The Highland Clans

by Alistair Moffat

The Highland clans of Scotland are famous, the names celebrated, and the deeds heroic. Having clung to ancient traditions of family, loyalty, and valor for centuries, the clans met the beginning of their end at the fateful battle at Culloden in 1746. The great emigrations to North America and elsewhere began, and clansmen and women disappeared into the streets of the world’s cities.


Alistair Moffat traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans; from Somerled the Viking to Robert the Bruce; from the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Risings; and from the Clearances to the present day.


These are the stories of great leaders and famous battles. They are also the stories of an extraordinary people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Highlands of Scotland. Moffat is an adept guide to the world of the clans, a world dominated by lineage, land, and community. Names were crucially important in this world: more than mere labels, names were also addresses, linking people to the map of northern Scotland. Even today the power of the ancient clan names persists, drawing many of the children of the scattered diaspora back to this rugged corner of the world. Special features include a clan map and a list of clan names.

Genres: History, Scotland, Nonfiction, Politics, Travel, Audiobook, World History

176 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2010

About the author

Alistair Moffat is an award winning writer, historian and former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television.

Moffat was educated at the University of St Andrews, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Medieval History. He is the founder of the Borders Book Festival and Co-Chairman of The Great Tapestry of Scotland.

Reviews

[Mindy McAdams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before traveling to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, I wanted to do some light historical preparation. After a long and mostly unsatisfying Amazon search, I chose this book, and I was pretty happy with it. Other readers have complained about the way it's organized (or is not well organized) — you wind up with a scattered idea of a lot of clans and a lot of locations and a lot of Bonnie Prince Charlie. One thing that made this book work fairly well for me was that when I began reading it, I had already mapped out my solo trip, so I had been staring at maps and place names for about a month. As a result, I knew most of the places mentioned and roughly where they were. Without that, I suspect I might have been ready to chuck it aside, as there's only ONE map in the book, and it does not show every place mentioned in the text — not even the places where some very famous battles were fought.

The people's names are kind of overwhelming. There are various MacDonalds and MacGregors, for example, and sometimes I wasn't sure if I was reading again about someone I'd already read about in an earlier chapter. A timeline with significant dates and people would have helped.

The history is good, seems to be properly researched and verified. The illustrations (most in full color) are excellent and really enhance the text. The quality of the book is quite nice, heavy glossy paper and a sturdy binding on the paperback.

My final difficulty was that, missing a timeline, I ended up consulting Wikipedia after I'd finished reading this book so that I could get straight in my mind the progression of James VI and I (that is one person; he's VI in Scotland and I in England) and James VII and II (again, one person); Mary Queen of Scots (mother of James VI and I); William of Orange and his queen, Mary (daughter of James VII and II — see how confusing it is?); and the two Pretenders to the throne, Old (James Francis Edward Stuart, son of James VII and II) and New (his son Charles Edward Stuart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie"). A timeline would have helped with this so much. Having a grasp on all this was very helpful on my trip, because this history was referenced everywhere I went in northwestern Scotland.

The book also presents a good account of the Highland Clearances, noting the ways in which land ownership was used against the people who had lived on the land and worked it for many generations, and explaining how so very many Scottish people emigrated to the British colonies in North America, Australia and New Zealand.

[Paul Dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rich history of a hearty people is laid out for the reader to discover. Moffat delves not only into their conflicts against each other, and other nations, but what makes them who they are. He brings out their culture.

Clan society is discussed - how it lives and evolves, from early historic finding a thousand years ago to now. The author wisely doesn't rely on major national events to prop up his narrative - he provides atmosphere leading up to and falling away from such events with the focus always on the people.

The book reads quickly. At under 200 pages (including pictures) it is a solid account of the Highland clans, but by virtue of the size of the book cannot compile the entire history of all these groups of people. It is at best a dip into the larger pool. Do not get me wrong though - what is distilled here is quality history dear reader.

