6 Ancient Scottish Clan Bloodlines Still Alive Today… (Origin, DNA & Surnames Included)

If you belong to one of these six clans, you connect to an incredibly rich and ancient history forged by your ancestors, and you may even be directly descended from the Chiefly Bloodline. Six ancient clans, all still alive today, with people across the world carrying their origins, culture, history and lineage all within their surnames, often without fully realising the prestige they carry. Now I should note that this list is far from exhaustive, as there are many ancient lineages in Scotland and ancient bloodlines, and please let me know in the comments below what your clan is, as I am planning on doing many follow-up videos around this topic. But first on the list is Clan Robertson, or should I say Clan Donica, or Donicae. It is reckoned amongst the oldest documented clans in Scotland, yet it has went by a few different names down through history. Its Gaelic name means the Children of Duncan, and as far as their origins, there are two main theories. There is an older clan tradition that the founder was a son of Angus MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, but this is now usually treated as a weaker origin story than the following. The second claims descent from the Celtic heralds of Atoll and the royal house of Dunkeld, the dynasty of Duncan I, that began in the 11th The first recognised chief came a little later, a man known as Stout Duncan, a chief who lived around Dunkeld in the early 1300s. He backed Robert the Bruce during the First Scottish War of Independence, and the clan is counted at Bannockburn in 1314. But where does the surname Robertson come from then? Well it came a little later, in the 15th century. The key figure is the fourth chief of the clan, Robert Reac, remembered for capturing the assassins of King James I after the king was murdered at Perth in 1437. For this service, he was rewarded with the barony of Stroun in 1451, and a striking coat of arms. And his son and successor was Alexander Robertson, or son of Robert, and from that point on, the chiefs used the surname Robertson. Earlier the same family used other surnames, such as Duncanson, Donachie, Reid and others. And the name Robert itself, if you're wondering, is of Germanic origin, derived from this old High Germanic name, which means bright fame or famous one. Now when it comes to their genetics, the DNA picture is still being built, and there appears to be numerous lineages for clan Robertson, which makes sense given the surnames the clan has used. Yet there is tentative evidence that an important line of the Robertsons of Stroun potentially fell within a branch of R1BL21 called RM222, which is especially common in Ireland today, and linked to the branches of the Anil dynasties of early medieval Ireland down through history. Now some have proposed that the more refined snip, RFGC19838, could have been a marker shared by the wider early chief Lichindrid, while the present Stroun line appears to be connected to the branch RFGC19830. These are both downstream from RFGC19831. Yet the genetic research into clan Robertson is still emerging, and more research is needed into all of this. Now the next clan on our list is clan MacGregor, a very famous one that outlawed royal race, and this royal prestige is obviously expressed in their motto, Royal is my Race. The surname MacGregor comes from the Gaelic name MacGregor, meaning son of Gregor, and the clan claims descent from the ancient royal Gaelic line, part of seven clans known as Siol Alpin or Seed of Alpin. All of these families claim descent from Kenneth MacAlpin, traditionally considered to be the initial founder of what became Scotland, as he is said to have unified the Gaels of Davariada and the Picts in 843AD into the embryonic kingdom of Allopaw. Now there is a clan tradition that Gregor was the brother of Kenneth MacAlpin, although this is hard to prove from a historical perspective. Some sources note that early figures such as John of Glenorchy may have belonged to the developing kindred, a man who died around 1113. But their first accepted chief was Gregor of the Golden Bridles MacGregor in the early 1300s, and he was succeeded by his son, Ian Cam MacGregor, known as One Eye. Now the MacGregors were traditionally located around Glenorchy and neighbouring central western Highland districts, and they became famous as a Gaelic warrior clan, under pressure from expanding neighbours, especially the Campbells. Then in 1603, after they crushed the Colquhouns at Glymphruan, James VI abolished the very name MacGregor, making it a capital crime to bear it. For some 170 years, they lived as the Children of the Mist, scattered under borrowed names, which is why the outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor, so often went by his mother's name of Campbell. And even today, many people with MacGregor ancestry now bear other surnames because of this. But what about the DNA of the MacGregors? Well a substantial body of Y-DNA evidence identifies RS690, usually accompanied by S697, as the principal paternal lineage of the medieval Argyllshire MacGregors, associated with the Ean Cam bloodline. So in simple