Clan MacColl: A Legacy of Loch Fyne, Appin and the Sons of Coll
Introduction
Clan MacColl, also written McColl, MacColla, McColla, Coll, and related forms, is a historic west Highland Scottish surname and clan-associated tradition rooted especially in Argyll, Loch Fyne, Appin, Ballachulish, Glasdrum, Knapdale, Lorn, Clan Donald territory, Stewart of Appin country, and the wider Scottish diaspora.
The Gaelic name is:
MacColla
meaning:
Son of Coll
The personal name Coll is an old Gaelic name, famously connected in tradition with Colla Uais, an early Irish king remembered in some Clan Donald origin traditions.
Clan MacColl is usually connected with Clan Donald / Clan MacDonald, although MacColl families in Appin and Ballachulish also followed or took protection from the Stewarts of Appin. The Scottish Register of Tartans states that the MacColls are a branch of Clan Donald who settled around Loch Fyne, and that some MacColls in the Ballachulish area took protection from the Stewarts of Appin.
Because MacColl is generally treated as a clan-associated surname rather than a major independent chief-bearing clan, crest and motto claims should be handled carefully. Some modern sources give “Per mare per terras” — “By sea and by land” — as a motto associated with MacColl, but the more historically cautious approach is to treat MacColl through its Clan Donald, Appin, and Loch Fyne associations.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan MacColl
The surname MacColl comes from Gaelic:
Mac Colla
meaning:
Son of Coll
The name Coll was common in the Gaelic world and especially important in Clan Donald tradition. ScotClans notes that the MacColls are mostly considered to descend from Clan Donald, where the forename Coll was common. It also connects Clan Donald’s earliest legendary origin to Colla Uais, an Irish king of the fourth century, as quoted from the Gaelic manuscript of 1450 by W. F. Skene.
Historic forms and related names include:
MacColl
McColl
MacColla
McColla
Coll
Colla
MacColl of Appin
MacColl of Ballachulish
MacColl of Glasdrum
The name should not be confused automatically with every person named Coll, because some Coll families may have separate regional origins. However, in Scottish clan tradition, MacColl is strongly west Highland and Argyll-based.
The safest professional wording is:
Clan MacColl is a west Highland Scottish surname and clan-associated tradition meaning “son of Coll,” historically linked with Clan Donald, Loch Fyne, Appin and Ballachulish, with later associations to the Stewarts of Appin.
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan MacColl’s strongest Scottish associations include:
Loch Fyne
Argyll
Appin
Ballachulish
Glasdrum
Lorn
Knapdale
Clan Donald territory
Stewart of Appin country
The wider Scottish diaspora
The most important early landscape is:
Loch Fyne
The Scottish Register of Tartans specifically states that the MacColls settled around Loch Fyne as a branch of Clan Donald.
Another key landscape is:
Appin and Ballachulish
A historical clan PDF notes that MacColls were long settled in Appin and around Ballachulish, and that although said to be of MacDonald race, they followed the Stewarts of Appin as native men.
The MacColl landscape is classic west Highland Scotland:
sea lochs
mountain passes
Appin glens
Loch Fyne shores
Stewart and MacDonald neighbourhoods
Jacobite memory
crofting and diaspora routes
This is a clan-associated name shaped by larger powers but never erased by them.
Chapter III: Important People and Families of Clan MacColl
The MacColls of Loch Fyne
The Loch Fyne MacColls are central to the Clan Donald association.
This branch belongs to the Argyll sea-loch world, where movement by water, kinship with powerful neighbouring clans and Gaelic naming traditions shaped identity.
For MacColl descendants, Loch Fyne represents:
Clan Donald connection
Argyll identity
early settlement
the old Gaelic west
The MacColls of Appin
The MacColls of Appin are among the most important MacColl traditions.
Although commonly said to be of MacDonald race, they became closely associated with the Stewarts of Appin. The Scottish Register notes that some MacColls in the Ballachulish area took protection from Stewart of Appin, while other clan histories state that MacColls in Appin followed the Stewarts as native men.