I learned more about Gaelic as a language, which was a delight to the linguist in me. I learned about the brutal diaspora brought on by the Highland clearances after 1745. I learned more about the resurgence of the tartan and Highland societies after George IV's visit to Edinburgh in 1822 (instumented by none other than Walter Scott). It does what a good history book should do - leaves me with thoughts, a few questions, and a hunger to learn more.

[Hon Lady Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

useful, accurate in the historical overview - as far as I could check - a decent chapter on the Highland Clearances and by the end there is a nice listing of all clan names and related origin and history but overall the writing is a tad too disorganised, jumping subjects in between sentences, tedious to read and by the end nobody remembers anything.

[Jim]

An interesting history of the clans. I would recommend reading the last chapter first. It is a listing of all the clan names, where they lived in the highlands and how each clan came to be. I think it would have been nice to have had this background information before reading the rest of the book.

[Karen Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, this is a compelling read that traces the history of the Highland clans and the importance of names, bloodlines, language and English politics on their survival. At times heart-wrenching, this is a must-read for those interested in Scottish history and the role of the clans both within and outside the United Kingdom. The illustrations are fabulous as well.

[Steven Hevey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alba gu bràth!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weak 3 stars.

This one disappointed me. It’s extremely poorly organized, in places jumping from century to century and back again without clear notation.

There were a ton of pictures which was great, but only one singular map. If you’re going to print the entire book on photo paper, give me maps in every chapter! Hard to track where anything was happening.

Perhaps this is just me wishing for a different book, but I don’t think it was served by it’s focus on “highland clans.” It seems to tread an odd middle ground — It’s not just a listing of the clans, their locations and notable facts (there is a short section of that in the back. But it is also not a more comprehensive study or history of the highlands themselves.

We skip over massive chunks of the Jacobite Revolution, but are treated to page after page of listing which factions of which clan fought on which side at various points (which I initially tried to keep track of, but it proved futile and my eyes kinda glazed over, to the point where I struggled to tell who was a monarchist and who wasn’t when an individual battle was being described).

The chapters about after the Jacobites were a bit better. It did a decently good job of showing the ironic parallels in the actual highlander experience of the time and of the romanticized version that enraptured the lowlanders/English/etc. I learned some good stuff about kilts and tartans (clan tartans are a complete fabrication, which I had seen mentioned in passing elsewhere).

Overall, would not recommend. There are surely better history books about Scotland out there.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great short history of Scotland and I learnt a lot!
It was fascinating to hear about my relative's clan and the history of Culloden, the Clans, and shocking to learn about how England treated the Scottish time and time again.

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something has changed within me, in that I was happily reading this as comfort reading on a Sunday evening. I'm not complaining but, well, I'm a little concerned.

I have not long returned from a lovely week away, frolicking my way through the Highlands and Islands, pretending that I Can Hike (I cannot) and I Am At One With Nature (I am not). Aside from being absolutely astounded by Scotland's natural beauty at least 100 times per day, I was also struck by how absolutely ignorant I was of Highland history. Cue me, several days later, panic-buying Alistair Moffat's book in Waterstones.

Generally speaking, this was exactly what I wanted. A broad history of the Highland clans, their cultures, their wars and so on, peppered with just the right amount of anecdotes. Another thing that Alistair Moffat does particularly well is enthuse about Gaelic and emphasise just how beautiful - and tricky - a language it is. Did you know that there are several words in Gaelic to describe beige colours so that you could, if you were so inclined, pinpoint the precise hue of a bowl of porridge? Because I certainly didn't, but I am delighted by this. Additionally, the whole book is full to bursting with absolutely beautiful photographs/illustrations/paintings that complement the writing wonderfully.

The three star rating, despite this being a fairly easy and comprehensive read, is due to how episodic it is. I can see the logic behind why Moffat begins with Culloden, and then details the history of the Highland clans and what led to the Jacobite uprising and its aftermath, but it just didn't quite work for me. I tend to prefer linear timelines, particularly when delving in to a completely new topic, as otherwise I lose steam. That's not to say that Moffat didn't do this well, because he did, but it just doesn't quite gel with me.

