Romance readers who enjoy an adventurous love story between a clan Lord and heroine will find this information helpful.  Although we are reading fictional tales, we appreciate the true history that romance writers weave in stories.

The "Clan"

The word "clann" is a gaelic word which means family or children. The clans or families of the Highlands were distinct and separate from the Lowland Scots and particularly the English. The word "Sassunachs," was applied to those groups that lived in the southern regions of Scotland (the Lowlands) or England.

The Highland clans maintained their own language and customs. The pride and link to the clan was important to the Highlanders. The clan system would be shaken, however, following the final Jacobite uprising on April 16, 1746 at Culloden. Fortunately, time has not dimmed the sense of cultural connection to the clan names for those living today.

The clan was similar to a tribal system. The head of the clan was the chief and can also be referred to as the "Laird." The term Laird is the Scottish name for a landed proprietor. It was the chief or Laird that owned the lands of the clan.

The primary responsibilities of the chief was to protect the clan from enemy attack, guide and handle disputes, and lead his people in battle. As head of the clan, the chief possessed absolute authority over the clan.

Some clans could be quite large which facilitated the development of "branches" or "septs." The extensions of the clan were headed by chieftains, related to or appointed by, the chief of the clan. Most commonly, these chieftains would be the younger sons of the chief. Although the community consisted of both blood-relations to the chief as well as outsiders, clan and chief loyalty were of utmost import in the clan system.

Return to Romantic Tales Scotland

Return to Romantic Tales