in the visit of George IV to Scotland in 1822, where he and his clansmen were given the tremendous honour of guarding the Honours of Scotland , better known as the Scottish Regalia and
990-560: A separate whisky producing region.) This massive area has over 30 distilleries, or 47 when the Islands sub-region is included in the count. According to one source, the top five are Macallan , Glenfiddich , Aberlour , Glenfarclas , and Balvenie . While Speyside is geographically within the Highlands, that region is specified as distinct in terms of whisky productions. Speyside single malt whiskies are produced by about 50 distilleries. According to Visit Scotland , Highlands whisky
1100-677: A stone Celtic Cross , commemorates the many Lamonts who were killed in 1646. Every year the society lays a wreath at Dunoon to commemorate the site. The society also provides the Lamont Shield at the Cowal Highland Gathering , which is an award given to the best Juvenile (under 18) Solo piper at the games. The Clan Lamont Society of North America and the Clan Lamont Society of Australia formed as independent organizations in 1982, to identify and serve
1210-462: A tree in the churchyard, cut down and then buried either dead or alive in a common grave. After languishing in captivity for years, Sir James Lamont was brought to Stirling Castle in 1651 to answer for his actions with Alasdair MacColla for their devastations in Argyll. Lamont was eventually spared trial though, when King Charles II led his ill-fated Scots forces into England to be later defeated at
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#17327728662381320-489: Is Scottish Gaelic ; the second is rather dialectal Scots language , which today would be rendered " E'en do but spair nocht ".) The signet was a bloodstone from Loch Lomond , and was sketched by William Williams. The following table lists clan names and sept names recognized by the Clan Gregor Society. The society states that people who bear the following surnames, or who descend from a woman with one of
1430-598: Is "fruity, sweet, spicy, malty". Another review states that Northern Highlands single malt is "sweet and full-bodied", the Eastern Highlands and Southern Highlands whiskies tend to be "lighter in texture" while the distilleries in the Western Highlands produce single malts with a "much peatier influence". The Scottish Reformation achieved partial success in the Highlands. Roman Catholicism remained strong in some areas, owing to remote locations and
1540-434: Is a Highland Scottish clan . The clan is said to descend from Ánrothán Ua Néill, an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty , and through him Niall Noigíallach , High King of Ireland . Clan Ewen of Otter , Clan MacNeil of Barra , Clan Lachlan , and Clan Sweeney are also descendants of Ánrothán. Traditional genealogy would therefore include Clan Lamont among the descendants of Conn Cétchathach . Clan Lamont ruled most of
1650-528: Is available for individuals who can show evidence of descent or a family tradition of MacGregor connection. The following names are other clan names that are known to have been used by the MacGregors. People with the names from this list are properly the domain of other Clan and Family societies, however the MacGregor clan welcomes inquiries from persons bearing these names who can show their descent from
1760-409: Is confusion and consternation over the scale of the fees charged and the effectiveness of their communication, and the use of the word Mainland in their justification. Since the charges are often based on postcode areas, many far less remote areas, including some which are traditionally considered part of the lowlands, are also subject to these charges. Royal Mail is the only delivery network bound by
1870-689: Is formed along a transform fault which divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands . The entire region was covered by ice sheets during the Pleistocene ice ages, save perhaps for a few nunataks . The complex geomorphology includes incised valleys and lochs carved by the action of mountain streams and ice, and a topography of irregularly distributed mountains whose summits have similar heights above sea-level, but whose bases depend upon
1980-488: Is supposed to take place around the year 1600. The son of the chief of Clan Lamont and the only son of MacGregor of Glenstrae, chief of Clan Gregor, went hunting together on the shores of Loch Awe . After the two men had made camp at nightfall they eventually became embroiled in a quarrel at the end of which Lamont grabbed his dirk and MacGregor was mortally wounded. Lamont then fled, hotly pursued by MacGregor's furious retainers, until losing his way and eventually making it to
2090-712: Is the most mountainous part of the United Kingdom . Between the 15th century and the mid-20th century, the area differed from most of the Lowlands in terms of language. In Scottish Gaelic, the region is known as the Gàidhealtachd , because it was traditionally the Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland, although the language is now largely confined to The Hebrides . The terms are sometimes used interchangeably but have different meanings in their respective languages. Scottish English (in its Highland form )
2200-528: Is the predominant language of the area today, though Highland English has been influenced by Gaelic speech to a significant extent. Historically, the "Highland line" distinguished the two Scottish cultures. While the Highland line broadly followed the geography of the Grampians in the south, it continued in the north, cutting off the north-eastern areas, that is Eastern Caithness , Orkney and Shetland , from
