Clan MacCorquodale: A Legacy of Loch Awe, Phantelane and the King’s Loyal Stag
Introduction
Clan MacCorquodale, also written McCorquodale, MacOrquodale, MacCorkindale, MacCorkle, McCorkle, and related forms, is a historic Scottish clan rooted especially in Argyll, Loch Awe, Loch Tromlee, Phantelane / Phantillands, Eilean-a-Bharain, Glen Aray, and the wider western Highlands.
The Gaelic name is usually explained from:
Mac Thorcadail
or
Mac Thorcadail
meaning:
Son of Torquil
The personal name Torquil is Norse-Gaelic in origin, from Þórketill, meaning roughly:
Thor’s cauldron
or
Thor’s helmet
The clan motto is:
“Vivat Rex”
“Long live the King.”
The clan crest is:
A stag at gaze Proper, attired Gules.
In simpler terms, this is a stag looking forward, with red antlers. Modern clan summaries give the MacCorquodale crest badge as a stag at gaze with red antlers and the motto Vivat Rex.
Clan MacCorquodale is recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, but it currently has no recognised clan chief. ScotlandShop describes Clan McCorquodale as a Scottish clan recognised by the Lord Lyon, although without a recognised chief today.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan MacCorquodale
The surname MacCorquodale is Gaelic and Norse-Gaelic in origin.
It comes from:
Mac Thorcadail
meaning:
Son of Torquil
The name Torquil was common in the Norse-Gaelic west of Scotland, especially in areas where Gaelic and Norse cultures mixed through settlement, seafaring, marriage and lordship.
Historic forms and related names include:
MacCorquodale
McCorquodale
MacOrquodale
MacCorkindale
MacCorkle
McCorkle
MacCorcadale
MacCorkill
Corquodale
Corkindale
Corkill
Torquil
The clan is traditionally associated with the lands west of Loch Awe in Argyll, especially around Loch Tromlee and the old barony of Phantelane / Phantillands. Clan sources describe the chiefs as the Barons MacCorquodale of Phantelane, with their seat on Eilean-a-Bharain — the “Baron’s Island” or “White Island” on Loch Tromlee.
Clan MacCorquodale is therefore a clan of:
Argyll roots
Loch Awe territory
Norse-Gaelic naming
island strongholds
Campbell-era politics
royalist symbolism
tartan identity
armigerous modern status
Its motto gives the clan its voice:
Long live the King.
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan MacCorquodale’s historic territory includes:
Loch Awe
Loch Tromlee
Phantelane / Phantillands
Eilean-a-Bharain
Argyll
Glen Aray
Kilmartin and wider Mid-Argyll connections
The western Highlands
The wider Scottish diaspora
The historic seat is:
Eilean-a-Bharain Castle, on Loch Tromlee
COSCA lists the historic seat of MacCorquodale as Eilean-a-Bharain Castle on Loch Tromlee, and gives the motto as Vivat Rex, meaning Long live the king.
The wider clan lands lay west of Loch Awe in Argyll. Modern clan summaries and tartan retailers describe Clan MacCorquodale as coming from Loch Awe in Argyll.
The MacCorquodale landscape is classic west Highland Argyll:
freshwater lochs
wooded hills
island strongholds
Campbell neighbours
Gaelic-Norse names
baronial lands
civil-war turbulence
family survival through political change
This is not a Lowland surname tradition. It is an old Argyll clan story rooted in land, lochs, loyalty and memory.
Chapter III: Important People and Families of Clan MacCorquodale
The MacCorquodales of Phantelane
The principal chiefly family was:
MacCorquodale of Phantelane
The old barony is also found as:
Phantillands
Phantelands
Phantelane
The chiefs were remembered as the Barons MacCorquodale of Phantelane, centred on the island stronghold of Eilean-a-Bharain on Loch Tromlee.
Duncan MacCorquodale of that Ilk
A key heraldic figure was:
Duncan Macorquodaill of that Ilk
His arms were recorded in 1672, and the modern crest badge of the clan is drawn from that heraldic tradition: a stag at gaze with red antlers, with the motto Vivat Rex.
