Clan MacInnes

Scottish clan

Clan MacInnes

Crest: Crest badge of William John MacInnes of Malagawatch a branch of the clan; given to him on 25 January 1961. Incorrectly and commercially accepted as the crest badge for the entire Clan MacInnes

Motto

Ghift dhe agus an righ (By the Grace of God and the King)

Profile

Plant badge

Cuileann (Ilex aquifolium) Holly

Clan MacInnes no longer has a chief, and is an armigerous clan

Historic seat

Kinlochaline Castle

Died

1358

Septs of Clan MacInnes

Angus, Canch, Cansh, Caunce, Hance, MacAngus, MacAinish, MacAinsh, MacAneiss, MacAninch, MacAninsh, MacAnish, MacAnsh, MacAonghais, MacAonghuis, MacCainsh, MacCance, MacCanchie, MacCanish, MacCans, MacCansh, MacEnys, MacGinnes, MacGinnis, MacGuenis, Machans, MacHinch, MacInch, MacInish, MacInnes, MacInnis, MacInnisch, MacInnish, MacKance, MacKants, MacKinnes, MacKinness, MacKinnis, MacKinnish, MacKynes, MacQuinnes, Magennis, McAinish, McAneiss, McAngus, McAninch, McAnish, McAnsh, McCainsh, McCance, McCanchie, McCanish, McCans, McCansh, McEnys, McGinnes, McGinnis, McGuenis, McHinch, McInish, McInnes, McInnisch, McInnish, McInnis, McInsh, McKants, McKance, McKinnes, McKinness, McKinnis, McKinniss, McKinnish, McKynes, Kinnes, Kinnis, Kynnes

Clan branches
MacInnes of Kinlochaline, MacInnes of Malagawatch, MacInnes of Morven, MacInnes of Rickersby

Allied clans
Clan MacGillivray; Clan Donald; Clan Mackinnon

Rival clans
Clan Maclean

Clan MacInnes is a Scottish clan originally from the western highlands of Scotland.^[1]^[2]

Origin

The origin of the name Macinnes is from Angus, one of the most ancient names among the Gael. In the genitive the " g " of this word is pronounced, and the name is left with the sound MacAon'es or Maclnnes. Who this Angus was, is unknown. The name Maclnnes could also mean "the Son of the Islet."

Ancient Alliance

Before the defeat of the Lord of the Isles and the dispersion of the clans by King Alexander II, a single confederacy, the Siol Gillivray, appears to have included the MacGillivrays, Maclnneses, MacEacherns, and MacMasters.^[3]

Clan Maclnnes had its headquarters in the heart of Morven, and at the head of Loch Aline, which winds away into the hills from the Sound of Mull, the ruin of an old square tower is still pointed out as the ancient seat of the chiefs.

Kinlochaline was within a short distance of Ardtornish, on the Sound of Mull itself, one of the main seats of the Lords of the Isles, and the Maclnneses were probably, therefore, closely allied with and subject to these rulers.^[4]

Destruction of the chiefly line

Around 1358 the chief of the clan and his sons were killed at the castle at Ardtornish by members of Clan Maclean on the orders of the Lord of the Isles for apparently meddling in his marriage. Most of the MacInnes lands were subsequently ceded to Clan Maclean by 1390.

The Maclnnes chiefs are buried near Kilcolumkil, a short distance away.

Legendary bowmen

Some of the clan survivors moved to Sleat on the Isle of Skye merging with Clan MacKinnon and became known as Sliochd Neill a’ bhogha (The Line of Neil of the Bow). One of these families held the office of hereditary bowman to the Chiefs of Clan MacKinnon.

Wars of Montrose

In 1645, during the Wars of Montrose, Kinlochaline was besieged by Irish auxiliaries. Clan Maclnnes held out until a breach was made in the wall and defence became hopeless.

Clan symbols

The clans original crest was a bee alight upon a thistle and the motto “E labore Dulcedo” (in labor, pleasure) presumably related to an episode when a sleeping clan Chief was awakened in time by a bee sting resulting in the clan defeating a party of Vikings. This symbol is no longer in use.

Clan Association

Shield of the International Association of Clan MacInnes approved by Lord Lyon

The International Association of Clan MacInnes came into existence in 1970.^[5]

On November 26 2018, the Court of the Lord Lyon advised the International Association of Clan MacInnes that they were at liberty to choose between a plain circlet and the belt and buckle for the IACM Crest.

References

^ Macdonald, Angus; Macdonald, Archibald (1896). The Clan Donald. Vol. 1. Northern Counties Publishing Company, Limited. p. 537. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Adam, Frank; Learney, Thomas Innes of (1970). The Clans, Septs & Regiments of the Scottish Highlands. Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 249. ISBN 9780806304489.
^ Eyre-Todd, George (1923). The Highland Clans of Scotland: Their History and Traditions. Volume 2. New York: A D. Appleton and Company. p. 297. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Williams,R. The Lords of the Isles, Chatto & Windus, London, 1997 ( ISBN 0701122684 )
^ https://macinnes.org/association_brief.html