2310-895: Is used in elections to the Scottish Parliament : this area includes Orkney and Shetland , as well as the Highland Council local government area, the Western Isles and most of the Argyll and Bute and Moray local government areas. Highlands and Islands has, however, different meanings in different contexts. It means Highland (the local government area), Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles in Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service . Northern , as in Northern Constabulary , refers to
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#17327728662382420-460: The Battle of Worcester . Lamont was finally released when the forces of Oliver Cromwell took Stirling . Cromwell's triumph also invalidated the "contract" that Sir James was forced to sign in captivity, and Clan Lamont regained its lands. It has been reputed that the total damage inflicted by the Campbells upon the Lamont estates was in excess of £600,000 Scots (£50,000 sterling ). Argyll himself
2530-661: The Cairngorms and the Cuillin of Skye . A significant exception to the above are the fossil-bearing beds of Old Red Sandstone found principally along the Moray Firth coast and partially down the Highland Boundary Fault. The Jurassic beds found in isolated locations on Skye and Applecross reflect the complex underlying geology. They are the original source of much North Sea oil . The Great Glen
2640-811: The Church of Scotland . In contrast to the Catholic southern islands, the northern Outer Hebrides islands (Lewis, Harris and North Uist) have an exceptionally high proportion of their population belonging to the Protestant Free Church of Scotland or the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland . The Outer Hebrides have been described as the last bastion of Calvinism in Britain and the Sabbath remains widely observed. Inverness and
2750-472: The Clan Campbell militia "durst not move more than pussies", and the MacGregors defying in broad daylight the outposts which Lord Campbell of Glenorchy had established in the passes. Persecution of the MacGregors did not end until 1774, when the laws against them were repealed. To restore pride in the clan, the chiefs needed to be re-established. Eight hundred and twenty six MacGregors subscribed to
2860-742: The Cowal peninsula in Argyll for centuries. However, the clan's standing was damaged by the Dunoon Massacre in 1646, when Campbell clansmen killed around 200 Lamont clansmen. Many Lamonts moved, particularly to the Scottish Lowlands . Today, Lamonts are widespread in Canada, Australia, Britain and other countries. The 29th and current hereditary chief of Clan Lamont is the Roman Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Peter Lamont, Chief of
2970-644: The Firth of Clyde into Scotland . Henry VIII wished to kidnap the infant Mary, Queen of Scots and raise her to marry his heir. Although the Campbell/Lamont alliance failed to stop the English force, the fighting gave the Earl of Lennox enough time to escort Mary to Stirling Castle and save the House of Stuart . A tradition of Highland hospitality and chivalry concerns Clan Lamont and Clan Gregor . The story
3080-597: The Irish Land War underway at the same time, where the Irish were intensely politicised through roots in Irish nationalism, while political dimensions were limited. In 1885 three Independent Crofter candidates were elected to Parliament, which listened to their pleas. The results included explicit security for the Scottish smallholders in the "crofting counties"; the legal right to bequeath tenancies to descendants; and
3190-564: The O'Neill dynasty , took advantage of this new Scottish kingdom and gave up his rulership in Ireland to settle down in Argyll . From Anrothan's line came a prominent lord named Aodha Alainn O'Neil, who had three sons: Gillachrist, Neill, and Dunslebhe. Gillachrist's son, Lachlan, founded Clan MacLachlan , and Gillachrist's brother, Neill, founded Clan MacNeil of Barra . Dunslebhe had two sons: Ewen and Fearchar. Ewen founded Clan Ewen of Otter , and Fearchar's grandson founded Clan Lamont. Until
3300-629: The Wars of Scottish Independence , Sir John Lamont, Laumon's grandson and the Chief of the clan, sided with the MacDougall's of Lorne against Robert the Bruce . The MacDougall bid for the throne was foiled, and the Lamonts suffered along with their allies. Once Robert the Bruce was firmly situated on the throne, he and his line took vengeance against the clans that had opposed him. In 1371, Robert II gave
3410-567: The kilt were adopted by members of the social elite, not just in Scotland, but across Europe. The international craze for tartan, and for idealising a romanticised Highlands, was set off by the Ossian cycle, and further popularised by the works of Walter Scott . His "staging" of the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 and the king's wearing of tartan resulted in a massive upsurge in demand for kilts and tartans that could not be met by
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3520-403: The 13th century, Clan Lamont was known as MacKerracher in honor of Fearchar. In 1235, however, Sir Laumon signed a charter granting lands to Paisley Abbey . From Laumon comes the modern name "Lamont", and the clan became known as such. His descendants, the early chiefs of the clan, were described as "The Great MacLamont of all Cowal" ( Scottish Gaelic : Mac Laomain mor Chomhail uile ). During
3630-753: The 1745 uprising, some of Clan Gregor fought at the Battle of Prestonpans with the Jacobite army under the Duke of Perth. Some of Clan Gregor were among the Jacobite force that was defeated at the Battle of Littleferry in 1746 in Sutherland, and therefore missed the Battle of Culloden that took place the next day and which they would have been too late. After the rising, when the MacGregors were returning home, no-one ventured to interfere with them when they strode across Atholl , with their flying colours they strode passed Finlairg Castle where according to one source
