Clan MacFarlane’s historic homeland lay in Arrochar between Loch Long and the western shore of Loch Lomond. The family emerged from the medieval Lennox, took its surname from Pàrlan, and held “Arrochar above Luss” under a charter recorded around 1344. Its history is best understood through the Lennox succession, its island strongholds and the documented conflicts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Quick answer: MacFarlane comes from Gaelic Mac Phàrlain, “son of Pàrlan.” The clan’s historic district was Arrochar, with strongholds on Inveruglas Isle and Island I Vow. The motto This I’ll Defend belongs to the chief’s heraldic tradition and alludes to defence of the Crown. Walter MacFarlane, antiquary and 20th chief, died in 1767; the chiefship is currently dormant.
Where does the MacFarlane name come from?
The surname derives from Mac Phàrlain, “son of Pàrlan.” Older books often equated Pàrlan with Bartholomew, but the International Clan MacFarlane Society notes that early Gaelic and Irish sources use forms of the Latin Bartolomeus for Bartholomew. It treats Pàrlan as a distinct older name rather than a simple Gaelic translation of Bartholomew.
The family’s recorded line in Arrochar descends from Gilchrist, a younger son of Alwyn, 2nd Earl of Lennox. Gilchrist received the barony of Arrochar from his brother Maldouen, 3rd Earl of Lennox, in a charter thought to date from the reign of Alexander II. Malcolm Mac Phàrlain later received the first known Arrochar charter made out to a Mac Phàrlain, around 1344.
How were the MacFarlanes connected to the Earls of Lennox?
The MacFarlanes were descended from a younger branch of the medieval Lennox family, but they did not simply inherit the earldom. When Duncan, the last Celtic Earl of Lennox, his son-in-law and two grandsons were executed in 1425, some regarded the MacFarlanes as potential heirs. The Crown ultimately confirmed the title in the Stewart of Darnley line, and by the late 1480s John Stewart’s claim had prevailed. Around that time Andrew MacFarlane married Stewart’s younger daughter, creating an alliance between the families.
The dedicated Clan Lennox history provides the wider earldom context without turning the cadet relationship into a claim that every modern MacFarlane has a proven noble descent.
Where did Clan MacFarlane hold land?
The clan’s core district corresponded broadly to the parish of Arrochar between Loch Long and Loch Lomond. Tarbet sits near the narrow land crossing between the two lochs, and MacFarlane power extended along the western shore of Loch Lomond. For the landscape and its other families, see the store’s Loch Lomond guide and Clan Colquhoun history.
What is the correct castle chronology?
Inveruglas Castle on Inveruglas Isle was the principal MacFarlane seat. Historic Environment Scotland describes the surviving structure as a two-phase tower: an earlier oblong block later altered into a Z-plan tower, probably in the second half of the sixteenth century. It was partly destroyed and abandoned during the Commonwealth period of 1649–1660.
Island I Vow, farther north in Loch Lomond, preserves another important residence. Its castle was built in 1577 for Andrew MacFarlane. After Inveruglas was destroyed in the mid-seventeenth century, Island I Vow became the principal residence. The chiefs moved to Arrochar in 1697, although the island house remained usable: it was described as a good house with gardens in 1743 and was ruinous by William Wordsworth’s visit in 1814.
What does “This I’ll Defend” mean?
The crest and motto are associated with the chief’s heraldry. The clan society connects them with Andrew MacFarlane’s support for Regent James Stewart, Earl of Moray, against Mary, Queen of Scots, at Langside in 1568; the crest points to an imperial crown and the motto alludes to defence of the Crown and kingdom. That heraldic context is more precise than treating the words as proof of a timeless clan personality.
Were the MacFarlanes Border-style raiders?
The MacFarlanes were a Highland clan, not a Border reiver family. Records nevertheless contain accusations of cattle raiding and other disorder around Loch Lomond. The traditional name “MacFarlane’s Lantern” for the full moon and the slogan Loch Sloy belong to that reputation. They are useful folklore and historical context, but they do not show that every member of the kindred took part in raids.
Who was the last recognised chief?
Walter MacFarlane of that Ilk (1705–1767), the 20th chief, was an antiquary whose manuscript collections preserved extensive Scottish historical material. The International Clan MacFarlane Society identifies him as the last chief and states that the chiefship is presently dormant. Dormant does not mean the surname or clan community has ceased to exist.
How should you research MacFarlane ancestry?
Work from a documented ancestor through birth, marriage and death records, parish registers, censuses, wills and land records. Search MacFarlane, McFarlane, MacFarland and other recorded variants, but do not use spelling, a tartan or a published sept list as a substitute for a generational record trail. Separate the history of the chiefs from the evidence for an individual family line.
The live MacFarlane Scottish Clan Gifts collection features exact-name designs connected with this heritage.