Clan MacKinnon Society


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The History of Clan MacKinnon by Gerald MacKinnon The early history of the Clan MacKinnon is lost in the mists of time. But it is generally accepted that the clan is descended from Loarn one of the sons of the Irish King Erc and a founder of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada. The tribe of Loarn occupied the northernmost districts of Dalriada. The lands included the area of modern Lorn as well as the islands of Mull, Coll and Tiree. The history of the ancient kingdom of Dalirada was recorded in the early monasteries. These Annalists tell of an almost constant struggle between the tribes of Dalirda for possession of the title Ard-Righ (High King). The two most powerful tribes, Loarn and Gabhran were equally strong; neither of them was able to subdue the other so the High Kingship alternated between them. The long struggles between the tribes of Dalriada, however, considerably weakened the kingdom and in about 700 A.D. it fell to Viking raiders For several hundred years nothing further is recorded about the tribe of Lorn but it had not disappeared. Finguine, the founder of the clan was a historical figure and a prominent warrior known to have lived during the last years of the 12th century. Finguine, the grandson of Aibertach of Lorn, gave the clan its Gaelic designation Mac Fhionghuin (Son of Fingon). Eventually the name was anglicized as MacKinnon by a MacKinnon chief during the 18th century; an occurrence which was relatively late in clan history. As the Kingdom of the Isles developed into the Lordship of the Isles there was a flowering of Gaelic arts, literature, building and trade. The clan MacKinnon were active participants in all aspects of this growing and uniquely Gealic culture. For many hundreds of years the MacKinnons held offices of importance in both the military and civil administrations of the Isles. A MacKinnon chief was the marshal of the island fleet that transported Robert Bruce and his army during the start of the campaign that ended at Bannockburn. MacKinnon chiefs were respected members of the Council of the Isles, Brehon judges and for a time Masters of the Household for the Lords of the Isles. From about 1357 until 1498 the MacKinnon clan supplied the abbots and priors for the monastery of Iona. Under the lordship of the Isles the MacKinnons obtained the lands of Strath on Skye, a farm called Sliddery on the island of Arran and consolidated their hold on Mishnish, a district on the north of the island of Mull. After the fall of the lordship of the Isles c.1493 the MacKinnons along with the other Island clans struggled for some 50 years to re-established it. The Islanders, however, could not succeed against the growing power of the Scottish kings and the spirit and unity of the ancient Lordship was lost .The Scots kings, however, were not strong enough to impose their will in the west. With no governing authority for more than 100 years the island clans struggled individually for survival. It was during the civil wars which enveloped Scotland, Ireland & England during the 1640s that first saw the MacKinnons support the Stewart kings. They marched with the royalist general Montrose fully participating in his victories. Although King Charles I was eventually executed the MacKinnons remained loyal to the Stewart cause by supporting the restoration of his son Charles II. When the Stewarts again lost the throne of England during the Glorious Revolution the MacKinnons marched under Bonnie Dundee (1689) to save the throne of Scotland for them. The Stuart cause gained much support in 1707 by the passage of the unpopular Act of Union which forged England and Scotland into one country. The MacKinnon clan was out in all three of the attempts to restore Scotlands sovereignty; 1715, 1719 & 1745. The period following the ill-fated Jacobite risings saw the once prosperous island clan reduced to poverty. Unable to pay all of the debts for which he was responsible Charles, the penultimate MacKinnon chief, sold the last of his patrimony in 1791. The clan, that was now living on land which was owned by others, lost much of its leadership to emigration. Many of the ordinary clan’s folk who had the means to leave their traditional homes soon followed and also went abroad. The brutal but well known clearing of the Highlands to make room for the more profitable sheep saw the bulk of the MacKinnons, after more than 1000 years in the Hebrides, scattered around the globe. From Arran (1829-1843) the majority of the displaced MacKinnons fled to relatives in Skye or Mull but a few found new homes in Lower Canada. Then between 1843-1853 most of the clans men and women living in the ancient MacKinnon townships on Skye and Mull lost their homes and were forced aboard ships to emigrate to Canada, Australia, and the United States.

