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For 559 years the Clan MacFarlane
held legal sway over the Parish of Arrochar, Scotland, from the tip
of the sea loch Loch Long, down to Glen Douglas and north to the
upper reaches of Loch Lomond, Its an area of great natural beauty
but very meagre resources. The Macfarlanes, therefore had to cling
tenaciously to their very existence by supplementing these meagre
rations with ill-gotten gains from their richer neighbours to the
south. That they became the best in the business at the Highland art
of Cattle rustling is underlined with the well documented local
nickname for the Moon, "MacFarlanes Lantern".
With our present day outlook this type of behaviour in the modern
world would be totally unacceptable, However in the 14th, 15th and
16th centuries in Scotland the ritual of cattle stealing from each
other was commonplace. The MacFarlanes were unfortunate that their
skill emphasised their notoriety and led to the inevitable attention
of the authorities. Despite this their pride in their skill is shown
in the name of their Clan Pipe Pibroch "Thogail nam bo theid sinn"
(to Lifting the cattle we shall go) written by their 12th chief,
Andrew the Wizard.
The Macfarlanes too engaged in more edifying activities down
through these 5 centuries. Always in defence of the Scottish Crown
as is evidenced by their Coat of Arms with imperial crown and Motto
of This I'll Defend. They had strong participation at Bannockburn in
1314, Flodden, in 1513, Pinkie in 1547, Most notably at Langside in
1568 and Bothwell Bridge in 1679, when their ferocious Highland
charges won the day. They also supported the great Marquis of
Montrose in the campaigns in the 1640's. Their defence of the crown
in fact led to the destruction of their Island castles in Loch
Lomond at Eilean-a-Bhuth and Inveruglas by Cromwellian forces led
by General Monck during the Imperialist English invasions in the
1650's.
In 1767 Walter MacFarlane,who was their 20th Chief being a respected
Antiquary and Scholar and original Friend of Loch Lomond who planted
most of the magnificent Oaks trees in the area, he died leaving
debt. This was made worse by his brother William 21st chief, to
settle them he had to sell the lands of Arrochar in 1784, leading to
all Macfarlane people being evicted and scattered around the globe.
The last Chief died in 1866 in America.
Today however fortunes are looking up for the Clan. Under their
imaginative leadership through the international Clan MacFarlane
Society, Inc. (Originally founded in 1911 in Glasgow and London and
re-established at Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina, USA in
1973.) They were granted Arms by The Lord Lyon King of Arms making
them the only chiefless Armigerous society and they are thriving and
striving to take the descendants of MacFarlane back where they
belong. They are currently fund-raising to set up the Clan
MacFarlane Heritage Centre and Museum of Highland Life in Tarbet,
Loch Lomond, The target they require is $400,000 US, and they have
in a few months collected $100,000 US. So they are well on their
way.
The heritage centre will be located on the Main road between Tarbet
and Arrochar in the old Free Church at Ballyhennan. This building is
currently known as the "Black Sheep" and houses a viable Craft Shop
and Licensed Restaurant. There is an upper level that will house the
Museum and Archive. The Churchyard holds mainly MacFarlane Graves,
including certainly one MacFarlane Chief. The Clan MacFarlane
Society seeks to create a focal point for all Macfarlanes world-wide
and create a permanent institution so future generations will be
able to enjoy their heritage. The Society is also working on
regaining Islands of Inveruglas and Eilean-a-Bhuth (I Vow) in Loch
Lomond that house the ruins of their ancestral Castles with a view
to future restoration.
The Museum will include not only information and artefacts from the
Clan Macfarlane but will also tell the story of how life was for
people throughout the West Highlands. Local Schools will enjoy free
access
to the Museum and future excavations, with the hope that children in
Scotland will be able to learn more about their heritage. It will
also include a genealogy database on the Clan Macfarlane and will
also support Archaeological surveys and excavations and restorations
of Historical Macfarlane sites like the castles in Loch Lomond and
the more than 50 ancient settlements in their ancestral homelands.
The Clan MacFarlane Society urgently needs the Support of all
Macfarlanes and the Scottish Community worldwide to bring this to
fruition. To find out how you can help or join CMSI please visit:
http://www.macfarlane.org
Michael MacFarlane, International President
Clan MacFarlane Society Inc. |
