The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

178 THE HIGHLANDERS [part ii
result of the pre-eminence of the Scottish name in the country
was a gradual belief in the Scottish origin of the Highland
clans ; and this belief, which must eventually have prevailed
ev'en among the clans themselves, was firmly fixed in their
minds at an earlier period by a circumstance in the history of
Scotland which will be afterwards noticed. The
First general _ •
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tradition hrst svstem, then, which produced a change in the
irisii origin traditional origin of the Highlands may be called
to the clans.
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the Scottish or ij-ish system.
The oldest and purest specimen of this tradition which' I
have been able to discover, is contained in an ancient parchment
MS., containing genealogies of most of the Highland clans,
and which, from internal evidence, appears to have been written
about A.D. 1450. 1 In this MS. the different clans are brought
from two sources. First, the Macdonalds and their numerous
dependants are brought from Colla Uais, an Irish king of the
fourth century ; second, the other clans mentioned in the MS.
are brought in different lines from Feradach Fin and his son,
Fearchar Fada, the latter of whom was a king of Dalriada, of
the line of Lorn, and reigned in the early part of the eighth
century. I shall state shortly the reasons which induce me to
think generally that this could not have been the true origin
of these clans, and that it must have been a .system introduced
by circumstances, and one which gradually obtained belief
among the Highlanders. The particular objection to the origin
of the different clans mentioned in the MS. will be found under
the head of each clan. In t\-\Q first place, it will be remarked,
that although the Dalriads consisted of the three different
-fc>'
^ This MS., the value and importance covering upon it the date of 1467. As
of which it is impossible to estimate
too highly, was discovered by
this MS. will be very frequently
the quoted in the course of this part of
Author among the MSS. in the collec- the Work, it will be referred to os
"
tion of the Faculty of Advocates. the MS. of 1450," to distinguish it
After a strict and attentive examina- from the other Gaelic MSS. to which
tion of its contents and appearance, allusion will be made. Tlie Author
the Author came to the conclusion may add, that he has printed the text
that it must have been written by a of the MS. in question, accompanied
person of the name of M'Lachlan as with a literal early
English translation,
as the year 1450 and this con- ; in the first number of the valuable
elusion with regard to its antiquity Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis,
was afterwards confirmed by dis- edited by tlie lona Club.