Scottish Clans: The Families Behind the Castles, Lochs & Lands
Why a clans section?
Travel Scotland for any length of time and you quickly realise the castles, the lochs and the glens all have families attached to them. The ruin you’re photographing was somebody’s stronghold; the loch you’re camped beside was somebody’s territory; the massacre remembered on that quiet memorial was clan against clan. Scottish Outposts is built around the places we’ve actually been — so this section joins the dots, telling the story of the clans behind those places, and linking each clan to the castles, lochs and villages of theirs that you’ll find across the site.
How many clans were there?
There’s no single tidy figure. Today around 140 clans and families have a chief recognised by the Court of the Lord Lyon and the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. Count in all the historical clans, their branches (or “cadets”) and the associated families and septs that followed them, and the number is usually put at around 500. The great Highland clans everyone has heard of — Campbell, MacDonald, MacGregor, MacKenzie, Fraser, Cameron, Gordon, Stewart, Sinclair and the rest — are only a few dozen of them, but they shaped the map.
We’re not attempting all 500. We’re building this out one clan at a time, starting with the clans whose lands and castles already appear on our travels — and we’ll add their history, their strongholds and their story as we go.
The clans on our travels
These are the families whose territory, castles and stories run through the places we’ve visited. Live clan pages are linked; the rest are on the way — but their places are already here.
⚔️ Clan Campbell
The mighty Lords of Argyll — chiefs the Dukes of Argyll at Inveraray, with the Glenorchy/Breadalbane branch at Loch Awe. Read the Clan Campbell story →
Their places: Inveraray · Kilchurn Castle · Loch Awe & St Conan’s Kirk · Castle Campbell, Dollar · The Dukes of Argyll
⚔️ Clan MacGregor
Rob Roy’s clan — the outlawed “Children of the Mist” of the Trossachs. Read the Clan MacGregor story →
Their places: Loch Katrine (Rob Roy born at Glengyle) · Callander & Balquhidder
⚔️ Clan Donald (MacDonald)
The Lords of the Isles — once the greatest power in the west. Read more →
Their places: Dunaverty & Southend, Kintyre
⚔️ Clan Sinclair
The Norse-blooded Earls of Caithness and Orkney, at the far north. (Clan page coming.)
Their places: Castle Sinclair Girnigoe · Keiss · Wick
⚔️ The Bruces
Robert the Bruce, victor of Bannockburn — and the Bruces of Culross.
Their places: Culross (Sir George Bruce) · Stirling & Bannockburn · St Conan’s Kirk (a relic of the king)
⚔️ Clan MacNab
The old clan of Killin, at the head of Loch Tay. (Clan page coming.)
Their places: Killin (Innis Bhuidhe, the clan burial island)
⚔️ Clan Colquhoun
The lairds of Luss on Loch Lomond — of the bloody 1603 Battle of Glen Fruin. (Clan page coming.)
Their places: Luss
⚔️ Clan Douglas
The “Red Douglases” of Tantallon — once so mighty they rivalled the crown itself.
Their places: Tantallon / the North Berwick coast
⚔️ House of Stewart
Scotland’s royal dynasty — the Stewart kings, and Mary, Queen of Scots. (Clan page coming.)
Their places: Stirling · Linlithgow
⚔️ Clan Fraser of Lovat
The great clan of the Aird, west of Inverness — of “the Old Fox” and the Battle of the Shirts. Read more →
Their places: Laggan Locks & Loch Lochy, Fraserburgh
⚔️ Clan Cameron
The fierce clan of Lochaber — the Gentle Lochiel and the Commandos’ Achnacarry. Read more →
Their places: Laggan Locks & Loch Lochy, Glen Nevis
⚔️ Clan Mackenzie
The great clan of Kintail and Wester Ross — Earls of Seaforth, answering to the Cabar Fèidh. Read more →
Their places: Eilean Donan, Gairloch & Loch Maree
⚔️ Clan Mackay
Lords of the far north-west — Strathnaver and the Reay Country behind Cape Wrath. Read more →
Their places: Durness & Balnakeil
⚔️ Clan MacNab
The children of the Abbot at Killin, on the shore of Loch Tay. Read more →
Their places: Killin, the Kinnell Estate
⚔️ Clan Sinclair
The Norse-Norman Earls of Caithness. Read more →
Their places: Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, Keiss Castle
⚔️ Clan Colquhoun
The Lairds of Luss on the bonnie banks. Read more →
Their places: Luss, Loch Lomond
⚔️ Clan Grant
“Stand Fast” — the Highland house of Strathspey and Glenfiddich. Read more →
Their places: Dufftown, Glenfiddich
⚔️ House of Stewart
Scotland’s royal dynasty, from the High Stewards to the crown. Read more →
⚔️ The Dukes of Argyll
MacCailein Mòr — the chiefs of Clan Campbell, at Inveraray. Read more →
Their places: Inveraray
⚔️ Clan MacDougall
The Lords of Lorn — Somerled’s senior line, who took the Brooch of Lorn from Bruce and then fell to the Campbells. Read more →
Their places: Oban & Dunollie, Dalrigh, Loch Awe
⚔️ Clan MacLeod
“Hold Fast” — the sea-lords of Skye, Harris and Lewis, at Dunvegan. Read more →
Their places: Dunvegan Castle · Talisker · Isle of Harris · Raasay
⚔️ Clan Gordon
The “Cock o’ the North” — Dukes of Gordon, and champions of the 1823 whisky act. Read more →
Their places: The Glenlivet · GlenDronach
⚔️ Clan Sutherland
“Sans Peur” — Earls and Dukes of Sutherland at Dunrobin, and the Clearances. Read more →
Their places: Clynelish · Brora
⚔️ Clan Murray
The Dukes of Atholl at Blair Castle — with Europe’s only legal private army. Read more →
Their places: Blair Athol · Glenturret · Tullibardine
⚔️ Clan Ross
The men of Easter Ross — the old earldom between the firths. Read more →
Their places: Balblair
⚔️ Clan Munro
“Dread God” — the clan of Foulis on the Cromarty Firth. Read more →
Their places: Teaninich
⚔️ Clan Cumming
The Comyns — once the mightiest family in Scotland, broken by the Bruce. Read more →
Their places: Cardhu
⚔️ Clan Ramsay
The Earls of Dalhousie, and the Ramsays of Fasque in the Mearns. Read more →
Their places: Fettercairn
Explore the other two pillars
- 🏰 Castles of Scotland — every castle we’ve visited, with its history and its clan. (Hub coming.)
- 🌊 The Lochs of Scotland — our running guide to Scotland’s lochs.
This section grows as we travel. Tell us which clan you’d like next.