terms then, a man who carries RS690 likely belongs to the same direct paternal genetic lineage as this historic group of MacGregors, making it one of the clearest DNA signatures of having genuine genetic MacGregor ancestry, although not every MacGregor belongs to this branch. Now for a little context, this marker sits within R1b L21 subclad, that defines the Insular Celts in general, as this map shows. And it is downstream from RL1065, which is a very common branch of L21 in Scotland, which is often known as the Scots model haplotype. And within that lineage, RS696 is the strongest published marker for the present Glincarnag chiefly family. Third on the list is Clan MacNeill of Barra, who for centuries told one of the grandest origin stories in the Gaelic world, descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages and the O'Neill Kings, reaching Barra through the 11th century prince and Rohan O'Neill, with the chief's arms still carrying the red hand of Ulster, ringed by nine shackles in his honour. Their name means son of Niall, and while tradition places a Niall on the island around 1049, the first clearly documented lord was Gilly O'Neill MacNeill. He appears in 1427 when Alexander MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, granted him Barra. And by the 1400s, their chief was part of the Council of the Isles, advising the MacDonalds, usually at Finlaggan on Islay. This places them in the maritime Norse Gaelic world of the western seaboard, and their motto is as hard as the Atlantic – victory or death. They were a seafaring, piratical clan, ruling from Kismul Castle, which rises straight out of the sea in Castle Bay. And a few interesting figures include Niall Og MacNeill, who is believed to have fought for Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, and Rory the Turbulent MacNeill, who was hauled up for piracy under James VI. But here's the genetic twist. Despite all the Irish links, the DNA of a key Barra chiefly line does not seem to carry the Irish Niall marker we would expect, which would be within RM 222. Instead, a core MacNeill bloodline or lineage sits within R1b L165, a lineage associated with the Norse Viking settlement in Hebrides, and actually shared by the core lineages of Clam MacLeod, pointing not to an Irish High King, but to the Norse Gaelic world of the Isles. And I should note that this R1b L165 marker is actually downstream from the haplogroup RDF27, which peaks in Iberia today as you can see. Yet its path to Barra likely went through Scandinavia, with R1b L165 still elevated in places like Norway today, and this line has been connected to the Viking impact in the Scottish Hebrides. Now alongside this dominant chiefly line sit three other unrelated branches. One known as the Piper MacNeills of Barra, seemingly to belong to the Norse-connected haplogroup RA10884, which is downstream from R1a Z284, a branch that still peaks in Norway today and very much associated with the Vikings in the ancient world. Others belong to branches of I1, while the Lowland and Ulster MacNeills tend to possess high levels of this R1b M222 marker. That actual northwest Irish Gaelic lineage traditionally linked to the Neill dynasty. So despite its Gaelic origin stories and some Gaelic genetic links, the clan looks heavily born out of the Norse-Gaelic world of the Isles from a DNA perspective, which is interesting and makes sense geographically. Now quickly before we move on to the next clans, I wanted to let you know that I did just make a member on the video on the rise and the fall of the Scottish clan system. Please click the top link in the video description below to find out more information and become a YouTube member, or you can also get access on Patreon, the links will be below, and you also get voting rights on Patreon where you are able to vote on what videos I make, so links in the description below. But yeah, thank you, and now on with the video. Next on the list is Clan Macduff, a Lowland clan tied to kingship, law, and the ancient arrows of Fife. The surname comes from this Gaelic name, which means something like potentially from a dark-haired ancestor. As the original arrows of Fife, they are descended by tradition from the Scottish Pictish royal house, perhaps from King Dew, who reigned in the 960s, and their circle included Queen Goroch of Scotland, the real Lady Macbeth. Now one of the earliest figures we know is that of Gilly Michael Macduff, arrow of Fife in the early 12th century, who was a witness to royal charters. And Macduff was also the first clan formally recognised by the Scottish Parliament, in November 1384. Now one of Macduff's great claims was that of king-making authority. Installing the new king on the Stone of Destiny became the hereditary duty of the arrows of Fife, chiefs of Clan Macduff. And this is one of the strongest ceremonial privileges attached to any Scottish clan name. And the most famous Macduff story is the Isabella Macduff, Countess of Buchan, who crowned Robert the Bruce in 1306, when the arrow of Fife himself was in English custody. Later tradition remembers her severe English punishment, as one of the most dramatic episodes in the Wars of Independence. The Macduff