Alanus de Ratheriff, 1st Laird

Alanus De Ratherift, who lived in the reigns of "william The Lion and Alexander II., was father of

Sir Thomas De Kattray, who received the honour of knighthood from Alexander III. liy Christian, his wife, with whom he acquired part of the lands of Glencaveryn and Kincaldrum, in Forfarshire, he left two sons, Eustatios, his heir, and John, witness to a deed in the time of Alexander III.

Source: Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry, Volume 2

By John Burke, p. 1100

Alanus De Ratherift. Served under William the Lion and Alexander II.

• Dawn Stapylton-Adkins. James Rattray & His Descendants in South Africa 1822-1992, self-published, Cape Town, 1992

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Rattray tradition has it that King Malcolm Cean Mâor confirmed an early Rattray as the Laird of Rattray in the early 11th Century, unfortunately there is no extant written record of this. The earliest Rattray for whom there is a written record is Alanus de Ratheriff who was born in 1165 and died in 1210. Jamie Rattray of Rattray once told there were memorial stones in Rattray Church of Rattrays before the time of Alanus that were unfortunately later lost. ÙCbÙDThe Origins of the name RattrayÙC/bÙD There are various renditions of the name in early written records; Rathtreff in 1160, Rotref inb 1291, Ratref in 1296, Rothtref in 1205, there are also various other renditions of the name including Rattra. (W.F.H Nicolaisen, 1976, Scottish Place-Names, B.T. Batsford Ltd., London.) The name is composed of two parts the first part is derived from the word rath, from both Gaelic and Cymric (modern welsh or ancient British) meaning fortification; the second part Tref or Treb, Tray, from the Cymric (British) meaning settlement. It is not widely known that British (similar to modern Welsh) was spoken in the area until the tenth century. The name therefore means literally fortified settlement and became associated with the family who held sway over the fortification and the area. The fortification was built on a snake shaped mound, which was in pre-Christian times associated with some form of serpent worship. The Rattray coat of arms are supported by serpents. Interestingly and unusually the weather vane on Rattray Church is also in the shape of a serpent. [http://www.clanrattray.com/about-the-clan.aspx]

Alternative Names: Hill Of Rattray; Castle Hill Type of Site: Castle, Motte And Bailey NMRS Number: NO24NW 21 Map reference: NO 2099 4539 Parish: Rattray Council: Perth And Kinross Former District: Perth And Kinross Former Region: Tayside

Archeology notes NO24NW 21 2099 4539. :

(NO 2099 4539) Castle of Rattray (NR) (Site of) OS 6" map (1957)

For architectural fragments built into Old Mains of Rattray (NO 2065 4525), see NO24NW 48. For another Rattray motte, see NK05NE 4.

The remains of a motte and bailey occupy the tree-covered east summit of Castle Hill, a steep-sided gravelly hillock rising to 225 ft above sea level. The motte and bailey is oriented NNW-SSE with the motte occupying the north end and the bailey, divided into an upper and a lower bailey by a broad deep cross-ditch, sloping away to the south. The flat-topped motte rises 1.0m above the bailey and the remains of a stone wall can be traced round its edge. A portion of stone wall can be seen along the east edge of the "upper" bailey and a sub-oval hollow at the south end of the "lower" bailey probably indicates the site of a building. The probable existence of other buildings is indicated by considerable stone debris in the east half of the "upper" bailey. The Rattrays settled here in the 11th c. and the first recorded head of the family, Man de Rattref, resided here in the latter half of the 12th c. (A H Millar 1890) Resurveyed at 1/2500. Visited by OS (WDJ) 30 September 1970

In the early 1970's, quarrying all but removed the remains of an earthwork castle from the Hill of Rattray. It appears to have comprised a motte and two baileys, but only parts of the upper bailey (with an enclosing bank 2.5m thick and 0.3m high), the outer bailey (28m by 11m) enclosed by a bank ( 1.3m thick and 0.3m high) and the intervening ditch (7.6m wide by 0.4m deep) now survive. Stobie (1783) annotates his map 'Castle in ruins', while both the authors of the Statistical Account and the Ordnance Survey Name Book entries record the remains of a substantial building on the eastern summit of the hill. This is probably to be identified with 'the castle tower fortalice and manor place of Rattray' accompanying 'the Castle Hill thereof', referred to in P Lawson's disposition of 1818, and may be the building illustrated on a painting (the property of the Rattrays of Craighall) which depicts a ruined tower of at least three principal storeys; the painting also depicts abutments which are possibly the remains of its curtain walls. Fragments of moulded stones in re-use at Old Mains of Rattray (NO24NW 48) and a moulded lintel, wrought with a sundial and bearing the date 1673 and the initials PMR (said to have been removed from Castlehill Cottage prior to demolition and now in Alyth Museum), may have come from this building or some other laird's dwelling close by. The lands of Rattray are said to have been in the possession of the family of that ilk from the reign of Malcolm Canmore (1057-93) and remained their principal seat until the early 16th century.