Clan MacNeacail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clan MacNeacailClann MhicNeacail |
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Crest: A hawk's head erased Gules.
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| Motto | SGORR-A-BHREAC (Scorrybreac) | ||
| Slogan | Meminisse sed providere (Remember but look ahead) | ||
| Profile | |||
| District | Inner Hebrides | ||
| Plant badge | Juniper | ||
| Chief | |||
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| John MacNeacail of MacNeacail and Scorrybreac | |||
| Chief of the Highland Clan MacNeacail | |||
| Seat | Ballina, New South Wales | ||
| Historic seat | Scorrybreac Castle and Castle MacNicol (Stornoway Castle). | ||
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Clan MacNeacail, also called Clan MacNicol, is a Scottish clan with a long history on the Isle of Skye. It's believed that long ago, the clan controlled the Isle of Lewis and a large area of the north-western mainland.
The first known member of the clan was John "mak Nakyl" in the 1300s. He supported Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Later, the clan switched sides to support Robert I of Scotland. A marriage between a MacNeacail heiress and a MacLeod of Lewis led to the clan losing much of its land and power. This forced the chiefs to move to their remaining lands on Skye.
Even after losing land, the MacNeacails remained important. They were said to be part of the Council of the Lords of the Isles. They also looked after the main church of the Western Isles at Snizort. In the 1600s, many clan members changed their Gaelic surname MacNeacail to English forms like Nicolson. Today, people with the Nicolson surname might be from Clan MacNeacail or from other Scottish families, like the Lowland Clan Nicolson.
Contents
The Clan's Beginnings
Where Did They Come From?
For hundreds of years, the main home of Clan MacNeacail has been in Trotternish on Skye. Records show a MacNeacail in Trotternish as early as 1507. An old book called History of the MacDonalds (from the 1600s) says that "MacNicoll in Portree" was part of the council for the Lords of the Isles. This shows the clan was on Skye even earlier.
Old family trees, called pedigrees, tell us about the clan's first leaders. One important pedigree from the 1400s mentions John, son of Ewen, who was the son of John, son of Nicol. This record goes back 25 generations, including an earlier Nicol who lived around the late 1100s. This long family tree suggests the MacNeacails were important followers of the Lords of the Isles.
The names in these old records mix Gaelic (Scottish) and Scandinavian (Norse) names. This hints that the clan's male line might go back to Norse princes from Dublin. In the Middle Ages, Skye was part of the Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of the Isles. It became part of Scotland in 1266 after the Treaty of Perth. It's likely that the clan's origins involve both Norwegian and Celtic family lines joining through marriage.
The First MacNeacail on Record
The earliest MacNeacail we know about was probably John "mak Nakyl" or "Macnakild" in the 1300s. This might be the same "John son of Nicol" from the old family tree. John is mentioned in English documents as a supporter of Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
In 1306, Edward I sent letters to his supporters, including John "mak Nakyl." Later, in 1314 and 1315, Edward II of England asked his main supporter, John MacDougall of Argyll, to welcome John "Macnakild" into the king's peace. These records show that John was a powerful leader in the West Highlands or Hebrides.
It's also possible that John is the unnamed MacNicol in John Barbour's poem The Brus from the late 1300s. The poem says this MacNicol helped in Edward Bruce's attack on Carrickfergus Castle in 1316. Since the poem links this MacNicol with ships, it suggests he was an important leader from the islands.
Old Clan Stories
By the early 1500s, the MacNeacails were a smaller but important clan on Skye. However, old Gaelic stories and place names suggest they were once much more powerful. Their lands might have stretched across the northern Hebrides and the north-western mainland in the 1200s. Some historians believe the MacNicols were the main family in the Outer Hebrides during the end of the Norse period.
A key part of these stories is that the MacNeacails once owned Lewis. They supposedly lost it to the MacLeods when a MacNeacail heiress married a MacLeod. The MacNicols are thought to have held 'Castle Sween' at Stornoway for 300 years before the MacLeods. They also built Caisteal Mhic Creacail at Point on Lewis.
