Клан Маккиннон: История и происхождение шотландского клана

Highland Scottish clan

Clan MacKinnon (Clann MhicFhionghain ) is a Highland Scottish clan from the islands of Mull and Skye, in the Inner Hebrides. Popular tradition gives the clan a Dalriadic Gaelic origin. The 19th century historian W. F. Skene named the clan as one of the seven clans of Siol Alpin, who according to Skene could all trace their ancestry back to Alpin, father of Cináed mac Ailpín. Popular tradition has been until recently to consider Cináed mac Ailpín the first King of Scots and a Gael, however recent research speculates Cináed was a Pictish king and possibly even a Pict himself. Sir Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk speculated that Clan MacKinnon belonged to the kindred of Saint Columba, noting the MacKinnon arms bore the hand of the saint holding the Cross, and the several Mackinnon abbots of Iona. Though little is known of the early history of the clan, it is likely to have served under the Lords of the Isles. The clan are supposed to have defeated the Vikings at Goir a' Bhlair, on the eastern slopes of Beinn na Cailleach above Broadford.

The surname MacKinnon is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Fhionghuin, which is a patronymic form of the Gaelic personal name meaning "fair born" or "fair son". Middle Irish forms of the name are Finghin and Finnguine, while the Modern Irish is Findgaine. In consequence some "Mackinvens" have Anglicised their name to Love or Low (however most Love or Low surnames are not derived this way, having no connection with the MacKinnons).

According to the Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia the Mackinnons gave shelter to Robert the Bruce when he was a fugitive escaping to Carrick. After Bruce's victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 the Mackinnons were rewarded with land on the Isle of Skye. According to the historian Donald Gregory the first authentic record of the clan is found in an indenture between John of Islay, Lord of the Isles and the Lord of Lorn, in 1354. Sometime after the death of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, in 1386, John Mór (younger son of John of Islay) rebelled against his elder brother Domhnall, in an attempt to take the Lordship of the Isles for himself. The earliest record of the Mackinnons is of Lachlan Makfingane, who witnessed a charter by Donald de Ile, dominus Insularum, to Hector Macgilleone, dominus de Doward, on 1 November 1409. The chief's crest is a boar's head erased, argent, holding in its mouth a deer's shankbone, proper. A Mackinnon legend that is supposed to explain the chief's crest is of a Mackinnon who was hunting on the shores of Loch Scavaig in Skye. After becoming separated from his hunting party the Mackinnon spent the night in a cave for shelter. While preparing some venison which he was about to cook over an open fire he was attacked by a wild boar which charged into the cave. Mackinnon then drove the butchered deer's leg into the mouth of the boar, jamming it open, before killing the wild animal.

The early clan seems to have had a close connection with the abbacy on the small Inner Hebridean island of Iona. The abbacy of Iona was first founded in 563 by Saint Columba, and many following abbots were selected from his kindred (Cenel Conaill: descendants of Conall Gulban, who was Columba's great grandfather and the founder of Tír Conaill). which is inscribed: "Hec Fingone: et: eivs: filii: Johannis: X: abbatis de Hy: facta: anno: Domini: måccccålxxxåixå". In 1545, Ewen, the chief of the clan, was one of the barons and council of the Isles who swore allegiance to the King of England, at Knockfergus in Ireland. Donald Munro, High Dean of the Isles, in his A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides, in 1549, described the Mackinnon controlled lands at that time. On Skye were the lands of "Straytsnardill" (Strathairdle, of which later Mackinnon chiefs were designated), and "the castill of Dunnakyne perteining to Mackynnoun; the castill Dunringill, perteining to the said Mackynnoun". In 1579, Fynnoun MacKynnoun of Strathardill, and his son Lachlane Oig, were reported to James VI, along with Maclaine of Lochbuie and the MacLeans, by John, Bishop of the Isles. The Bishop of the Isles complained to the Scots king that these men were preventing him from receiving the rents of his See. On 12 July 1606 Lauchlan Mackinnon of Strathairdle and Finlay Macnab of Bowaine, entered into a Bond of Friendship and Manrent. An indication of the relative extent of the estates of the three great chiefs of Skye at the end of the 17th century is afforded by the amount of rental for each: £7,000 for Macleod, £6,200 for Macdonald and £2,400 for Mackinnon (at a time when 12 Scottish pounds were approximately equivalent to one English pound sterling).

During the Wars of the Three Kingdoms the Mackinnons followed the Marquess of Montrose, and took part in the Battle of Inverlochy on 2 February 1645.

Although considered a relatively minor clan, it seems to have been of considerable strength. "Mackinnons – The Laird of Mackinnon is their Chief, who in Irish is called Mackenoin holds his Lands of the Crown both in the Isles of Skye and Mull and Can raise 200 Men." Following the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden, Charles Edward Stuart fled to the west coast of Scotland in order to flee to France. Tradition has the Mackinnons aiding the prince, with the chief concealing him in a cave, and the chief's wife bringing the prince refreshments of cold meat and wine. but proved ultimately fruitless. The thirty fifth chief of the clan was Francis Alexander Mackinnon. Today the current chief is Madam Anne Gunhild Mackinnon of Mackinnon, 38th Chief of the Name and Arms of Mackinnon, recognized by the Lord Lyon. She has two sons who are eligible upon her death to become chief under the blood line and providing they retain the MacKinnon name. In 2015 Madame Anne MacKinnon appointed Stephen MacKinnon of Massachusetts, U. S. A. as her representative of the Chief and is recognized as such by the Clan MacKinnon Society. She also appointed Stephen MacKinnon Chieftain of Mishnish.