| Clan Name: | Clan MacGillivray |
| Image Badge: | Clan member crest badge - Macgillivray.svg |
| Chiefs Motto: | Touch not this cat |
| War Cry: | Dunmaghlas |
| Plant Badge: | Boxwood & Red Whortleberry[1] |
| Pipe Music: | "Loch Moidh" (Loch Moy)[2] |
| Image Arms: | Arms of the chief of Clan MacGillivray.jpg |
| Historic Seat: | Dunmaglas[3] |
| Allied Clans: | Chattan Confederation Clan Mackintosh Clan MacPherson Clan MacPhail Clan MacBean Clan Shaw of Tordarroch Clan Farquharson Clan MacThomas Clan Davidson Clan MacQueen MacIntyres of Badenoch the Macleans of Dochgarroch Clan MacInnes |
| Rival Clans: | Clan Cameron |
| Last Chiefs Name: | John Farquhar MacGillivray[4] |
| Date Of Death Of Last Chief: | 1942 |
| Commander: | Iain Donald MacGillivray[5] |
Clan MacGillivray is a Highland Scottish clan and is a member of the Clan Chattan Confederation.[6] The clan does not currently have a clan chief, but following a petition to the Lord Lyon a family convention was held at Culloden on 15 April 2016. Submissions from four applicants for the role of commander were heard and Iain Donald MacGillivray was nominated and subsequently received his commission from the Lord Lyon. The role subsists for an initial period of five years but can be renewed for a further five years, and thereafter the commander can petition to be chief.
The clan MacGillivray was an important clan even before the Norsemen were driven out of the Outer Hebrides by King Somerled, who was Lord of the Isles in the 12th century.[6]
An ancient confederation is said to have existed between the Clans of MacInnes, MacGillivray, MacMaster and MacEachern. This confederation was known as the ‘Siol Gillebride’ (The seed or descendants of Gillebride). The Sleat historian Hugh MacDonald tells us that the principle surnames in Morvern were MacInnes and MacGillivray – “who are the same as the MacInneses.” James Logan the historian also says that the early MacGillivrays of Mull “seem to be otherwise called MacAonghais or MacInnes.”
In 1222, Alexander II of Scotland subdued Argyll, and the clan Mhic Gillebrath became dispersed.[6] Some of the clan remained on the Isle of Mull, while others stayed in Morvern.[6] [7] There is a tradition that asserts that the chief of the clan placed himself under the protection of the chiefs of Clan Mackintosh, who were also chiefs of the Clan Chattan Confederation around 1268.[6] Thereafter the clan MacGillivray became a protected member of the Confederation.[6] [8]
The MacGillivray clan was first accurately recorded in Dunmaglass in 1549.[6] In 1609, there was a great gathering of the Chattan Confederation, at which loyalties were given to the Mackintosh chief, and the haill kin and race of MacGillivray was represented by Malcolm MacGillivray of Dalcrombie and Duncan MacGillivray of Dunmaglass.[6] The MacGillivrays were persecuted by their Calvinist and Presbyterian neighbors owing to their support of Episcopal polity of the church.[6]
Along with most of the other clans of the Chattan Confederation, the MacGillivrays were staunch Jacobites in both the Jacobite rising of 1715 and the Jacobite rising of 1745.[6] During the 1745 rising, the chief of Mackintoshes and clan Chattan was however a serving officer in the Black Watch regiment of the British Army, but his wife, Lady Anne Mackintosh (née Farquharson), rallied the Chattan Confederation in support of the Jacobites and placed chief Alexander MacGillivray in command of the clan Chattan regiment.[6] Alexander MacGillivray was killed leading his clan at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 along with many of his followers.[6] A graveyard at Dunlichity commemorates the many MacGillivrays who fell in the battle.[6] After Culloden, many MacGillivrays emigrated across the Atlantic, where many of them were successful, particularly as traders.[6]
Dunmaglas, which is about six miles east of Inverfarigaig in Inverness-shire, was held by the MacGillivrays from at least the sixteenth century, if not earlier.[3] Dalcrombie, which is nearby, was also held by the clan.[3]
Clan MacGillivray does not have any septs, though common variations of the names MacGillivray and McGillivray, associated with the clan, are listed as follows. Note that the prefix Mac/Mc are interchangeable, as well as the capitalisation of the second syllable.
A playable character inspired by Scottish culture in the video game For Honor from the French publisher Ubisoft can be heard shouting "Dunmaghlas!", the historic war cry of the Clan. One of the character and story writers for the game was Ariadne MacGillivray, a member of the Clan.[14]
There is a hill called Carn Na Croiche (Cairn of the Gallows) at Dunmaglass where the Chiefs of Clan MacGillivray hung criminals This typifies the absolute power that a clan chief of those times held over his people.[15]