story is therefore royal, legal and symbolic. But when it comes to their DNA story, it is not as clean as their history. No confirmed snip currently identifies the medieval chiefly line of Clan Macduff or the Celtic arrows of Fife. One interesting marker though, for a potential Macduff lineage, is a specific branch of R1b L21, called R FT 109 486. This was confirmed in two Duff testers with an estimated common ancestor around 1450. Making this a credible marker for one important Perthshire Duff family line. Yet this is tentative and more research is needed. Now number 5 on the list is Clan Moray, an ancient clan but not quite in the same way as the likes of the MacGregors. The surname is territorial, deriving from the historical Pictish province of Moray in North East Scotland. Early forms included the Latin du Moravia, meaning of Moray. And the key founding figure is Frescan, usually described as a Flemish or Norman Flemish knight. The traditional story is that David I granted lands to Frescan and that his descendants became established in Moray, where they took the territorial style du Moravia, which softened into Moray over time. Now Frescan appears around 1130, and his grandson William du Moravia heads the main line. And the same Frescan is claimed by Clan Sutherland as well. Now Sir Andrew du Moray is a very famous figure of the clan, and is arguably one of Scotland's greatest forgotten military geniuses. A master of strategy, logistics and terrain, he helped orchestrate the stunning victory alongside William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. He died of his wounds a few months after the battle however, and some have argued that Wallace could have fared better at Falkirk if Moray was still alive. Now a manage to the Stuart heiress of Athol later made the Moray's Dukes of Athol by 1703, the most titled family in the land, and to this day the command that Athol Highlanders, the only legal private army in Europe, although it is ceremonial today. As far as DNA, the picture is still emerging, but there is some initial evidence that the surname is split into at least two main broad genetic lineages. Y-DNA testing reveals that noble Highland branches, including the Morays of Tullibardin and the Dukes of Athol, could belong to the ancient I2A haplogroup. Within the broad subclad, IL-233. Yet no more recent SNP has been identified yet with confidence. And we actually know as well that the core lineages of Clan Lindsay also belong to I2A. Conversely, the prominent lowland and border branches, such as the Morays of Cockpool and Falyhill, seem to carry lineages within the R1BU152 marker. This is a genetic signature highly consistent with the clan's traditional Flemish and continental knightly origins. The SNP, R-97629, has been tentatively connected to a line of the Morays, but more research is needed to confirm this. And at number 6 we have a clan that became the monarchy, Clan Stuart. Their ancestor was Allan, hereditary steward of the bishops of Dull and Brittany. His grandson, Allan Fitzflad, came to Britain under Henry I, and a younger son, Walter FitzAllan, was made steward of Scotland by David I in the 12th century, an office the king made hereditary. The surname is that office. Stuart became steward over time, settling in with a 4th high steward, Alexander Stuart, in the 13th century. Now the throne came by marriage, when Walter, 6th high steward, wed Marjorie Bruce, the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce. And when the Bruce male line failed in 1371, their son became Robert II, the first Stuart king. Every Scottish monarch since, and every British monarch since 1603, ultimately descends from that Breton Stuart in some way. Even the House of Hanover, through Elizabeth Stuart, the grandmother of King George I. And Stuart is a clan where proper academic research from the University of Strathclyde has been done. We know that the Stuarts largely belong to subclans of R1BL21, with two major branches emerging. First, the subclad RS781, formed in Sir John Stuart of Bochol, a Scottish knight and military commander during the First Scottish War of Independence, who actually died at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. Then there are the descendants of Walter Stuart, 6th high steward, who lived between 1296 and 1327, and carried RZ38845. Because Walter's only continuing male line descendant runs through his son, King Robert II. Men testing positive for RZ38845 today have Robert II as an ancestor, which is pretty cool. So Stuart is the gold standard Scottish royal DNA story, a Breton origin family that became the royal house of Scotland. Now this list is far from exhaustive as I said earlier, and there are many ancient bloodlines and lineages in Scotland, and let me know what your clan is and if you would like me to do a follow up video around this topic. Also check out my Scottish Clan playlist where I go through numerous different clans as well, and name videos. But what are the DNA differences between Celtic and Germanic peoples? Well to find out, please click here. Thanks for watching, please subscribe and hit the bell, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and I'll see you next time.