3740-632: The 18th century. Their holdings in Cowal were surrounding by strong Campbell fortresses, and thus, the largely Roman Catholic Lamonts were unable to travel north and participate in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 or the Jacobite Rising of 1745 . Since the Lamonts did not participate in the Jacobite risings , they were spared the brutal annihilation of the clan system in the Highlands . Even still,
3850-704: The 20th day he was hanged at the Cross, and 11 of his friends and name, upon a gallows: Himself being Chief, he wes hanged his own height above the rest of his friends. An act of the Scottish Parliament from 1617 stated: (translated into modern English): It was ordained that the name of MacGregor should be altogether abolished, and that the whole persons of that clan should renounce their name and take them some other name, and that they nor none of their posterity should call themselves Gregor or MacGregor under pain of death .... [T]hat if any person or persons of
3960-642: The Barons of Argyll in Parliament, although two years later, he was discovered plotting for the Royalist cause with other clan chiefs: Macdonald of Sleat, Macleod of Dunvegan, Maclean of Duart, Stuart of Bute, and Stewart of Ardgowan. Once the Marquess of Argyll (the chief of Clan Campbell ) found out Lamont was forced to recant his position, he was furious. With the start of the following Wars of
4070-474: The Bruce . The Campbells had already built Kilchurn Castle which controlled the gateway to the western Highlands and they harried the MacGregors who were forced to retire deeper into their lands until they were restricted to Glenstrae. Iain of Glenstrae died in 1519 with no direct heirs. He was the second of his house to be called the Black . The succession of Eian was supported by the Campbells, and he married
4180-491: The Campbells brought cannon forward to shell the Lamont strongholds. Two days later Sir James Lamont, in a written agreement of quarter and liberty for himself and his followers, surrendered and persuaded the other garrison at Ascog Castle to likewise lay down arms and surrender to the Campbells. Although the Campbells had agreed to the Lamonts terms of surrender, they immediately took the surrendered garrisons to Dunoon by boat. The Lamont strongholds were then looted and burnt to
4290-522: The Campbells. The Campbells acquired much of the Lamont lands in Cowal by means fair and foul. One of the "fair" ways was for a Campbell to marry a Lamont heiress, and so inherit the estate. With the Lamont-Campbells, it is an instance of the reverse. In 1844, the 20th Chief, Archibald James Lamont, married Harriet Campbell of Possil after the death of his first wife. Their son, Celestine Norman Lamont, born in 1858, then inherited Possil, and became
4400-554: The Campbells. The chiefship was claimed by his son, Alistair, but he was unable to stem the Campbell's persecution of his kinsmen, who over time became known as the Children of the Mist, a name associated with the MacGregors due to the extent of their losses. Additionally, John Drummond of Clan Drummond was the king's forester and was subsequently killed after hanging a number of MacGregors for poaching. The chief took responsibility for
4510-693: The Gaelic by renaming it "Erse" a play on Eire. Following the Union of the Crowns , James VI had the military strength to back up any attempts to impose some control. The result was, in 1609, the Statutes of Iona which started the process of integrating clan leaders into Scottish society. The gradual changes continued into the 19th century, as clan chiefs thought of themselves less as patriarchal leaders of their people and more as commercial landlords. The first effect on
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4620-459: The Hebrides. In traditional Scottish geography , the Highlands refers to that part of Scotland north-west of the Highland Boundary Fault , which crosses mainland Scotland in a near-straight line from Helensburgh to Stonehaven . However the flat coastal lands that occupy parts of the counties of Nairnshire , Morayshire, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire are often excluded as they do not share
4730-426: The Highland raiders. MacGregor split his force in two and while the main MacGregor force and the Colquhouns engaged in combat, the second MacGregor force attacked the Colquhouns from the rear. The Colquhouns were driven into the Moss of Auchingaich where their cavalry was useless, and over 200 Colquhouns were killed. At the end of the 18th century, in an act of good will, the chiefs of the two clans met and shook hands on
4840-413: The Highlands for much of its history, with significant instances as late as 1817 in the Eastern Highlands and the early 1850s in the West. Over the 18th century, the region had developed a trade of black cattle into Lowland markets, and this was balanced by imports of meal into the area. There was a critical reliance on this trade to provide sufficient food, and it is seen as an essential prerequisite for
4950-445: The Highlands is geographically on the British mainland, it is somewhat less accessible than the rest of Britain; thus most UK couriers categorise it separately, alongside Northern Ireland , the Isle of Man , and other offshore islands. They thus charge additional fees for delivery to the Highlands, or exclude the area entirely. While the physical remoteness from the largest population centres inevitably leads to higher transit cost, there
