History of Clan MacAlpine, Continued
Contributed by MacAlpine Society
Whatever the actual use of the old Clan seat, it seems clear that
with the move of the capital to Scone, the stage was set for the
ultimate breakdown of the Clan. As time went on, power shifted
and the Clan lost its members to other, sometimes related, more
powerful clans, ultimately becoming landless with no recognized
Chief. This condition has persisted for the past five hundred years,
or more. As a result, for all those hundreds of years, and still today,
we have no hereditary Chief to whom we can give our allegiance
or who speaks on our behalf.
But, now, we have the Society's President who presents our
claims and calls us to unite. No longer will our Clan go undirected
and unattended. Under the leadership of Kenneth James
McAlpine, the Clan has united, once again, into an effective body.
Today, MacAlpines can be found in all corners of the globe. The
Clan, united through the Clan MacAlpine Society, is once again
providing kinship for its clansmen and clanswomen. We hope that
in the months to come, we will move closer to obtaining official
recognition of the Clan and its leaders, however, this is secondary
to our goals of promoting kinship among our members and
preserving the Clan’s history. So, let the proud story of our Royal
Clan be told and, let it now continue to grow as the Clan is, once
again, united.
The following is a collection of some of what now makes up the
written history of Clan MacAlpine: Writings of experts and old
Gaelic sayings. We present them so that you gain an
understanding of just how deeply these legends permeate Scottish
history, remembering that most legends are based on fact. We put
forth the question: Why have so many knowledgeable people
written so much about a Clan some say never existed? We think
that those who make such statements are short-sighted in their
view of Scottish history, have ulterior motives, or speak boldly from
the comfort of several hundred years away from the time of the
actual events. We suggest that, had these individuals presented
themselves in the Palace of King Kenneth MacAlpin and
proclaimed that no Clan MacAlpine existed, they would have
learned the lesson of its existence, in no uncertain terms, through
their own swift death. Of course, that is presuming they would have
had the courage to make such statements in his presence.
In his book, “The Scottish Tartans,” Sir Thomas Innes of Learney,
Lord Lyon King of Arms, refers to the claim that this Royal Clan is
the most ancient in the Highlands as being vague tradition. He
states that the Clan MacAlpine is Celtic and that records indicate
that, for 25 generations, the Kings of Scotland were of MacAlpine
lineage. He also states that the ancient crest was a boar’s head,
the war cry being “Cumbrich Bas Ailpein" or, "Remember the
death of Alpin,” and that the traditional home of the MacAlpines
was Dunstaffnage, near Oban, Argyll. This former Lord Lyon is
considered one of the most respected Lyons to serve Her Majesty
and, therefore, his description of the Clan, its history, and its
symbols is considered to be authoritative.
There is an old Gaelic saying: “Cnuic `is uillt `is Ailpeinich” (“Hills
and Streams and MacAlpine”, which signifies the origin of the
MacAlpines was contemporary with the origin of the hills and
streams, that is, the earth.)
“Tradition claims MacAlpin or MacAlpine as the oldest and most
purely Celtic of the Highland Clans, of royal descent from the
dynasty of Kenneth MacAlpin who united the Picts and Scots into
one kingdom from the year 850, and transferred his capital to
Perthshire from Dunn Add in Dalriada (beside Loch Crinan.)”
(From “Scots Kith & Kin,” page 49.)
MacAlpine: One of the chief branches of the royal clan Alpin. Their
seat is said to have been at Dunstaffnage in Argyll though they are
now landless and without a recognized Chief.
Siol Alpine is a name given to a group of clans that claim descent
from Kenneth MacAlpin. They are the Grants, the MacAulays, the
MacDuffs, the MacFies, the MacGregors, the MacKinnons, the
MacNabs and the MacQuarries.
Regarding the name MacAlpine, one of the earliest records of an
early form of the name appears when John MacAlpyne witnessed
a charter by Malise, earl of Stratherne, of the lands of
Cultenacloche and others in Glenalmond, c. 1260 (Grandtully, I, p.
126.) Monaghe fiz Alpyn of the county of Perth rendered forced
homage to Edward I of England in 1296. (From "The Surnames of
Scotland" by George F. Black.)
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Thursday, December 26th, 2019
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