MacDonell of Glengarry
Crest & Motto
The Glengarry crest shows a raven perched on a rock, with the Gaelic motto Cragan an Fhithich, as registered in the chief’s arms: the rock of the raven, the crag at Invergarry on which the clan castle stood. The motto is also rendered Creagan an Fhithich.
History
The MacDonells of Glengarry are a senior branch of the great Clan Donald, descending from Donald, son of that Ranald who also founded Clanranald. From this shared stock the Glengarry line took its own path, holding Glen Garry, running west from the Great Glen, and the rugged peninsula of Knoydart on the west coast. The chiefs, styled Mac Mhic Alasdair, sat first at Strome Castle on Loch Carron and later at Invergarry Castle above Loch Oich.
Few clans matched Glengarry’s record of Jacobite loyalty. The clan fought at Killiecrankie in 1689, in the 1715 rising, and in the 1745 rising, when the Glengarry regiment served through the campaign from Prestonpans to Culloden. Invergarry Castle sheltered Bonnie Prince Charlie after Culloden and was burned by government troops in reprisal.
The most famous chief was Alasdair Ranaldson MacDonell, 15th of Glengarry, the flamboyant friend of Sir Walter Scott, painted memorably by Henry Raeburn in full Highland dress. Behind the tartan splendour lay debt and eviction: his tenants were cleared and emigrated in waves, many to Glengarry County in Ontario, which still carries the name. After his death in 1828 the estates were sold off through the nineteenth century, with Knoydart seeing brutal clearances in 1853. The chiefship survived the loss of the land, and the raven on the rock still watches over Glen Garry.
Clan Chief
The current chief is Patrick MacDonell of Glengarry, 24th Chief, who succeeded his brother Ranald in 2021. He lives in British Columbia, Canada.
Clan Tartan
Septs and Family Names
Family names associated with MacDonell of Glengarry include: McDonell.
Unsure how clan names, crests and septs work? Our guide to Scottish clan names explains the rules.
Further reading
The Clan MacDonell of Glengarry wiki page.
The High Council of Clan Donald
Clan Donald Society (Scotland)
The Glengarry Crest as a 3D Model
You can download the MacDonell of Glengarry crest as a 3D model file (£10 to £25) and print it on any 3D printer, or carve it in wood on a CNC machine.
See Glen Garry and Knoydart on our interactive clan map of Scotland.