5060-443: The Highlands, with its administrative centre at Inverness . However, the Highlands also includes parts of the council areas of Aberdeenshire , Angus , Argyll and Bute , Moray , North Ayrshire , Perth and Kinross , Stirling and West Dunbartonshire . The Scottish Highlands is the only area in the British Isles to have the taiga biome as it features concentrated populations of Scots pine forest: see Caledonian Forest . It
5170-418: The Highlands. Lowland distillers (who were not able to avoid the heavy taxation of this product) complained that Highland whisky made up more than half the market. The development of the cattle trade is taken as evidence that the pre-improvement Highlands was not an immutable system, but did exploit the economic opportunities that came its way. The illicit whisky trade demonstrates the entrepreneurial ability of
5280-399: The Lamont diaspora abroad, preserve clan traditions and culture, and promote the history of the clan. The Clan Lamont Society of Canada form in 1984, but officially closed in 2022. Clan Lamont is closely associated with Clan Campbell, and the Lamont tartan reflects this. The Lamont tartan differs from the Campbell in only that the lines centred on green for the Campbell tartan are white on
5390-527: The Lamont hereditary seat at Dunoon to Bruce supporter Sir Colin Campbell , Black Knight of Loch Awe . By the end of the 14th century, almost all of Clan Lamont's original Cowal territory had been lost to the Campbells. In spite of considerable intermarriage between Clan Campbell and Clan Lamont, the relations between Campbell clansmen and Lamont clansmen remained harsh and bitter. In 1400, three courtiers of King Robert II took advantage of their lord's absence to Rothesay Castle . Crossing into Cowal on
5500-399: The Lowlands. The term is also used for the area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault , although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east. The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands . The Scottish Gaelic name of A' Ghàidhealtachd literally means "the place of the Gaels" and traditionally, from
5610-433: The Lowlands. When the potato famine ceased in 1856, this established a pattern of more extensive working away from the Highlands. The unequal concentration of land ownership remained an emotional and controversial subject, of enormous importance to the Highland economy, and eventually became a cornerstone of liberal radicalism. The poor crofters were politically powerless, and many of them turned to religion. They embraced
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#17327728662385720-461: The MacGregor chief was true to his word and protected Lamont from his clansmen's vengeance. Later, while it was still dark, the chief had Lamont personally conducted to Dunderave on Loch Fyne and provided him with a boat and oars. The chief bid him leave quickly, saying "Flee for your life; in your own country we shall pursue you. Save yourself if you can!" Years later, a ragged man appeared at Toward Castle desperately seeking shelter. The man
5830-410: The MacGregors were descended from an ancient Celtic royal family, through the Abbots of Glendochart. This is alluded to in the clan's motto: "Royal is my race". There is also a tradition that Gregor was the brother of Kenneth MacAlpin . Though there is little evidence to support this tradition, it is supported by the Scottish historian, William Skene . It is possible that the eponymous Gregor from whom
5940-473: The Name and Arms of Lamont. Most Lamonts have remained Catholic. The surname Lamont is derived from Lagman ( Lawspeaker ) which is from the Old Norse Logmaðr . The Old Norse name Logmaðr is composed to two elements: log which is plural of lag meaning "law" + maðr meaning "man". Around the year 500, the Irish kingdom of Dal Riata emigrated from Ulster to southwestern Scotland . Based on oral traditions, this invasion into Scottish territory
6050-443: The Royalist cause. Lamont then joined forces with Alasdair MacColla and invaded the lands of the Campbells. Sir James' brother, Archibald, led a force of Lamonts across Loch Long and, together with MacColla's Irish contingent, landed at the Point of Strone . Their force then laid waste to large areas under Campbell control. The Lamonts were particularly brutal in North Cowal , and singled out Dunoon because of its sore history as
6160-414: The Scottish woollen industry. Individual clan tartans were largely designated in this period and they became a major symbol of Scottish identity. This "Highlandism", by which all of Scotland was identified with the culture of the Highlands, was cemented by Queen Victoria's interest in the country, her adoption of Balmoral as a major royal retreat, and her interest in "tartenry". Recurrent famine affected
6270-442: The Three Kingdoms , Lamont was sent a charter by King Charles I to crush the rebels, the Campbells. Even though the Lamont chief was a Royalist sympathizer and wished to obey Charles, he had no choice but to join forces with the superior Marquess of Argyll. After the Covenanter loss at the Battle of Inverlochy , Sir James was released by the Royalist victors and was able to side with the Marquess of Montrose and actively support
6380-406: The United States. Chief Lamont is a member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs , represented by Dr. Burden from July 2018 to July 2023. In Aug 2023, Mr. Turner assumed the position of Chief Lamont's representative on the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. The Lamont-Campbells of Possil (see Carter-Campbell of Possil ), were one of the few instances where the Lamonts turned the tables on