An old manuscript says that the MacNeacails held Lewis from the Kings of Mann. It also says their control ended when an heiress married a MacLeod. Another story says a part of the MacNeacails held Waternish on Skye before the MacLeods. The marriage of Margaret MacNicol to Murdoch, son of Leod, probably happened before 1343. This is when the MacLeods of Lewis officially received their land from the king.
Other stories connect the MacNeacails to the mainland areas of Assynt and Coigach. The ruins of Caisteal Mhic Neacail ("MacNeacail's Castle") near Ullapool support these links. A local story from 1794 says that Assynt was given to a 'MacKrycul' for helping against Viking raiders. This 'MacKrycul' is believed to be an ancestor of the MacNicols. By the mid-1300s, the MacLeods also controlled this area.
Another tradition about the coat of arms of the MacLeods of Lewis might actually refer to the MacNeacails. In the 1600s, it was said that the Kings of Norway had the MacLeods light two beacons, one on Lewis and one on Skye. These beacons guided the king's ships. Since the MacLeods likely got Lewis long after the Hebrides became part of Scotland, this story might be about the MacNeacails. If so, the MacLeods of Lewis not only got their lands from the MacNeacails but also some of their symbols.
All these stories and records suggest that the MacNicols were a very important family in the Medieval north-west. They faced a big loss of status in the 1300s, which changed the power balance in the region.
Clan History Through the Centuries
From the 1500s to the 1800s
By the 1500s, the MacNicol chiefs lived at Scorrybreac House on Skye. It's believed they received this land from the Scottish crown in 1263 for their help at the Battle of Largs. In 1540, King James V of Scotland stayed at Scorrybreac House. This visit is remembered in old MacNicol songs.
On Skye, the MacNicols were important supporters of the main church of St Columba. Twenty-eight clan chiefs are thought to be buried there. A small chapel is even called MacNicol's Aisle because of their support. After the Lordship of the Isles ended, the clan followed the MacDonalds of Sleat. Malcolmuill MacNicol and his brother Nicoll were pardoned in 1563 for their actions during a fight between the MacDonalds and Macleans.
During the Scottish Civil War in the 1600s, the MacNeacails again fought with the MacDonalds of Sleat. Sorley MacNicol was listed as a supporter of Sir James MacDonald, who raised his clan for King Charles I.
The Reverend Donald Nicolson of Scorrybreac, who was the clan head in the late 1600s, is said to have had 23 children. Many Skye families today are his descendants. Donald was a Non-juror, meaning he refused to swear loyalty to William III after 1689. This religious position was linked to Jacobitism, a movement supporting the Stuart kings. Because of this, he was removed from his church after 1696.
The MacDonalds of Sleat fought in the Jacobite uprisings of 1689 and 1715. It's likely that Nicolsons also fought with them. In 1745, a report for the government named John Nicolson of Scorrybreck as a likely rebel if the MacDonalds joined the fight again. The Sleat MacDonalds avoided the 1745 rebellion, but stories say a group of Nicolsons fought at Culloden for the Jacobites.
Several Nicolsons helped Prince Charles Edward, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, hide in the Hebrides after Culloden. The chief, John Nicolson, helped hide the prince in a cow shed on his land. John's family kept a lock of the prince's hair and the cup he drank from. Margaret Nicolson, Donald's granddaughter, helped tell the prince's supporters on Skye that he was coming with Flora MacDonald. Another clan member, Donald Nicolson from Raasay, also helped protect the prince. His descendants moved to Australia and recorded his service in their family Bible.
In the 1800s, the clan was greatly affected by the Highland Clearances. Many clan members were forced to leave Scotland and move to other countries. In 1826, the chief's sons left Skye and settled in Tasmania.
The 1900s and Today
In 1934, Norman Alexander Nicolson, who was next in line to be clan chief, was given a coat of arms by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. This coat of arms included a hawk's head and the mottoes SGORR-A-BHREAC and GENEROSITATE NON FEROCITATE.
In 1980, Norman Alexander's son, Ian, asked the Lord Lyon to recognize him as the clan chief. He was then officially named "Iain MacNeacail of MacNeacail and Scorrybreac, Chief of The Highland Clan MacNeacail." The current clan chief is John MacNeacail of MacNeacail and Scorrybreac. He lives in Ballina, NSW, Australia.