The MacColls of Ballachulish
Ballachulish is another strong MacColl place.
It places the family in the dramatic landscape of:
Loch Leven
Glencoe neighbourhood
Appin territory
Stewart of Appin military networks
Jacobite-era Highland history
The MacColls of Glasdrum
Modern MacColl histories often mention Glasdrum as one of the notable branches of the name. A modern historical summary names the MacColls of Appin and the MacColls of Glasdrum among the best-known branches.
Chapter IV: Historic Sites and Research Places
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne is one of the key ancestral landscapes of Clan MacColl.
For Clan MacColl, Loch Fyne represents:
early settlement
Clan Donald roots
Argyll sea-road identity
the west Highland heart of the name
Appin
Appin is central because of the family’s strong connection with the Stewarts of Appin.
For MacColl descendants, Appin represents:
Stewart protection
Jacobite memory
Highland kinship
local military service
a long-settled MacColl community
Ballachulish
Ballachulish is important for families whose records point to the Appin and Loch Leven area.
It connects the name to:
Glencoe region
Loch Leven
Appin country
Stewart of Appin regimental history
Glasdrum
Glasdrum is part of the Appin and Lorn landscape and appears in MacColl branch traditions.
Clan Donald Country
Because MacColl is strongly associated with Clan Donald, MacColl descendants may also research broader Clan Donald regions:
Kintyre
Islay
Lochaber
Skye
North Uist
Clan Donald diaspora records
The exact family route depends on local records.
Chapter V: Clan Donald, Stewart of Appin and Jacobite Memory
Clan MacColl history is shaped by two powerful relationships:
Clan Donald
and
Stewart of Appin
Clan Donald Association
MacColls are most often described as descended from or associated with Clan Donald.
ScotClans states that the MacColls are mostly considered to descend from Clan Donald, partly because the forename Coll was common in that great clan and because MacColls share the common heather plant badge with Clan Donald.
Stewart of Appin Association
MacColls in Appin and Ballachulish were closely tied to the Stewarts of Appin.
The Scottish Register of Tartans notes that some MacColls in the Ballachulish area took protection from the Stewarts of Appin.
Jacobite Rising of 1745
The MacColls of Appin were caught up in the Jacobite world of the Stewarts of Appin.
A clan PDF records that eighteen MacColls in Stewart of Appin’s regiment in the 1745 rising were killed, and fifteen wounded.
This gives MacColl one of its most powerful historical chapters:
local loyalty
Jacobite sacrifice
Appin military identity
the cost of following one’s protectors into war
Chapter VI: Crest, Motto and Badge Traditions
Crest Tradition
MacColl crest traditions are not as fixed as those of major chiefly clans.
One clan-history PDF explicitly lists:
Crest: Not available
Motto: None
for Clan MacColl.
Because of this, the most accurate wording is:
MacColl does not have a universally accepted independent chiefly crest and motto in the same way as a chief-bearing clan. Many MacColl descendants identify through Clan Donald or, for Appin lines, through Stewart of Appin associations.
Motto Tradition
Some modern commercial sources give the MacColl motto as:
“Per mare per terras”
“By sea and by land.”
This is a strong symbolic phrase for a west Highland name, but it should be treated with caution unless tied to a specific heraldic source.
For a Tartan Time Machine-style article, the safest symbolic motto section is:
MacColl’s deepest motto is in the name itself: Son of Coll.
Clan Badge
The MacColl badge is strongly connected with common heather, shared with Clan Donald.
ScotClans notes that MacColls share a sprig of common heather as their clan badge with Clan Donald.
Heather suggests:
Highland endurance
purple moorland
Clan Donald connection
beauty in rough ground
survival in wind and weather
Chapter VII: Clan MacColl Tartans
MacColl Tartan
The MacColl tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2315.
The Register states that this tartan was produced by Wilson’s of Bannockburn in 1797 under the name Bruce, later known as Old Bruce. It also notes the MacColls’ Clan Donald and Loch Fyne association, and the similarity between MacColl and Appin tartans.