6490-632: The amount of denudation to which the plateau has been subjected in various places. The region is much warmer than other areas at similar latitudes (such as Kamchatka in Russia , or Labrador in Canada ) because of the Gulf Stream making it cool, damp and temperate. The Köppen climate classification is " Cfb " at low elevations, then becoming " Cfc ", " Dfc " and " ET " at higher elevations. 57°07′N 4°43′W / 57.12°N 4.71°W / 57.12; -4.71 Clan Lamont Clan Lamont ( listen ; Scottish Gaelic : Clann Laomainn [ˈkʰl̪ˠãũn̪ˠ ˈl̪ˠɯːmɪɲ] )
6600-426: The chief of Clan Lamont gave permission for the eldest son of Sir Duncan Campbell to be buried at the ancient Kirk of Kilmun on the Holy Loch , which was within the confines of Lamont territory. The Highlands were impassable because of snowfall, and those conditions led to the request. After this, Campbell petitioned the Pope to found a Collegiate Church on the site. The Pope conceded, and Sir Duncan Campbell endowed
6710-448: The clan system of Scotland was effectually crushed after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The outlawing of bagpipes, tartans, and clan chiefs by the British government affected every clan – participatory in the Risings or not – in the Highlands, and thus it forced the county into a deep state of regression and new ways of living. After the destruction of Toward and Ascog Castles in 1646, the chiefs of Clan Lamont lived at Ardlamont until
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#17327728662386820-458: The clansmen who were their tenants was the change to rents being payable in money rather than in kind. Later, rents were increased as Highland landowners sought to increase their income. This was followed, mostly in the period 1760–1850, by agricultural improvement that often (particularly in the Western Highlands) involved clearance of the population to make way for large scale sheep farms. Displaced tenants were set up in crofting communities in
6930-417: The collapse of the clan system to the aftermath of the Jacobite risings. This is now thought less influential by historians. Following the Jacobite rising of 1745 the British government enacted a series of laws to try to suppress the clan system , including bans on the bearing of arms and the wearing of tartan , and limitations on the activities of the Scottish Episcopal Church . Most of this legislation
7040-494: The creation of a Crofting Commission. The Crofters as a political movement faded away by 1892, and the Liberal Party gained their votes. Today, the Highlands are the largest of Scotland's whisky producing regions; the relevant area runs from Orkney to the Isle of Arran in the south and includes the northern isles and much of Inner and Outer Hebrides, Argyll, Stirlingshire, Arran, as well as sections of Perthshire and Aberdeenshire. (Other sources treat The Islands, except Islay , as
7150-411: The distinctive geographical and cultural features of the rest of the Highlands. The north-east of Caithness , as well as Orkney and Shetland , are also often excluded from the Highlands, although the Hebrides are usually included. The Highland area, as so defined, differed from the Lowlands in language and tradition, having preserved Gaelic speech and customs centuries after the anglicisation of
7260-578: The east of this point. A much wider definition of the Highlands is that used by the Scotch whisky industry. Highland single malts are produced at distilleries north of an imaginary line between Dundee and Greenock , thus including all of Aberdeenshire and Angus . Inverness is regarded as the Capital of the Highlands, although less so in the Highland parts of Aberdeenshire , Angus , Perthshire and Stirlingshire which look more to Aberdeen , Dundee, Perth , and Stirling as their commercial centres. The Highland Council area, created as one of
7370-473: The efforts of Franciscan missionaries from Ireland, who regularly came to celebrate Mass . There remain significant Catholic strongholds within the Highlands and Islands such as Moidart and Morar on the mainland and South Uist and Barra in the southern Outer Hebrides. The remoteness of the region and the lack of a Gaelic-speaking clergy undermined the missionary efforts of the established church. The later 18th century saw somewhat greater success, owing to
7480-409: The efforts of the SSPCK missionaries and to the disruption of traditional society after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In the 19th century, the evangelical Free Churches, which were more accepting of Gaelic language and culture, grew rapidly, appealing much more strongly than did the established church. For the most part, however, the Highlands are considered predominantly Protestant, belonging to
7590-412: The family derives may have been Griogair, son of Dungal, who was allegedly co-ruler of Alba . Most modern historians agree that the first chief of Clan Gregor was Gregor of the golden bridles . His son was Iain Camm One eye , who succeeded as the second chief sometime before 1390. The barony of Loch Awe which included much of the MacGregor lands was granted to the chief of Clan Campbell by Robert
7700-415: The first Lamont-Campbell of Possil. The addition of the Campbell name was a condition of the inheritance. The family, though, remained Lamonts – still subject to the chief of Clan Lamont. The estates are located north of Glasgow, separated from the traditional land in Cowal. Mrs. Margaret Lamont-Campbell was one of the founders of the Clan Lamont Society (Scotland), in 1895. The Clan Lamont Society (Scotland)
7810-443: The following are recognized as " clan tartans " by the current chief of Clan Gregor: Descendants of Rob Roy MacGregor settled around McGregor, Iowa , and in 1849 it was reported that the original MacGregor seal and signet was owned by Alex McGregor of Iowa. The clan seal was inscribed: " Triogal Ma Dh'ream / Een dhn bait spair nocht ", which was interpreted as 'I am of royal descent/Slay and spare not'. (The first part
