Follow
Clan Chattan (Scottish Gaelic: Na Catanaich or Scottish Gaelic: Clann Chatain)[1] is a unique confederaton of Highland clans.[2] The clan is distinctive in highland clan history in that it was acknowledged to be a community or confederation,[3] of twelve separate Scottish clans,[4] who each had their own clan chief recognized under Scottish law, but who were united under and bound to a superior chief of the confederation for mutual solidarity, sustenance and protection in the Middle Ages and early modern period in the Scottish Highlands.
Prior to the 14th century, the Clan Chattan was a conventional Scottish clan.[2] However it evolved into an alliance or confederation of clans which was made up of firstly of the descendants of the "blood" or the original clan (Clan Cattanach, Clan Macpherson, Clan MacBean (or McBain) and Clan MacPhail), secondly of the Clan Mackintosh and their cadet branches (Clan Shaw, Clan Farquharson, the Ritchies, and Clan MacThomas) and thirdly of families who were not originally related by blood (Clan MacGillivray, Clan Davidson, the Macleans of Dochgarroch, Clan Macqueen, the MacIntyres of Badenoch and the Clan Macandrews).[2]
Plant badge: Red Whortleberry Latin vaccinium vitis-idaea Crest badge: A cat salient, proper. Clan chief's motto: Touch not the catt bot a glove. "Bot" may mean "without" or "ungloved", either being a warning to those who would harm the clan.
Today, the Clan Chattan Association, which is based in Scotland with members across the world, lists the following principal clans that comprise Clan Chattan:[13] Clan MacBean Clan Macpherson Clan MacPhail Clan Mackintosh Clan MacGillivray MacIntyres in Badenoch MacLean of Dochgarroch (the Macleans of the North) Clan Macqueen of Strathdearn Clan MacThomas Clan Shaw of Tordarroch Clan Davidson Clan Farquharson