Clan MacDonell: A Legacy of Glengarry, Invergarry and the Raven’s Rock
Introduction
Clan MacDonell, also written MacDonnell, McDonell, McDonnell, MacDonald, and McDonald, is a historic Highland Scottish clan family most strongly associated with Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, one of the great branches of Clan Donald.
The clan is rooted especially in:
Glengarry
Invergarry Castle
Strome Castle
Loch Oich
Loch Garry
Knoydart
Lochaber
The Great Glen
The western Highlands
The wider Scottish and Irish diaspora
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry is a branch of Clan Donald, descended from the early chiefs of Clanranald and the high line of Clan Donald. Modern Clan Donald sources identify the current Glengarry chief as Colin Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry, 24th Chief of Glengarry.
The wider Clan Donald motto is:
“Per Mare Per Terras”
“By sea and by land.”
The Glengarry crest badge is:
A raven Proper perching on a rock Azure.
The Glengarry slogan is:
“Creagan an Fhithich”
“The Rock of the Raven.”
The historic seats are:
Strome Castle
and later
Invergarry Castle.
Chapter I: Origins of Clan MacDonell
The surname MacDonell comes from the Gaelic:
Mac Dòmhnaill
meaning:
Son of Donald
The name Donald / Dòmhnall is usually interpreted as:
world-ruler
or
ruler of the world
MacDonell is one of the major spelling forms within the wider Clan Donald family.
Historic forms and related spellings include:
MacDonell
MacDonnell
McDonell
McDonnell
MacDonald
Macdonald
McDonald
MacDonal
MacConnell
McConnell
Donaldson
Donnell
For Scotland, the most important chiefly MacDonell branch is:
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
This line descends from Ranald of the Isles, the ancestor connected with both Clanranald and Glengarry. The Glengarry chiefs were traditionally styled:
Mac Mhic Alasdair
meaning:
Son of the son of Alasdair
This reflects descent from the Clan Donald and Clanranald world of the western Highlands.
Clan MacDonell is therefore a clan of:
Clan Donald blood
Glengarry chiefship
Great Glen strategy
Invergarry Castle
Jacobite loyalty
raven symbolism
Highland military identity
diaspora survival
Chapter II: Clan Territory and Ancestral Lands
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry’s historic territories include:
Glengarry
Loch Garry
Loch Oich
Invergarry
Knoydart
Lochaber
The Great Glen
Strome
The western Highlands
The wider Scottish diaspora
The earlier chiefly seat was:
Strome Castle
Later, the chiefs moved to:
Invergarry Castle
Modern clan summaries state that the Glengarry chiefs were originally seated at Strome Castle and later moved to Invergarry Castle.
For Clan MacDonell, Glengarry represents:
chiefship
Clan Donald ancestry
Great Glen power
Jacobite memory
Highland military pride
the raven’s rock
The landscape is strategic: a Highland corridor of lochs, glens, castles and routes linking east, west, north and south.
Chapter III: Important People of Clan MacDonell
Ranald of the Isles
The early ancestor of the Glengarry line was:
Ranald of the Isles
He is listed as the first chief in Glengarry chiefly traditions and is also foundational to the Clanranald line. The Glengarry chiefs descend from the early chiefs of Clanranald and the high Clan Donald line.
Alasdair and the Mac Mhic Alasdair Line
The traditional style Mac Mhic Alasdair reflects descent through Alasdair.
This title became one of the defining marks of the Glengarry chiefs.
The Chiefs of Glengarry
The MacDonells of Glengarry became one of the proudest branches of Clan Donald.
They were known for:
military tradition
Jacobite loyalty
strong Highland identity
fierce independence
symbolic use of the raven
Alasdair Ruadh MacDonell
The Glengarry chiefly line includes figures remembered through Gaelic names such as Alasdair Ruadh and other chiefs whose genealogies connect the family to the wider Clan Donald descent chain. Modern summaries preserve the chief’s sloinneadh, or pedigree, through many generations back to Somerled.
Colin Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry
The current chief is:
Colin Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry
24th Chief of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
The High Council of Clan Donald identifies him as the current Chief of Glengarry.