I would absolutely recommend this to anybody who is interested in learning a little about Highland clans; I'm certainly glad that I picked this up. And, as with any well-written book, it left me both satisfied and itching to follow up on at least a dozen leads that Moffat served up to me on a plate.

[Leeanne G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dust jacket of this book drew my attention immediately. It's stunning! I took it off while reading the book because I didn't want to damage it. The photos inside were also stunning and added so much to the reading experience. I was really grateful for the clan map of Scotland and the descriptions of so many of the major Scottish clans.

I learned a lot from this book. I was most excited to learn about how and why the name MacGregor was banned by King James VI and I in 1604 for about 150 years. I have MacGregor ancestors so this was particularly interesting to me. I also enjoyed learning about the clearances of the clans. It unfortunately did not surprise me at all to learn that the British spent centuries colonizing the Scottish clans. I was heartbroken to learn of the near destruction of the Gaelic language. Alistair Moffat goes on several little rants about the incomparable precision and beauty of Gaelic.

I was most surprised to learn that many of the things we think of as quintessentially Scottish (shortbread, kilts, tartans, the Highland games) are modern inventions. "Much of the modern perception of Highlanders and Highland culture dates from 1818," the year that Sir Walter Scott published Rob Roy, a highly romanticized view of the Highlanders. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert also played a role in this. The Highland Games are what they are today only because of the enthusiasm the Queen held for the event. "Games of various sorts had been held informally by chiefs and others for centuries, especially those involving manly feats of strength, but the Highland games in their modern form are a 19th century invention."

There were a few things I didn't like about this book, the biggest being its organization. I liked that Alistair started with the last clan battle and then went back to the beginnings of the clans, but he kept jumping around the timeline without much indication of how far back or forward he was going. It's already hard enough to keep track of the royal lines and names and years of battles when they're being explained in linear fashion. I would have appreciated a list of historical figures mentioned in this book at the back with the pages about the clans. That would have helped tremendously.

"Without their names the Highland clans were nothing, no better than Lowlanders or the English. Much more than mere labels, names were also addresses, pinning people to the rugged map of northern Scotland, to their own straths and glens. This was the kindred ground, the places where communities with the same surname had farmed, fished and hunted for many generations."

If I had to describe the Ancient Scots in two words I'd say "Proud and Precise."

[John Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little intro to the history of the clans of the Scottish Highlands.

[Lucy Pollard-Gott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a trade-size paperback, beautifully produced by Thames & Hudson. It is lavishly illustrated with color portraits, paintings, and black and white photos of key figures and events in Scottish clan history. The book opens with a narration of the Battle of Culloden, marking the beginning of the end for the clans' long-successful resistance to British rule. Remaining chapters go back in time to clan origins and then march forward with key turning points, usually battles. Emphasis is placed on details about clan participation in each of the main historical events--who were the principal actors on each side and why. The book concludes with a detailed catalogue of clan names through history, their origins and claims to fame. This is not the book to see clan tartans, but the history of the different kilt styles is discussed. A modern feature is the author's report of DNA studies of clan origins and modern-day presence in different areas of the Isles. For example, I learned that the Viking Somerled appears to be the progenitor of fully one-quarter (400,000) of Clan Donald in its various forms (MacDonald, Donaldson, Donald). Highly recommended!

[kglibrarian (Karin Greenberg) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After binge watching the Outlander TV show, and reading the first novel in the series, I ordered this book because of my new fascination with the Scottish Highland clans. I expected a typical paperback but when I opened the package and took out a sturdy, glossy-paged book filled with colorful drawings, photographs, and a MAP (I have a thing for books with maps!) I was thrilled. Needless to say, I was satisfied even before I began reading.

