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The Logans consist of two
distinct families; one belonging to the Highlands (known as MacLennans) and the other to
the Lowlands. However, as far as it is known, there is no historical evidence to connect
the two families. The Logans of the south held Restalrig near Edinburgh and it was Sir
Robert of that Ilk who married a daughter of Robert II and was made Admiral of Scotland in
1400. But even before then two knights of the name were recorded as companions of Sir
James Douglas carrying Bruce's heart to the Holy Land. However the Logans did not remain
in favour and the last Logan of Restalrig died an outlaw and the family became extinct.
The Highland Lobans or Logans, "Siol Ghillinnein" (MacLennan), according to
tradition descend from Logan of Drumderfit in Easter Ross. Their legendary leader
Gilligorm in a feud with the Frasers was killed in a sanguiary battle at North Kessock
between the two clans. The widow of Gilligorm was carried off by the Frasers and later
gave birth to a deformed child who was named Crotair Mac Gilligorm (the hump-backed). He
was educated by the monks at Beauly and later joined the church. He founded the churches
of Kilmor in Skye and Kilchrinin in Glenelg. His son was named Gille Fhinnein, "The
Devotee of St. Finnan" of which the Anglicized form is Maclennan. The Logans of
Drumderfit were still in Easter Ross in the early 18th century, and in Wester Ross they
lived neighbouring the Macraes and were followers of the Mackenzies of Kintail for whom
they were Standard Bearers. James Logan was the famous author of the "Scottish
Gael" (1831) which was a record of the Highlands and the first serious attempt to
record the history of Highland dress. The present chief was 12 years old when, in 1989, he
succeeded his father as the 35th chief of Clan MacLennan. He was also the head chorister
at St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral, Inverness.
Another Account of the Clan
BADGE: Conasg (Ulex Europaeus) furze.
SLOGAN: Druim nan deur.
 THE romantic district of
Kintail, with its steep mountains and deep sealochs, on the western coast
of Ross-shire, must be regarded as the heart of the old Mackenzie country.
Eileandonan in Loch Duich was their chief stronghold, and far to north and
south and east of it their word was law throughout a territory as
extensive almost as that of the Campbell chiefs in the south. Yet Kintail
was peopled almost entirely by two races which, so far as tradition or
Highland genealogies declare, had no blood relationship with the
Mackenzies themselves. Neither the MacRaes nor the MacLennans were
conquered clans. Rather, to judge from their bearing and their treatment
by the Mackenzies, do they appear to have held the position of honourable
and valued allies. The MacRaes, we know, were known as " Seaforth’s
shirt of mail," and for generations held the office of Constable of
Eileandonan, and it would appear as if the MacLennans were held in similar
trust and esteem, and were Mackenzie’s standard-bearers. The districts
occupied by these two clans were separated only by a river running into
Loch Duich; frequent intermarriage took place between them; but throughout
the centuries they nevertheless remained unfused and distinct. Among other
matters, the tartan of the MacLennans was quite different from that of the
Mackenzies and Mac-Raes. The clan has laboured under the distinct
disadvantage of being unable to name the head of any particular family as
Chief; and while not reckoned a "broken" clan it has been
accustomed to take the field under chiefs of other names. The MacLennans
fought under the banners both of the Frasers and of the Mackenzies, and
for this reason it is not possible to ascertain the actual strength of the
clan, but there is no question that their valour was of the highest
quality.
Under the Marquess of
Montrose at the battle of Auldearn in 1645 the MacLennans as usual were
entrusted with the banner of Lord Seaforth, the Mackenzie Chief. Round that standard, the famous "Caber
feidh,"
so called from its armorial bearing of a stag’s head, a large number of them were cut down. It is on record that
eighteen of the widows of those who fell afterwards married MacRaes from
the neighbouring district of Kintail. According to one derivation, the
name MacLennan means simply the son of a sweetheart or young woman, but the sole
authority seems to be a similarity of sound, and is not sanctioned by
Highland usage. A tradition likely to be much more authentic carries the
origin back to a certain Gilliegorm, Chief of the Logans of Druimdeurfait
in Ross-shire at the end of the thirteenth century. After a bloody battle
with the Frasers near Kessock, in which Gilliegorm fell, his widow was
carried off, and soon afterwards gave birth to a son. The story runs that
the boy was deliberately deformed in order to prevent his ever attempting
to avenge his father. Educated in the monastery of Beauly, he was known
from his deformity as Crotach (or Hump-backed) MacGhilliegorm, and on
becoming a priest he travelled through the West Coast and Skye, founding
churches at Kilmory in Sleat and Kilchrinan in Glenelg. Pope Innocent III.
had issued the decree strictly enjoining the clergy of the Roman Church to
celibacy; but whether MacGhilliegorm belonged to the older Columban or
Culdee Church which allowed its clergy to marry, or whether he simply did
not conform to the Papal edict, it appears that he was married and had several children. One of his sons
was named Gillie Fhinan after the famous St. Finan. That son’s son was of course MacGil’inan, which name was
shortened by his descendants to MacLennan.
In the annals of the MacLennans considerable space is taken up with the
exploits of a member of the clan who was as remarkable for the ingenuity
with which he planned his fraudulent enterprises as for the audacity with
which he carried them out. On a dark night, for instance, when a certain
dealer was leading a string of horses to a distant tryst or market,
MacLennan waylaid the convoy, and, cutting the rope, made off unperceived
with a number of the animals. To complete the transaction he rapidly
trimmed the stolen horses, altogether altering their appearance, and at a
later stopping-place on the journey, actually succeeded in selling them at
a good price to their original owner. On another occasion, it is said, he
joined a party of smugglers preparing on a stormy and moonless night to
transport their illicit product over the mountains. Passing as one of
themselves, he was entrusted with the carrying of one of the kegs, with which he presently contrived to drop
behind and disappear. Yet again,
in the character of a seannachie or bard, he was employed by a certain
laird, after the fashion of the time, to lull him to sleep by the
recitation of ancient poems. Having sent his unsuspecting employer into a
sound slumber, he betook himself to the stable, untied several horses, and
silently swam them to the opposite side of the loch. Leaving them in a
place of concealment he as silently returned, and was still going on with
his poetic recitation when the laird awoke. Next day, when the theft was
discovered, he remained unsuspected, but presently another person having
been arrested for the offence and in danger of hanging, MacLennan
handsomely confessed his exploit, and, restoring the horses with a
flourish of generosity, was allowed
to go unpunished.
About the same time another member of the clan made a name for himself
in a different way. The Rev. Murdoch MacLennan was minister of Crathie on
Deeside at the date when the Earl of Mar raised the standard of
"James VIII. and I." in that neighourhood. The rising, which
with vigorous and able leadership, might have succeeded in replacing the
Stewarts on the throne, was denied all promise of success by the
inefficiency and indecision of Mar himself, and when at long last it came
to blows with the forces of George I. under the Duke of Argyll on the
Sheriffmuir above Dunblane, the conflict was as
inconclusive as all the other
acts of the campaign. The event roused the Rev. Murdoch MacLennan to
satire, and in a humorous poem of twenty-one verses, in an original form
of stanza, he not only enumerated the leaders on both sides and their
parts in the flight, but chronicled the result in singularly appropriate
lines—
"And we ran and they ran,
And they ran and we ran,
And we ran and they ran awa’ man."
A more modern author is Mr.
J. F. M’Lennan, whose Studies in Ancient History, Exogamy, Primitive
Marriage, The Patriarchal Theory, and other
works contain much learning and information.
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