Chapter IV: Castles, Seats and Historic Sites
Invergarry Castle
Invergarry Castle is the great symbolic seat of the MacDonells of Glengarry.
For Clan MacDonell, Invergarry represents:
chiefship
Jacobite loyalty
Highland military pride
Clan Donald power in the Great Glen
the later heart of Glengarry identity
The castle stands near Loch Oich, in one of Scotland’s most important Highland corridors.
Strome Castle
Strome Castle was the earlier seat of the Glengarry chiefs before the later move to Invergarry.
For Clan MacDonell, Strome represents:
early Glengarry power
western sea routes
the older castle age of the clan
Clan Donald coastal strategy
Loch Garry
Loch Garry gives the clan its name-world and Highland landscape.
It represents:
the glen of Glengarry
water routes
ancestral settlement
MacDonell territory
Loch Oich
Loch Oich is closely connected with Invergarry.
It forms part of the Great Glen route and gives the clan a strategic place in Highland geography.
Knoydart
Knoydart is important in the wider MacDonell / Clan Donald geography.
It connects the Glengarry branch with the west coast, sea routes and rugged Highland settlement.
Chapter V: Clan Donald, Glengarry and Highland Politics
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry belongs to the wider world of Clan Donald.
That means its story is connected with:
Somerled
The Lords of the Isles
Clanranald
Glengarry
Keppoch
Sleat
Glencoe
Dunnyveg
The MacDonnells of Antrim
Clan Donald was not merely a land clan. It was a sea power, ruling through galleys, islands, mainland strongholds and Gaelic kinship.
The MacDonells of Glengarry were one of its proud Highland branches.
They held lands in a strategic region where Great Glen routes met western Highland power.
Chapter VI: Jacobites, Battles and Clan Events
Clan MacDonell of Glengarry is strongly associated with Jacobite loyalty.
The Jacobite Cause
The Glengarry MacDonells supported the Stuart cause during the Jacobite period.
Their story belongs to the same world as:
Glencoe
Keppoch
Clanranald
Cameron of Lochiel
Glengarry warriors
Prince Charles Edward Stuart
The Rising of 1745
During the Jacobite Rising of 1745, the MacDonells of Glengarry were among the Highland families associated with the Jacobite army.
This places them in the final great military effort to restore the Stuart line.
Culloden
At Culloden in 1746, Clan Donald branches suffered heavily.
The aftermath of Culloden changed Highland society forever.
For Clan MacDonell, Culloden represents:
loss
loyalty
defeat
exile
military honour
the end of the old Highland order
The Great Glen After Culloden
After the Jacobite defeat, castles, lands and clan power across the Highlands were transformed.
The MacDonell story continued, but the old military clan world was broken.
Chapter VII: Clan Crest, Motto and Badge
Glengarry Crest
The crest badge of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry is:
A raven Proper perching on a rock Azure.
The raven suggests:
watchfulness
battle memory
prophecy
intelligence
wild Highland symbolism
a bird of war and survival
The rock suggests:
steadfastness
place
territory
the fixed heart of Glengarry
Glengarry Slogan
The slogan is:
“Creagan an Fhithich”
This means:
“The Rock of the Raven.”
This is one of the most distinctive slogans in Highland clan heraldry.
It evokes a dark bird, a hard rock, and a clan rooted in a fierce landscape.
Wider Clan Donald Motto
The wider Clan Donald motto is:
“Per Mare Per Terras”
This means:
“By sea and by land.”
For MacDonell of Glengarry, this wider motto reflects the clan’s Clan Donald ancestry and the maritime-land power of the western Highlands.
Plant Badge
The wider Clan Donald plant badge is commonly given as:
Common heath
For Glengarry specifically, the strongest symbols are:
the raven
the rock
Invergarry Castle
Glengarry tartans
Clan Donald ancestry
Chapter VIII: Clan MacDonell Tartans
MacDonell of Glengarry Tartan
The MacDonell of Glengarry tartan is recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2380.
This is one of the main tartans associated with the Glengarry branch.