This is one of the most important facts about Clan MacColl tartan history.
MacColl #2 Tartan
The MacColl #2 tartan is also recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2316.
MacColl Ancient Tartan
The MacColl Ancient tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2318.
The Register notes that the sample comes from the MacGregor-Hastie collection, which forms the basis of the cloth archive of the Scottish Tartans Society.
MacColl Hunting Tartan
The MacColl Hunting tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2319.
The Register dates the tartan to 1 January 1950 and notes that a sample is contained in the MacGregor-Hastie collection, dating from between 1930 and 1950.
MacColl Tartan Antiquity
A specialist PDF on the origins of the MacColl tartan states that the pattern now known as MacColl is one of the rare clan tartans with evidence predating the repeal of the Dress Act in 1782, with extant specimens from the mid-18th century.
The Meaning of MacColl Tartan Today
For modern MacColl descendants, tartan represents:
Loch Fyne roots
Clan Donald association
Appin and Ballachulish memory
Stewart of Appin protection
common heather badge
Jacobite-era sacrifice
family pride and diaspora identity
The MacColl tartans give this west Highland name a strong and visible Scottish heritage identity.
Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan MacColl represents a Highland identity built on Gaelic naming, Clan Donald ancestry, Appin loyalty, sea-loch settlement and survival under greater clan powers.
Its story includes:
MacColla — son of Coll
Loch Fyne
Argyll
Clan Donald connection
Appin and Ballachulish
Stewart of Appin protection
Glasdrum branch traditions
common heather plant badge
MacColl tartans
Jacobite service in 1745
diaspora family pride
Associated names and spellings include:
MacColl
McColl
MacColla
McColla
Coll
Colla
FamilySearch describes McColl as the name of a Scottish clan associated with Clan Donald and especially with Appin in northern Argyll.
Chapter IX: Clan MacColl Today
Today, MacColl is best described as a west Highland Scottish surname and clan-associated tradition.
Modern MacColl identity can be found through:
family history research
MacColl tartan wearing
Clan Donald association
Stewart of Appin association where family records support it
study of Loch Fyne and Argyll records
research into Appin, Ballachulish and Glasdrum
Scottish heritage events
Highland games
diaspora family networks
For MacColl descendants, the best first step is to trace the family’s region:
Loch Fyne?
Argyll?
Appin?
Ballachulish?
Glasdrum?
Lorn?
Knapdale?
Clan Donald territory?
Stewart of Appin country?
Ulster?
Canada?
Australia?
New Zealand?
The United States?
That will determine whether the strongest heritage path is Clan Donald, Stewart of Appin, Loch Fyne MacColl, Appin MacColl, or another family line.
Chapter X: Legacy of Clan MacColl
The story of Clan MacColl begins with a name:
MacColla — son of Coll.
From Coll came the family name.
From Clan Donald came one of the strongest clan associations.
From Loch Fyne came the early west Highland landscape.
From Appin came Stewart protection and Jacobite memory.
From Ballachulish came local Highland identity.
From common heather came the badge.
From the tartan came one of the older recorded cloth traditions of the Highlands.
The deepest MacColl phrase is:
Son of Coll.
That phrase captures the MacColl spirit: Gaelic, west Highland, sea-roaded, loyal, and carried through centuries under the shadow of great neighbouring clans.
From Loch Fyne to Appin, from Ballachulish to descendants across the world, Clan MacColl continues to carry its heritage forward.
Its legacy is written in tartan, heather, sea lochs, Appin records, Jacobite sacrifice, family stories and the pride of those who still honour the name.
Tartan Time Machine Closing Paragraph
At Tartan Time Machine, we bring Scotland’s past into the present by exploring the clans, surnames, castles, kirkyards, tartans, legends and forgotten stories that shaped the nation.
Clan MacColl is one chapter in that greater story — a story of Loch Fyne, Appin, Ballachulish, Clan Donald roots, Stewart of Appin loyalty, common heather badges, ancient tartans and the Gaelic name meaning: Son of Coll.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com