Clan MacRae — Origins & History
Origins · The early MacRae line
Clan MacRae takes its place among the historic families of Kintail. The line is traditionally traced to the MacRaes of Kintail, and over the centuries the MacRae chiefs built the territory, alliances and identity that the name still carries today.
Like all the great Scottish kindreds, MacRae was bound together less by a single bloodline than by allegiance to its chief and its country. Members took the chief's surname, followed his banner in war, and wore his colours — the origin of the tartan tradition that survives in the MacRae setts sold today.
“Fortitudine” — With fortitude.
— the motto of Clan MacRae
Through the Centuries
From its base in Kintail, Clan MacRae shared in the great movements of Scottish history — the wars of independence, the rise and fall of the Stewart kings, the Jacobite risings of the 18th century, and the upheavals that scattered Highland and Lowland families alike across the globe. The family seat at Eilean Donan Castle remains a focus of MacRae heritage.
The Dress Act of 1746 banned Highland dress for a generation, and the Clearances that followed drove many Scottish families overseas. Yet the MacRae identity survived — carried in names, in records, and in the cloth. The chiefship is presently dormant, but the MacRae name is kept active through clan societies and the wider family worldwide.
Today the MacRae tartan is worn at weddings, gatherings, Highland games and Burns Night celebrations from Scotland to North America, Australia and New Zealand — a living link between the modern family and its Scottish origins.