7920-486: The following surnames, is eligible for membership. The prefixes M' , Mc and Mac are considered interchangeable, and other spelling variations are also omitted from this list. The following names are documented aliases of MacGregor from the proscription. Membership is available for individuals who can show evidence of descent or a family tradition of MacGregor connection. The following names are traditional aliases of MacGregor with little documented evidence. Membership
8030-472: The former Northern Constabulary . These former bodies both covered the Highland council area and the island council areas of Orkney , Shetland and the Western Isles. Highland Council signs in the Pass of Drumochter , between Glen Garry and Dalwhinnie , say "Welcome to the Highlands". Much of the Highlands area overlaps the Highlands and Islands area. An electoral region called Highlands and Islands
8140-413: The ground. Sir James and his closest kin were shipped to Inveraray Castle , although he was held in the dungeons of Dunstaffnage Castle for the next five years. At Inverary, Sir James was forced to sign over all of the Lamont lands to Clan Campbell . In the churchyard at Dunoon, about a hundred Lamonts were sentenced to death and executed. Thirty-six of the clan's high-ranking gentlemen were hanged from
8250-735: The heather by bloodhounds. An Edinburgh burgess , Robert Birrel, who kept a diary of events at the time, described the episode thus (translated into modern English): [MacGregor] was conveyed to Berwick by the Guard to conform to the Earl's promise: for he promised to put [MacGregor] out of Scottish ground. So [the Earl] kept a Highlandman's promise; in respect he sent the Guard to convey [MacGregor] out of Scottish ground: But they were not directed to part with [MacGregor], but to fetch him back again! The 18th January, at evening, he came again to Edinburgh; and upon
8360-459: The house of the MacGregor chief himself. On hearing that Lamont was fleeing for his life, MacGregor promised the lad protection. Soon, though, the old MacGregor guessed it was his own son who had been slain, but considered himself bound to the Highland laws of hospitality, saying "Here this night you shall be safe". With the arrival of the furious MacGregor clansman who pursued the young Lamont,
8470-526: The income from their land. In the East and South the resulting change was similar to that in the Lowlands, with the creation of larger farms with single tenants, enclosure of the old run rig fields, introduction of new crops (such as turnips ), land drainage and, as a consequence of all this, eviction, as part of the Highland clearances , of many tenants and cottars. Some of those cleared found employment on
8580-467: The killing and it was condemned by the Privy Council. In response to the execution of two MacGregor clansmen in 1603, Alasdair MacGregor marched into Colquhoun territory with a force of over 400 men. The chief of Clan Colquhoun , in response, had been granted a royal commission to suppress the MacGregors. Colquhoun assembled a force of 500 foot and 300 cavalry and advanced to Glen Fruin to repel
8690-592: The landlords in the 1880s through the Highland Land League . Violence erupted, starting on the Isle of Skye , when Highland landlords cleared their lands for sheep and deer parks. It was quietened when the government stepped in, passing the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1886 to reduce rents, guarantee fixity of tenure, and break up large estates to provide crofts for the homeless. This contrasted with
8800-422: The landowners were new purchasers who had not owned Highland property before 1800. More landlords were obliged to sell due to the cost of famine relief. Those who were protected from the worst of the crisis were those with extensive rental income from sheep farms. Government loans were made available for drainage works, road building and other improvements and many crofters became temporary migrants – taking work in
8910-728: The last of their lands were sold in 1893 by the 21st chief, John Henry Lamont of Lamont, who emigrated to Australia. The present chief of the clan is Father Peter Noel Lamont of that Ilk, Chief of the Name and Arms of Lamont, who is a parish priest in Marayong (a suburb of Sydney ), Australia. Chief Lamont has appointed James Burden RFD as his Clan Lieutenant, and the Much Hon Baron of Seabegs (Dr. George M. Burden, 31st Baron of Seabegs) and Mr. Scott Turner as his Chieftains (Ceann-Tighe) and High Commissioners respectively in Canada and
9020-607: The later Caledonian Orogeny . Smaller formations of Lewisian gneiss in the northwest are up to 3 billion years old. The overlying rocks of the Torridon Sandstone form mountains in the Torridon Hills such as Liathach and Beinn Eighe in Wester Ross . These foundations are interspersed with many igneous intrusions of a more recent age, the remnants of which have formed mountain massifs such as
9130-492: The latter; this led to a growing perception of a divide, with the cultural distinction between Highlander and Lowlander first noted towards the end of the 14th century. In Aberdeenshire , the boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands is not well defined. There is a stone beside the A93 road near the village of Dinnet on Royal Deeside which states 'You are now in the Highlands', although there are areas of Highland character to
9240-412: The local government regions of Scotland , has been a unitary council area since 1996. The council area excludes a large area of the southern and eastern Highlands, and the Western Isles , but includes Caithness . Highlands is sometimes used, however, as a name for the council area, as in the former Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service . Northern is also used to refer to the area, as in
