Scottish Highland Clans

[Black Wolf]

This thread is for discussions about the various clans of Highland Scotland. I am also including the Islands here as well. I will start by posting the first parts of some videos that give good background information on a number of the most famous Highland Scottish clans. I apologize in advance if a thread about this topic or similar to this topic has already been created.

[Graham]

Have watched them a while ago. Good series.

If you added up Highland clan Surnames & septs. The amount of Highland names in all corners of Modern Scotland would be massive.

[Major Eazy]

Nice videos, unfortunately though the pigmentation of southern Europeans is more of a hot topic. Maybe if you show some swarthy Scots it will attract some attention.

[Black Wolf]

Some background information on the clans in the videos above. The chiefs of clans Gregor (MacGregor), Campbell and MacKenzie seem to be of Celtic decent in the male line while the chiefs of clan Donald (MacDonald) seem to be of Norse descent. The chiefs of clan MacLeod may have also originally be of Norse descent. Many of the Gaels of the Western Highlands and Islands were of mixed Celtic and Norse ancestries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Gregor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Campbell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Mackenzie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Donald

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacLeod

[Black Wolf]

Now it is quite interesting to note that many people over the years who have thought that Somerled who is the ancestor of Clan Donald (MacDonald) was of Celtic descent in the male line have actually been proven wrong. It appears that Somerled was actually of Norse descent in the male line even thought he probably identified still as a Celt in many ways. Certainly he had other ancestral lines in his family tree that were truly Celtic. Y-DNA testing of the chiefs of Clan Donald has shown them to be members of haplogroup R1a with their closest STR matches outside of Scotland being with Norwegians.

http://dna-project.clan-donald-usa.org/tables.htm

[Smaug]

Vert interesting. Thank you.

[Black Wolf]

More links about some more Highland Clans. Interestingly the Chiefs of Clan Niall (MacNeil) also seem to most likely be of Norse descent based on Y-DNA testing even though their tradition has it that they are supposed to descend instead from a Prince of the Celtic Uí Néill dynasty of Ireland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacMillan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacGillivray

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_MacNeil

[Anglojew]

Is there much information on clans and genetics?

[Fakirbakir]

Is there much information on clans and genetics?

I have read somewhere that the clans of western Scotland and the Isles share Viking ancestry ("Norse-Gaels").

[Black Wolf]

Is there much information on clans and genetics?

Yes there is. You can check the various DNA Projects for a start if you wish.

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/MacGregor/

http://dna-project.clan-donald-usa.org/

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/ACMS_MacLeod

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/MacKenzie

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Campbell

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/MacNeil/