The Last Baron MacCorquodale
The old chiefly line eventually failed.
ScotlandShop notes that the last chief of Clan MacCorquodale was Baron McCorquodale, who died in the 18th century, and that there has not been a recognised clan chief since that time.
This is why the clan is generally treated today as armigerous: recognised as a clan, but without a current recognised chief.
The MacCorquodale Diaspora
MacCorquodale descendants spread from Argyll into:
Glasgow
the Scottish Lowlands
Ireland / Ulster
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
The United States
Related spellings such as McCorkle, MacCorkle, and Corkindale may appear in diaspora records, especially where clerks simplified or altered the longer Gaelic surname.
Chapter IV: Castles, Lands and Historic Sites
Eilean-a-Bharain Castle
Eilean-a-Bharain Castle on Loch Tromlee is the great historic seat of Clan MacCorquodale.
For Clan MacCorquodale, it represents:
chiefship
baronial authority
Argyll roots
the old island stronghold
the heart of Phantelane
the memory of a lost chiefly line
The name is often rendered as:
The Baron’s Island
This is one of the most distinctive clan seats in Argyll because it is not a great coastal fortress or ducal castle, but a loch-island seat tied to a smaller, old Highland baronial family.
Loch Tromlee
Loch Tromlee is central to the clan’s geography.
It gave protection, identity and a stronghold setting to the MacCorquodales of Phantelane.
Phantelane / Phantillands
Phantelane is the great baronial name of the clan.
For descendants, it represents:
ancestral territory
the Barons MacCorquodale
Loch Awe-side heritage
the old landed identity of the name
Loch Awe
Loch Awe is the wider ancestral landscape.
Clan MacCorquodale inhabited lands west of Loch Awe, placing them in the same broad Argyll world as powerful neighbours such as the Campbells, MacDonalds, MacDougalls, MacLachlans, MacTavishes, and other west Highland kindreds.
Chapter V: Clan Events, Campbell Connections and Civil War Memory
Clan MacCorquodale history is shaped by Argyll landholding, Campbell power, royalist symbolism and the violence of the 17th century.
Life in Campbell Argyll
The MacCorquodales lived in a region strongly influenced by Clan Campbell.
The Scottish Register of Tartans notes that the MacCorquodale #2 tartan was used by the MacCorquodale family, who are connected with the Campbells, and describes the family as being from an island on Loch Tromlee.
This does not mean every MacCorquodale was simply Campbell. It means the clan existed within the Campbell-dominated political world of Argyll.
The Battle of Tromlee
One of the most dramatic local traditions is the Battle of Tromlee.
MacCorquodale clan history material describes how, during the civil wars between the Covenanters and King Charles, the Campbells were supported by the McCorquodales. It also tells of the army of Alasdair MacColla, known as Kolkitto MacDonald, appearing near Ballacandar in December 1644.
This places Clan MacCorquodale within the brutal conflicts of 17th-century Argyll: Campbell power, royalist warfare, Covenanter politics and MacDonald campaigning.
Loss of Chiefship
After the last Baron MacCorquodale died in the 18th century, no new chief was recognised.
The clan survived as a surname and heritage tradition, but without a living chief in the formal Scottish heraldic system.
Modern Recognition
Today, Clan MacCorquodale is recognised by the Lord Lyon but remains without a current recognised chief.
This makes the clan’s modern identity one of remembrance, genealogy, tartan and armigerous clan pride.
Chapter VI: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge
Clan Crest
The MacCorquodale crest badge is:
A stag at gaze Proper, attired Gules.
This means:
A stag looking forward, with red antlers.
The stag suggests:
nobility
watchfulness
woodland strength
Highland alertness
grace under threat
a proud creature of the Argyll hills
The red antlers make the crest especially distinctive.
Clan Motto
The motto is:
“Vivat Rex”
This means:
“Long live the King.”
The motto suggests:
royal loyalty
legitimacy
service to crown
a political identity rooted in kingship
For Clan MacCorquodale, the motto has special force because the clan’s remembered history passes through the 17th-century civil-war world of King, Covenanter, Campbell, MacDonald and Argyll conflict.