MacDonell of Glengarry #2
The MacDonell of Glengarry #2 tartan is also recorded by the Scottish Register of Tartans under reference 2381.
MacDonell of Glengarry #3
The MacDonell of Glengarry #3 tartan is recorded under reference 2382.
MacDonell of Glengarry #4
The MacDonell of Glengarry #4 tartan is recorded under reference 2383.
MacDonell and Clan Donald Tartan Choices
Because Clan MacDonell of Glengarry is a branch of Clan Donald, descendants may also use wider Clan Donald tartans where appropriate.
Options may include:
MacDonell of Glengarry
MacDonell of Glengarry #2
MacDonell of Glengarry #3
MacDonell of Glengarry #4
MacDonald
MacDonald of the Isles
Clan Donald
MacDonald Hunting
MacDonald Dress
The Meaning of MacDonell Tartan Today
For modern MacDonell descendants, tartan represents:
Glengarry
Invergarry Castle
Clan Donald ancestry
Jacobite loyalty
the raven crest
the slogan “The Rock of the Raven”
family pride and diaspora identity
The MacDonell tartans give this Highland branch a powerful and visible Scottish identity.
Chapter IX: Heritage, Identity and Clan Traditions
Clan MacDonell represents a Highland identity built on Clan Donald ancestry, Great Glen power, Jacobite loyalty, raven symbolism and fierce branch pride.
Its story includes:
Mac Dòmhnaill — son of Donald
Clan Donald
Glengarry
Mac Mhic Alasdair
Strome Castle
Invergarry Castle
Loch Garry and Loch Oich
Knoydart and Lochaber
Jacobite loyalty
Culloden memory
the raven-on-rock crest
the slogan “Creagan an Fhithich”
MacDonell of Glengarry tartans
a living recognised chief
Associated names and spellings include:
MacDonell
MacDonnell
McDonell
McDonnell
MacDonald
Macdonald
McDonald
MacDonal
MacConnell
McConnell
Donaldson
The spelling MacDonnell is also especially important in Irish and Antrim contexts, where the MacDonnells of Antrim became a major branch of Clan Donald’s wider sea-world.
Chapter X: Clan MacDonell Today
Today, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry remains a recognised Highland clan branch with a living chief.
The current chief is:
Colin Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry
24th Chief of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry
Modern Clan MacDonell identity can be found through:
Clan Donald organisations
Glengarry heritage groups
family history research
tartan wearing
study of Invergarry and Strome
research into Lochaber and the Great Glen
Jacobite history
Scottish heritage events
Highland games
diaspora family networks
For MacDonell descendants, the best first step is to trace the family’s spelling and region:
MacDonell?
MacDonnell?
McDonell?
McDonnell?
Glengarry?
Lochaber?
Knoydart?
Invergarry?
Antrim?
Canada?
Australia?
New Zealand?
The United States?
That will determine whether the strongest heritage path is Glengarry, Clan Donald, Antrim MacDonnell, or another MacDonald-family branch.
Chapter XI: Legacy of Clan MacDonell
The story of Clan MacDonell begins within the mighty house of Clan Donald.
From Dòmhnall came the name.
From Clan Donald came the bloodline.
From Glengarry came the branch identity.
From Strome came the early seat.
From Invergarry came the castle heart.
From the crest came the raven.
From the slogan came the rock.
Its voice is:
Creagan an Fhithich — The Rock of the Raven.
And through the wider Clan Donald world:
Per Mare Per Terras — By sea and by land.
That combination captures the MacDonell spirit: Highland, maritime, watchful, proud and rooted in stone.
From Glengarry to Invergarry, from Lochaber to descendants across the world, Clan MacDonell continues to carry its history forward.
Its legacy is written in tartan, ravens, castles, Jacobite songs, Great Glen roads, Clan Donald genealogy, family records 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 MacDonell is one chapter in that greater story — a story of Glengarry, Invergarry Castle, Strome, Clan Donald blood, Jacobite loyalty, raven crests, tartans and the powerful slogan: The Rock of the Raven.
Discover more Scottish history, clan stories, castle features and heritage content at:
www.tartantimemachine.com