Moffat's account of the Highland clans provides a comprehensive history of battles, cultural origins, religious beliefs, and many other related details about the people and the region. Though the chapters are not always linear, and the book is not necessarily organized in a logical timeline, the author gives insightful anecdotes and highlights important milestones in Scottish history. He starts with the battle of Culloden, and while I enjoyed reading about this particular battle, I was not as interested in the continuing succession of battles that appeared as the book went on. The fighting began to merge together in my mind and I started to lose interest in the details, even though I continued to have an interest in the political and practical reasons behind the battles. Which leads me to another area that somewhat confused me. Moffat outlines the many British and Scottish political and clan leaders who played large parts in the story of the Scottish Highlands, but these names started to get confusing and without any sort of chart or list of the people, I found myself a bit lost sometimes.

One of my favorite aspects of Moffat's writing is his ability to insert quaint, personal anecdotes into the text. He tells us, for example, about a time when the author Daniel Defoe was in Edinburgh as an English spy and was pelted with stones. He also discusses interesting facts such as that in the early 1700s the Gaelic language was described as Irish in order to make is seem like a foreign language so that it would be easier to ban. And also that in Gaelic there is no word for yes or no but colors have several different words so that there are many ways to differentiate between the various shades of beige. One of the most lyrical lines in the book is about one of the Gaelic words Moffat refers to: "Sluaisreadh (pronounced slewashrugh) is a beautiful onomatopoeia for the action of the indrawn tide washing over the shoreline "(84).

The Highland Clans is not only a well-researched account of Scottish history, but also a beautiful, interactive reading experience.

[Moss Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for a concise overview of the history and tradition of the clans of Scotland and Alistair Moffat’s 2010 work “The Highland Clans” certainly fit the bill! I’ve read several other reviews that criticized Moffat’s “ADD” style of writing that jumps around from subject to subject. While I agree that the book is guilty as charged by other readers, my own “ADD” and partial knowledge of highland history overcame this as an impediment for me personally. All things being considered, the book met if not exceeded my expectations. With that being said I have no problem giving the book five stars. A job well done to Mr. Moffat is in order!

Ahh, the tragedy that is the highland clans….my Scottish blood was stirred to nigh a fever pitch as I read page after page of the exploits of fearless highlanders. Skye, Dunvegan, Culloden, Flora McDonald, Sir Rory Mor MacLeod, Bannockburn, Robert the Bruce…my Scottish heritage goes on for days. This book made me ready to grab a broadsword, don a kilt, and go run through a bealach in the same way my highland ancestors did in defense of their homes, traditions, and way of life!

[Sir Robbiethehoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that documents Scottish highland clan beginnings, starting with the Lord of the Isles who were early arrivals and then detailing how other clan’s rose to prominence or fell by the wayside throughout Scotland’s ever changing history. The stories of several important, well known clans are outlined and notable battles and historical figures discussed.

While this is a good book for general back ground knowledge involving the emergence of the clan system, it is not the best laid out in terms of organisation- a bit hard to follow in places.

But overall, the book offers very interesting insights into clan history from their beginnings, to their disintegrations, up until emigration’s began happening. A very engaging book exploring a fascinating area of Scottish history, nicely enhanced with stunning illustrations and pictures.

[Cameron M.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for what it was: a few centuries of history in more depth than you’d find in a guidebook, but still brief enough to read before or during a short trip to Scotland. In a country with so many millennia of decipherable history, I’m glad I chose to focus on learning about the Highland clans — mostly because they’re so important to contemporary romanticizations of Scotland, but also because they seem to have non-negligibly shaped Scotland as it actually is.

As expected, the abundance of proper nouns made the audiobook hard to follow, but I was pleased to find that wasn’t actually a dealbreaker. There were still several places where the writing was too awkward to follow even after I listened to a sentence three or more times. Most importantly, I would have loved less military history and more social history.

[L Gregory Lott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book describing the history of the Highland Clans in Scotland. There is much worthwhile material to glean and ponder on in this little tome. I especially liked not only the author giving the history of clans; but also, the description of the various Highland Clans in Scotland in reference to their names. I also did not realize until reading this book how the Scottish people, especially the Highlanders valued their names and what they mean. It helps explain part of my own paternal and maternal ancestry on the Scot-Irish side. Kudos to Alistair Moffat for a find and well done book.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short history of the Highland clans (and their interactions with the Lowlands) from the 14th century to the present day with beautiful pictures (as you’d expect from Thames & Hudson), with a brief chapter covering prehistory to the battle of Mons Graupius in 83AD between Agricola and Calgacus chronicled, no doubt with some bias, by Tacitus, Agricola’s son-in-law. At least Tacitus gives Calgacus a rousing speech!

