The Clan society has left a memory of family loyalty and devotion that is still present, to some extent, in modern day. Beginning even
before recorded History, it was undoubtedly the blood tie that held together the people
whose ancestors had lived and worked the land. Clans were the underpinning family structure
for what some sociologists would term mechanic society.
In theory the word Clan should apply only to the family of the chief and those branches that could prove descent from him, the word has however been extended to include all who acknowledged the authority of the Chief and whom accepted his protection.
Clans whose members have all descended from the same ancestor are very few, if there is one to be found however it will be found amongst the 'Macs' meaning 'Son of..' thereby ensuring that the name of the "Father" continues on.
At this point it is nearly impossible to exclude the early Scot's who may have originated in Ireland. In clans like the MacGregors, Mackays, Mackenzies, Macnabs, and Macneils to name a few, it may be that they share a Scottish History if not exactly a common ancestry.
Further to the North clans such as the Grants, Chisholms and Frasers chiefs are most likely of Norman descent. There could not be any tie of blood between the first chief and his people, excepting those who had arrived with him.
What was most important to the Clan's besides the tie of kinship was the bravery and good judgement of the Chief. Chiefship could be elective, but, the Celtic tradition of selecting a successor from the group of male kin directly descendant to the Chief remained in some clans. There were cases where the nearest 'Heir' was bypassed and a new 'Chief' was appointed, in most cases as sanctioned by the crown.
As feudal practice modified older customs however, the automatic succession of the eldest son became the standard. The chief's younger sons and grandsons who founded families of their own were given parts of the ancestral lands to maintain themselves, these were known as Cadet Branches. These Branches spread rapidly and, with frequent intermarriage both within the 'Family' and 'outside' it, formed a complicated web of relationship ties and strengthened the clan.
Though it was a classless society for the most part, there was a degree of hierarchy depending on the relationship to the chief. Their common kinship, real or nominal, knit together every Highland community from the Chief himself to the humblest follower.
Surnames are the hallmark of Modern Clans but they were not in general use in the Highlands until the 17th Century. When surnames were adopted it was natural that a nominal kinship with the ruling family should be established. Some people took the name of their Chief or a recognised variation of it; some took descriptive names or names of their trade such as Dow for Black or Roy for Red or Smith (blacksmith), Wright or Miller and some even froze their patronymic by using their fathers name with the word 'Mac' before it or the word 'son' after.
A Clan can therefore be seen as a variable unit, consisting not so much of people with the same kinship, but of peoples who had a common goal and followed the same chief.