The History of Clan MacKinnon
by Gerald MacKinnon

The early history of the Clan MacKinnon is lost in the mists of time. But it is generally accepted that the clan is descended from Loarn one of the sons of the Irish King Erc and a founder of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada. The tribe of Loarn occupied the northernmost districts of Dalriada. The lands included the area of modern Lorn as well as the islands of Mull, Coll and Tiree.

The history of the ancient kingdom of Dalirada was recorded in the early monasteries. These Annalists tell of an almost constant struggle between the tribes of Dalirda for possession of the title Ard-Righ (High King). The two most powerful tribes, Loarn and Gabhran were equally strong; neither of them was able to subdue the other so the High Kingship alternated between them. The long struggles between the tribes of Dalriada, however, considerably weakened the kingdom and in about 700 A.D. it fell to Viking raiders For several hundred years nothing further is recorded about the tribe of Lorn but it had not disappeared.

Finguine, the founder of the clan was a historical figure and a prominent warrior known to have lived during the last years of the 12th century. Finguine, the grandson of Aibertach of Lorn, gave the clan its Gaelic designation Mac Fhionghuin (Son of Fingon). Eventually the name was anglicized as MacKinnon by a MacKinnon chief during the 18th century; an occurrence which was relatively late in clan history.

As the Kingdom of the Isles developed into the Lordship of the Isles there was a flowering of Gaelic arts, literature, building and trade. The clan MacKinnon were active participants in all aspects of this growing and uniquely Gealic culture. For many hundreds of years the MacKinnons held offices of importance in both the military and civil administrations of the Isles. A MacKinnon chief was the marshal of the island fleet that transported Robert Bruce and his army during the start of the campaign that ended at Bannockburn. MacKinnon chiefs were respected members of the Council of the Isles, Brehon judges and for a time Masters of the Household for the Lords of the Isles.

From about 1357 until 1498 the MacKinnon clan supplied the abbots and priors for the monastery of Iona. Under the lordship of the Isles the MacKinnons obtained the lands of Strath on Skye, a farm called Sliddery on the island of Arran and consolidated their hold on Mishnish, a district on the north of the island of Mull.

After the fall of the lordship of the Isles c.1493 the MacKinnons along with the other Island clans struggled for some 50 years to re-established it. The Islanders, however, could not succeed against the growing power of the Scottish kings and the spirit and unity of the ancient Lordship was lost .The Scots kings, however, were not strong enough to impose their will in the west. With no governing authority for more than 100 years the island clans struggled individually for survival.

It was during the civil wars which enveloped Scotland, Ireland & England during the 1640s that first saw the MacKinnons support the Stewart kings. They marched with the royalist general Montrose fully participating in his victories. Although King Charles I was eventually executed the MacKinnons remained loyal to the Stewart cause by supporting the restoration of his son Charles II.

When the Stewarts again lost the throne of England during the Glorious Revolution the MacKinnons marched under Bonnie Dundee (1689) to save the throne of Scotland for them. The Stuart cause gained much support in 1707 by the passage of the unpopular Act of Union which forged England and Scotland into one country. The MacKinnon clan was out in all three of the attempts to restore Scotlands sovereignty; 1715, 1719 & 1745.

The period following the ill-fated Jacobite risings saw the once prosperous island clan reduced to poverty. Unable to pay all of the debts for which he was responsible Charles, the penultimate MacKinnon chief, sold the last of his patrimony in 1791. The clan, that was now living on land which was owned by others, lost much of its leadership to emigration. Many of the ordinary clan’s folk who had the means to leave their traditional homes soon followed and also went abroad.

The brutal but well known clearing of the Highlands to make room for the more profitable sheep saw the bulk of the MacKinnons, after more than 1000 years in the Hebrides, scattered around the globe. From Arran (1829-1843) the majority of the displaced MacKinnons fled to relatives in Skye or Mull but a few found new homes in Lower Canada. Then between 1843-1853 most of the clans men and women living in the ancient MacKinnon townships on Skye and Mull lost their homes and were forced aboard ships to emigrate to Canada, Australia, and the United States.