Moffat evokes the beauty of the land and its language, the Potato Famine and the Clearances, with the contrasting romantic enthusiasm of royals and the wealthy for hunting lodges, Scottish Baronial modern castles, Highland Games, sanitised tartanry.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently did a backtracking trip through the Highlands & I wanted a historical synopsis of the clans, which this is fantastic option! This book is a condensed history of clan lineage, while still well researched & verified. I learned a lot more about the Gaelic language, the pictures & map were fantastic additions that I was not anticipating!

As others have mentioned, my main complaint is the story is written in a nonlinear / disorganized manner. There are so many names to remember & I often got lost at certain parts due to this, but I anticipate this issue & it's no fault of the author.

[Jeremy Shughart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quality high level treatment on the Highland Clans over the past few centuries. Moffat touches on the important historical instances during this time. He work is not intended to be in great depth but more of a survey. He compiles shorter chapters discussing major topics. For, someone that is just getting into the study of the Highland Clans, this work would be a great place to start. It is an easy read and keeps the reader moving along in the book.

[Sherry Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Purchased it during my trip throughout the Scottish Highlands. Very informative and useful. A timeline would be great to keep track of the events but the visuals included in the book are very useful. I am glad this work has been done, so I could better learn about the history of the clans with a lot of anecdotes, original text from letters and poems. Very very nice piece of work!

[Pam Wright · Rating 1 out of 5]

Skimmed through the second half. I’m so bored of reading about what men think is important in history: battles and pissing contests and killing each other in new creative ways. Plus this book is written in a very annoying way, it’s not really chronological or by topic. Really did not like this one if you can’t tell!

[Elijah Meggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a lot of Scottish ancestry on both sides of my family and having always been fascinated by history, I thought I knew the history of Scotland. This book showed me how little I knew about the history of Scotland through the perspective of it’s clans. Particular attention is given to the powerful clans of Argyll and the Hebrides such as the Campbells, MacDonalds and MacLeods.

[Matt Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this.

I think I was expecting something more dry and “matter of fact,” but while it WAS definitely a historical accounting, it was definitely interesting and not something I wanted to put down for the night.

My biggest qualm, however, is the paper it was printed on. Reflective and shiny. Hard to utilize my book light!

But we made it work.

[Andrew Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid wee read. Only 150 or so pages and a good primer for anyone looking to learn the basics about the history of the Highland Clans, clan culture and the main junctures of history in which they engaged.

Probably not ideal if you are wanting a deep dive, as it’s quite surface level and covers a large period of time in so few pages, but as I said it works as entry level material for the subject.

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. I’m so glad I found this book. I’ve been to Highlands twice so I was already somewhat familiar with the locations and clan history mentioned in the book. If you have not traveled there or have not read much on the clan history, you may have some trouble with the way it is organized. It may be helpful to refer to Wikipedia.

[Olga Hammock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated, easy to read history of the Highland clans. It skims over the surface of some issues but gives a comprehensive view and I found Moffat’s comments on the Gaelic language, although necessarily brief, very interesting. A good starter history.

[Trudy Stachowiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book after I learned I am of Scottish descent and and that my family was part of a Highland Clan. This book was well written and easy to read and gives detailed information about the clans and the roles they played in the Highlands region throughout history.

[Judith Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are several substantial descriptions of important historical events such as the Battle of Culloden and lots of pictures. There is a short chapter outlining the histories of various clans, to the extent this is known.

[Jenny Lyn Senter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on Audible. It was too hard to keep track of everything! I just ordered a copy of the book as I want to be able to research some of the information shared. He's very knowledgeable and I learned a lot about clans, battles, and feuds.