9350-519: The more Gaelic Highlands and Hebrides. Historically, the major social unit of the Highlands was the clan . Scottish kings, particularly James VI , saw clans as a challenge to their authority; the Highlands was seen by many as a lawless region. The Scots of the Lowlands viewed the Highlanders as backward and more "Irish". The Highlands were seen as the overspill of Gaelic Ireland. They made this distinction by separating Germanic "Scots" English and
9460-472: The new, larger farms, others moved to the accessible towns of the Lowlands. In the West and North, evicted tenants were usually given tenancies in newly created crofting communities, while their former holdings were converted into large sheep farms. Sheep farmers could pay substantially higher rents than the run rig farmers and were much less prone to falling into arrears. Each croft was limited in size so that
9570-477: The oldest set of crown jewels in the British Isles. The current chief of Clan Gregor is Sir Malcolm Gregor Charles MacGregor of MacGregor, 7th Baronet of Lanrick and Balquhidder, 24th Chief of Clan Gregor. His Gaelic designation is An t-Ailpeanach , a name which bears testimony to the clan's traditional descent from Siol Alpin . Many tartans are associated with the name MacGregor . However, only
9680-418: The overcrowded crofting communities. As the famine struck, the government made clear to landlords that it was their responsibility to provide famine relief for their tenants. The result of the economic downturn had been that a large proportion of Highland estates were sold in the first half of the 19th century. T M Devine points out that in the region most affected by the potato famine, by 1846, 70 per cent of
9790-430: The peasant classes. Agricultural improvement reached the Highlands mostly over the period 1760 to 1850. Agricultural advisors, factors , land surveyors and others educated in the thinking of Adam Smith were keen to put into practice the new ideas taught in Scottish universities. Highland landowners, many of whom were burdened with chronic debts, were generally receptive to the advice they offered and keen to increase
9900-463: The place and most cruelly put to Death, except one who was in the hot fever". Sir James Lamont ravaged the lands of Strachur , killing thirty-three men, women and children. His force destroyed much grain and drove off 340 cattle and horses. Several months later in May 1646, while the Lamonts were home at castles of Toward and Ascog , they were besieged by Campbell forces seeking revenge. By 1 June 1646
10010-449: The popularly oriented, fervently evangelical Presbyterian revival after 1800. Most joined the breakaway "Free Church" after 1843. This evangelical movement was led by lay preachers who themselves came from the lower strata, and whose preaching was implicitly critical of the established order. The religious change energised the crofters and separated them from the landlords; it helped prepare them for their successful and violent challenge to
10120-457: The population growth that started in the 18th century. Most of the Highlands, particularly in the North and West, was short of the arable land that was essential for the mixed, run rig based, communal farming that existed before agricultural improvement was introduced into the region. Between the 1760s and the 1830s there was a substantial trade in unlicensed whisky that had been distilled in
10230-425: The process. The crofts were intended not to provide all the needs of their occupiers; they were expected to work in other industries such as kelping and fishing. Crofters came to rely substantially on seasonal migrant work, particularly in the Lowlands. This gave impetus to the learning of English, which was seen by many rural Gaelic speakers to be the essential "language of work". Older historiography attributes
10340-582: The proscription of the name by the Clan Gregor Act 1661 (c. 195), but William of Orange , after Charles's brother James VII was deposed, reimposed the proscription in 1693; it was to last until 1784. Rob Roy MacGregor was born in 1671, a younger son of MacGregor of Glengyle. (However, given the circumstances, he had been forced to assume his mother's surname of Campbell). The adventures of Rob Roy MacGregor have been immortalized and romanticized by Sir Walter Scott in his novel Rob Roy . Rob Roy
10450-413: The return to a peacetime economy. The price of black cattle fell, nearly halving between 1810 and the 1830s. Kelp prices had peaked in 1810, but reduced from £9 a ton in 1823 to £3 13s 4d a ton in 1828. Wool prices were also badly affected. This worsened the financial problems of debt-encumbered landlords. Then, in 1846, potato blight arrived in the Highlands, wiping out the essential subsistence crop for
10560-535: The said clan who have already renounced their names or hereafter shall renounce and change their names; or if any of their children or posterity shall at any time hereafter assume or take to themselves the name of Gregor or MacGregor ... that every such person or persons assuming or taking to themselves the said name ... shall incur the pain of death, which pain shall be executed upon them without favour .... Clan Lamont of Cowal defied this and provided aid and refuge for fleeing MacGregors in their lands in
10670-632: The same area as that covered by the fire and rescue service. There have been trackways from the Lowlands to the Highlands since prehistoric times. Many traverse the Mounth , a spur of mountainous land that extends from the higher inland range to the North Sea slightly north of Stonehaven . The most well-known and historically important trackways are the Causey Mounth , Elsick Mounth , Cryne Corse Mounth and Cairnamounth . Although most of
