Clan MacEacharn facts for kids

Clan MacEacharn (pronounced "Sìol Eachairn" in Scottish Gaelic) was a group of families who lived in parts of Scotland. Their lands were mainly in areas like Kintyre, Islay, and Morvern. They also lived on islands such as Mull and Tiree.

The MacEacharns are known as one of the oldest family names in the Western Highlands of Scotland. While we know a lot about the Kintyre branch of the family, the history of the families in Islay, Morvern, and the islands is not as clear.

Discovering the MacEacharn Clan

The name Sìol Eachairn means "The Seed of the Horse Lord." The MacEacharns are a clan, which is like a large family group. Other clans even branched off from them!

The traditional home of the MacEacharns was Killelan Estate in Southern Kintyre. The name Killelan means "the church of St Fillan." Saint Fillan was an important figure. His mother, Saint Kentigerna, was a princess from Leinster in Ireland. She traveled to Scotland in the late 600s AD with her brother and son.

The Ancient Family Tree

Scholars have studied the MacEacharn family tree for a long time. One important person in their history was named Ectigern, who lived around the mid-1100s. He is considered the ancestor of the Sìol Eachairn.

Ectigern had three sons:

• Gilchrist (also called Gilles) was the oldest. He settled in South Kintyre at Kilellan Estate. Gilchrist is known as the first chief of Clan MacEacharn.
• Dugal stayed in Lorne and lived at Craignish. Dugal became the first chief of a group known as Clan Dugall Craignish.
• Ranald also stayed in Lorne. His descendants later became known as Clan Malcolm or the MacCallums of Poltalloch.

A book called Siol Eachairn was written in 1933 by Rev. Dugald MacEchern. It shares what was known about the family's origins and their different branches.

An Unofficial Clan

It's interesting to know that Clan MacEacharn is not officially recognized as a clan by the Court of the Lord Lyon. This is the official authority in Scotland for things like coats of arms and clan recognition.

What Does MacEacharn Mean?

The name MacEacharn comes from the Old Irish name Ectigern, which means "Horse Lord." This name was used in Ireland a very long time ago, appearing in old records as early as 760 AD.

You might see the name spelled in many different ways, such as:

• MacEacharn
• MacEachran
• MacEchern
• MacEachern
• McEachern
• McEchron
• MacEachron
• McEachron
• McEathron
• Macharn
• MacEacharin
• MacEachthighearna
• MacEachairn

Even though some names like MacEachainn or MacEachen sound similar, they are not actually related to MacEacharn.

Clans Connected to MacEacharn

The MacEacharn clan had connections with other clans in Scotland.

In the area of Morvern, Clan MacEacharn was part of an alliance called Siol Gillebride. This group included Clan MacInnes, the MacMasters, and the MacGillivrays. They were led by a famous warrior named Somerled.

The chief of Clan MacEacharn also had an important role on the Council of the Lords of the Isles. This council was made up of powerful leaders in the Scottish islands. The MacEacharn chief was a "freeholder," meaning their family was not directly descended from Clan Donald, the main family of the Lords of the Isles.

There were also family ties through marriage. For example, the eighth chief of Clan MacDougall married Christina MacDougall, who was the daughter of the fourth chief of Clan Dugall Craignish. Their son, Dougall, later became the ninth chief of Clan MacDougall. These connections show how different clans were linked through history.