In 1987, The Clan MacNeacail Trust was created. They bought the Ben Chracaig estate in Scorrybreac to protect it and allow people to enjoy it.
Clan Stories and Legends
On Lewis, a deep gap between Dùn Othail and the mainland is called "Leum Mhac Nicol", which means "Nicolson's Leap" in Scottish Gaelic. The story tells of a MacNeacail who was angry with the chief. He ran off with the chief's only child to the ravine and jumped across the gap. Attempts to rescue the child failed. The chief finally agreed to the man's demands. But just as the chief agreed, MacNeacail jumped over the cliff into the sea with the child, shouting in Gaelic, "I shall have no heir, and he shall have no heir!"
Another story from Skye tells of a MacNicol chief, MacNicol Mor, arguing with Macleod of Raasay. A servant, who only spoke Gaelic, thought his master was in danger. The servant drew his sword and killed MacNicol Mor. To stop a fight between the two clans, the elders decided that the "meanest" (lowest-ranking) person from Clan Nicol would behead Macleod of Raasay. Lomach, a simple basket maker, was chosen and cut off the head of the Laird of Raasay.
Clan Castles
- Stornoway Castle (also known as Castle MacNicol) is located under the pier in Stornoway harbour on the Isle of Lewis. It was the first stronghold of Clan MacNicol (MacNeacail). The island later passed to the MacLeods through marriage. The castle had a busy history until Oliver Cromwell's forces destroyed it in the mid-1600s.
- Scorrybreac Castle on the Isle of Skye was the home of the MacNicols for centuries. It may have been given to them for fighting at the Battle of Largs in 1263. James V of Scotland is thought to have stayed at Scorrybreac in 1540. The chief sold these lands to the MacDonalds in the 1800s.
Clan Symbols
Badges and Tartans
Today, members of Clan MacNeacail can show their connection to the clan by wearing a Scottish crest badge. This badge has the chief's heraldic crest and heraldic motto. The motto on the badge is SGORR-A-BHREAC, which refers to the clan chiefs' old lands. The crest itself is a hawk's head erased Gules (a red hawk's head, torn off cleanly). These symbols come from the coat of arms of the MacNeacail chief. The coats of arms for the MacNeacail and Nicolson chiefs are very similar. According to Robert Bain, Clan MacNeacail's clan badge is a trailing azalea plant.
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The MacNicol/Nicolson tartan shown in the 1845 book The Clans of the Scottish Highlands features a woman wearing a tartan shawl. The book's author, James Logan, admitted he couldn't find a true MacNicol/Nicolson tartan. He thought they probably used the tartan of the MacLeods, who were more powerful.
What Does the Name Mean?
Many members of Clan MacNeacail today have the surname Nicolson and its variations. This is because in the late 1600s, clan members started to change their Gaelic name (MacNeacail) to Nicolson.
The surname Nicolson means "son of Nicol." The name Nicol is a shorter form of Nicholas. This name comes from the Greek word Νικόλαος, which means "victory people." The name Nicol first came to the British Isles with the Normans. Nicholas was a very common name in the Middle Ages and appears in many different forms as a surname today.
Other Families with Similar Names
Many families with the same surname as Clan MacNeacail do not have any historical connection to the clan. For example, the MacNicols from Argyll are thought to come from a Macfie family in the 1500s. The MacNicols from Angus can't be linked to other similar-named families, but they might be related to the Nicolls of Kinclune.
Some MacNicols on Lewis might be related to Clan MacNeacail, but others were originally MacRitchies. A Nicolson family has been recorded in Caithness since the 1600s. The Nicols of Ballogie claimed in the early 1900s to be descendants of Clan MacNeacail. They said they were pushed south by the Mackintoshes, though there's no record of such a conflict.
One Nicolson family in Shetland gets its surname from a man in the 1600s. Another family there is related to the Nicolsons from Aberdeen and Edinburgh. The Nicolsons of Cluny, Kemnay, and Glenbervie also come from the Aberdeen and Edinburgh Nicolsons. This last family, also known as Clan Nicolson, is the main Lowland family with the name. They can be traced back to the mid-1400s in Aberdeen and have no known connection to Clan MacNeacail.