10780-463: The site of the former slaughter. In April 1603, James VI of Scotland issued an edict that proclaimed the name of MacGregor as "altogidder abolisheed". This meant that anyone who bore the name must renounce it or suffer death. In 1604, MacGregor and eleven of his chieftains were hanged at Mercat Cross, Edinburgh . As a result, Clan Gregor was scattered, with many taking other names such as Murray or Grant. They were hunted like animals and flushed out of
10890-476: The site. He turned the Kirk into a burial place for Campbell chiefs, and it remains so even to the current day. In 1472, Clan Campbell received charter for the lands around Dunoon , and they proceeded to turn the castle into their main seat. Regardless of the fierce rivalry between the two clans, Clan Campbell and Clan Lamont allied together in 1544, unsuccessfully, to defeat an English expedition sailing through
11000-460: The surrounding area has a majority Protestant population, with most locals belonging to either The Kirk or the Free Church of Scotland . The church maintains a noticeable presence within the area, with church attendance notably higher than in other parts of Scotland. Religion continues to play an important role in Highland culture, with Sabbath observance still widely practised, particularly in
11110-488: The tenants would have to find work elsewhere. The major alternatives were fishing and the kelp industry. Landlords took control of the kelp shores, deducting the wages earned by their tenants from the rent due and retaining the large profits that could be earned at the high prices paid for the processed product during the Napoleonic wars. When the Napoleonic wars finished in 1815, the Highland industries were affected by
11220-670: The wake of the persecution. Clan Chattan also protected Macgregors from the MacDonalds of Keppoch in Badenoch. Despite the savage treatment of the MacGregors, they had nevertheless fought for the king during the Scottish Civil War . Some 200 men of Clan Gregor fought for the Earl of Glencairn , in what was known as Glencairn's rising , against the Commonwealth. In recognition of this, Charles II of England repealed
11330-422: Was MacGregor of Glenstrae who had been stripped of lands and possessions by the Campbells and was fleeing for his life. The Lamont chief remembered the honourable deed of MacGregor, and offered him protection and provision. The old MacGregor lived with Lamont for years until his death, and was buried in honour in the graveyard at the chapel of St. Mary on the farm of Toward-an-Uilt. The darkest era of Clan Lamont
11440-401: Was able to recover £2,900 Scots (almost £245 sterling) for the entertainment and lodging of the Lamont chief while in captivity. In 1661, the ringleader of the Dunoon Massacre , Sir Colin Campbell, was brought to justice. He stood trial on charges of High Treason , was found guilty, and then beheaded . Clan Lamont, though they still retained their lands, were functionally incapacitated in
11550-541: Was exceeded by emigration (mostly to Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and migration to the industrial cities of Scotland and England.) The area is now one of the most sparsely populated in Europe. At 9.1/km (24/sq mi) in 2012, the population density in the Highlands and Islands is less than one seventh of Scotland's as a whole. The Highland Council is the administrative body for much of
11660-543: Was formed in 1895 in a hotel room in Glasgow, Scotland, with the purpose to keep alive the values and traditions of the clan. According to Hector McKechnie, in his seminal tome, "The Lamont Clan, 1235–1935." The principle founder was one Lieut-Colonel William Belfour Lamont, VD, JD of the McPhadrick sept of the Lamonts. In 1906, a memorial was erected by the Clan Lamont Society at Dunoon . The memorial, which consists of
11770-762: Was led by the three sons of Erc , the King of Dal Riata. It was during this "building stage" of the Scottish Kingdom of Dalriada that the Stone of Destiny and the Coronation Stone were brought by the Gaels into Argyll . The Coronation Stone was later brought to Scone , the capital of the Southern Picts . It was there that the Picts and Scots became unified in 844 under the guidance of Kenneth MacAlpine . Anrothan O'Neill, an Irish prince from
11880-531: Was repealed by the end of the 18th century as the Jacobite threat subsided. There was soon a rehabilitation of Highland culture. Tartan was adopted for Highland regiments in the British Army, which poor Highlanders joined in large numbers in the era of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1790–1815). Tartan had largely been abandoned by the ordinary people of the region, but in the 1820s, tartan and
11990-483: Was undoubtedly a thorn in the flesh of the government until he died in 1734. He supported the Jacobite cause in 1715 and after the Battle of Sheriffmuir he set out plundering at will. In one such raid on Dumbarton , the town was put into panic and Dumbarton Castle was forced to open fire with its cannon. He also led Clan Gregor at the Battle of Glen Shiel in 1719. He is buried in Balquhidder churchyard. During
12100-463: Was undoubtedly during the mid 17th century. The brutal Covenanter wars and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms threatened to tear Scotland apart. Clan Lamont's participation in these wars began with their alliance with the Campbells but ended in what is now known as the Dunoon Massacre . The chief of the clan during this time was Sir James Lamont of that Ilk. In 1634, Sir James represented
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