Clan Badge
A distinct plant badge for Clan MacCorquodale is not consistently recorded in major clan references.
For accuracy, the strongest MacCorquodale symbols are:
the stag at gaze
red antlers
the motto “Vivat Rex”
Loch Tromlee
Eilean-a-Bharain
Phantelane
the MacCorquodale tartans
Chapter VII: Clan MacCorquodale Tartans
MacCorquodale Tartan
The MacCorquodale tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2326.
The Register lists it as a Clan/Family tartan.
MacCorquodale #2 Tartan
The MacCorquodale #2 tartan is also recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 5218.
The Register notes that this tartan was used by the MacCorquodale family, who are connected with the Campbells, and refers to the family’s island on Loch Tromlee.
MacCorquodale Ancient, Modern and Weathered Options
Modern suppliers commonly offer MacCorquodale tartans in:
Ancient
Modern
Weathered
Muted, where available
The usual distinction is dye tone:
Ancient colours are softer and lighter.
Modern colours are deeper and stronger.
Weathered colours are muted and aged.
Muted versions are more restrained.
The Meaning of MacCorquodale Tartan Today
For modern MacCorquodale descendants, tartan represents:
Loch Awe roots
Loch Tromlee
Phantelane
the lost baronial chiefship
the stag crest
the motto “Long live the King”
Argyll identity
family pride and diaspora memory
The MacCorquodale tartans give this old Argyll clan a visible and wearable Scottish heritage identity.
Chapter VIII: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan MacCorquodale represents a Highland identity built on Norse-Gaelic naming, Argyll landholding, island strongholds, royal loyalty and survival without a modern chief.
Its story includes:
Mac Thorcadail — son of Torquil
Loch Awe
Loch Tromlee
Phantelane / Phantillands
Eilean-a-Bharain Castle
Barons MacCorquodale of Phantelane
Campbell connections
the Battle of Tromlee tradition
the stag at gaze crest
the motto “Vivat Rex”
MacCorquodale tartans
armigerous modern status
Associated names and spellings include:
MacCorquodale
McCorquodale
MacOrquodale
MacCorkindale
MacCorkle
McCorkle
Corkindale
Corkill
Corquodale
Torquil
These forms show how a long Gaelic-Norse surname could shift across Scotland, Ireland and the diaspora.
Chapter IX: Clan MacCorquodale Today
Today, Clan MacCorquodale is best described as a recognised but armigerous Scottish clan.
It is recognised by the Lord Lyon, but it currently has no recognised chief.
Modern MacCorquodale identity can be found through:
family history research
MacCorquodale tartan wearing
study of Loch Awe and Loch Tromlee
research into Phantelane / Phantillands
Argyll parish and estate records
Scottish heritage events
diaspora family networks
For MacCorquodale descendants, the best first step is to trace the family’s spelling and region:
MacCorquodale?
McCorquodale?
MacOrquodale?
MacCorkindale?
MacCorkle?
Loch Awe?
Loch Tromlee?
Argyll?
Campbell territory?
Ulster?
Canada?
Australia?
New Zealand?
The United States?
That will determine the strongest family-history path.
Chapter X: Legacy of Clan MacCorquodale
The story of Clan MacCorquodale begins with a Norse-Gaelic name:
Mac Thorcadail — son of Torquil.
From Loch Awe came the territory.
From Loch Tromlee came the island seat.
From Phantelane came the barony.
From Eilean-a-Bharain came the stronghold.
From the crest came the stag.
From the motto came royal loyalty.
Its motto gives the clan its voice:
Vivat Rex — Long live the King.
That phrase captures the MacCorquodale spirit: loyal, old, rooted in Argyll, and remembered even after the loss of chiefship.
From Loch Awe to Loch Tromlee, from Phantelane to descendants across the world, Clan MacCorquodale continues to carry its heritage forward.
Its legacy is written in tartan, stags, red antlers, island ruins, Argyll records, 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 MacCorquodale is one chapter in that greater story — a story of Loch Awe, Loch Tromlee, Phantelane, Eilean-a-Bharain, Norse-Gaelic names, stag crests, tartans and the loyal motto: Long live the King.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com