Клан МакДафф: История и Земли шотландского клана

Lowland Scottish clan

Clan MacDuff or Clan Duff is a Lowland Scottish clan. The clan does not currently have a chief and is therefore considered an armigerous clan, which is registered with the Lyon Court. The early chiefs of Clan MacDuff were the original Earls of Fife, although this title went to the Stewarts of Albany in the late fourteenth century. The title returned to the MacDuff chief when William Duff was made Earl Fife in 1759. His descendant Alexander Duff was made Duke of Fife in 1889.

The Clan Duff claims descent from the original royal Scoto Pictish line of which Queen Gruoch of Scotland, wife of Macbeth, King of Scotland, was the senior representative. In 1404, David Duff received a charter from Robert III of Scotland for lands in Banffshire. James Duff, 4th Earl Fife fought with distinction in the Peninsular War where he was wounded at the Battle of Talavera in 1809 and was later made a Knight of the Order of St Ferdinand of Spain. The Earl of Fife and the Abbot of Abernethy were both "Capitals of Law of the Clan MacDuff". The chiefs of the clan had the right to enthrone the King on the Stone of Scone. (two variants exist, with blue or green thin "tram track" over check lines in place of the black ones.) A variant on this, with the larger black stripe replaced by dark green and the proportions altered, was recorded by the Highland Society of London, c. 1815–20. All of these are very similar to the royal Stewart tartan, but without its thin yellow and white over checks. A third and rather different one appeared in 1842 in the Vestiarium Scoticum, and was probably invented by the "Sobieski Stuarts". There are various other tartans with names like dress MacDuff and hunting MacDuff.

Macduff's Castle in East Wemyss, Fife, is now a ruinous castle that was once held by the MacDuff Earls of Fife. The property later went to the Clan Wemyss who built the present castle. Airdit House in Leuchers, Fife, was originally held by the MacDuffs but later went to the Clan Stewart who held it in 1425 when Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany (also then Earl and Duke of Fife), was executed. Barnslee Castle near Markinch, Fife, was held by the Clan MacDuff. One story is that a tunnel led from it to Maiden Castle (see below), that was about three miles away. Castle Hill in North Berwick in East Lothian was probably held by the MacDuff Earls of Fife who had a ferry from North Berwick to Earlsferry in Fife. Cupar Castle in Cupar, Fife, was held by the Clan MacDuff. Falkland Palace in Falkland, Fife. There was a castle here that was held by the MacDuff Earls of Fife although it was destroyed by the English in 1337. It was re built in 1371 and passed to Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, who was then also Earl of Fife. Fernie Castle in Cupar, Fife, was once held by the MacDuff Earls of Fife. Maiden Castle near Methil, Fife, was once held by the Clan MacDuff. One story is that a tunnel led from it to Barnslee Castle (see above), that was about three miles away.