Donnachaidh in Gaelic means “children of Duncan”. Duncan was named King of Cumbria in 1018 and King of Scots in 1034, but was killed by MacBeth near Elgin in 1040. The clan descended from his third son, Melmare. Duncan the Stout, friend of Robert the Bruce, fought at Bannockburn in 1314 and owned lands in Rannoch. King James II awarded the clan an imperial royal crown on their crest in 1451 for capturing the assassins of King James I in 1437. The Society was founded in Scotland in 1893 and in the US in 1971. The clan seat at Rannoch was sold in 1926 and relocated to Jamaica. The clan chief returned to Scotland in 1967. The clan relic is clach na brataich, a rock crystal charm stone, and the clan plant is the bracken fern. The coat of arms has 3 silver wolf heads with a serpent and a dove. The Donnachaidh clan war cry is “Fierce When Roused” and their motto is “The reward of valor is glory.”
CLAN FORSYTH

Clan Forsyth is a name clan, having no septs, its name meaning “man of peace.” It was a recognized clan with its own Chief by the 16th century. However, records were lost at the time of Oliver Cromwell and it was necessary to re-register, which the Chief failed to do. Thus, for 300 years there was no Chief and no Clan. But the worldwide spread of people bearing the name resulted in the Clan being reconstituted in recent years. The Chief is Alistair Forsyth of Ilk, who lives in Australia. The clan motto is, “Rebuilder of the Ruins.”

Clan Gunn descends originally from the Norse invaders who settled first in the Orkneys and Caithness. They mingled with the local population, spoke Gaelic and became thoroughly Scottish. They were a warlike group in their early years, continually feuding with neighboring clans. The Gunn Clan has no recognized Chief, but is headed by a Commander, Iain Alexander Gunn of Banniskirk, a resident of Lybster, Caithness. The Clan Gunn motto is, “Either peace or war.”

This patronomical clan name, meaning John’s Settlement, dates back to 1194, where this powerful border clan lived in Dumfries and Galloway in Arrandale. Due to constant border raids by the English, they gave up farming and lived on stolen cattle. The men wore steel bonnets and reinforced leather jackets. Their stronghold was Lochwood Towers. The crest shows a winged spur and the motto is “Never Unprepared”. The current tartan first appeared published in 1842. The seat of the clan is in the mansion of Raehills of Moffat.

Clan Little was a border clan with lands in Meikledale, though many relocated to Ulster. They were a riding clan with many in the light cavalry that fought with William Wallace. The clan descends from Richard Lytle, born in 1066 AD. He was in line of descent from William the Conqueror, King of England and the Duke of Normandy, whose ancestry can be traced back to Ingiald who ruled in Central Sweden 1,300 years ago. The clan motto is, “I yield to no man my trust.”

The MacAulays of Lewis and Loch Broom are descended from the Norseman Gunni Olafson, who is documented in The Orkneyinga Saga (circa 1200) as having been made an outlaw by Earl Harrold of Orkney. With the aid of his brother, Svein Asleifson, Gunni escaped to Lewis, where he was received by Ljotolf (Leod), the progenitor of the MacLeods. Literally translated, MacAulay means “son of Olaf”. The areas settled by the MacAulays were Uig in the west of the Isle of Lewis, Loch Broom near Ullapool (Olaf’s Home), Harris and the Uists. Some notable people descended from this clan are Donald Cam MacAulay, clan leader and the warrior folk-hero of Lewis, and Lord Thomas Babbington (first Lord MacAulay), famous author, essayist, historian and poet. The clan war cry is “MacAmhlaidh gu Brath!", which means “MacAulay forever.”

The MacDuffs are an ancient clan with roots going back to the German Catti tribe who migrated to Caithness, Pictland, to fight off the Roman invaders. The clan name in Gaelic is Dubh, meaning “black”, referring to the dark hair and complexion inherited from these German ancestors. The MacDuffs are of royal heritage, descending from Queen Gruoch of MacBeth fame, dating 1039-1057AD, and were the most powerful family in Fife in the medieval ages. John Paul Jones was a member of this clan. The clan seat is at Wemyss, and the motto is “God Assists”. The MacDuff clan badge shows a rampant lion holding a dagger.

The MacFarlane clan gained lands in Arrochar by Loch Long and Loch Lomond in the 12th century. In Gaelic, the clan name is Parlanaich after the Parlan of Gilchrist, the first owner of the land. MacFarlanes sheltered Robert the Bruce, fought at Bannockburn in 1314 and Flodden in 1513. They opposed Mary Queen of Scots, and after Oliver Cromwell conquered Scotland, he burned the family seat at Inveruglas to the ground. The lands in Arrochar were sold off in 1767. The clan stole so many cattle at night that the moon was called MacFarlane’s Lantern, the current name of their society newsletter. The Clan Society was founded in Glasgow in 1911 and the US branch in 1973 at Grandfather Mountain, NC. The supporters have bows & arrows meaning readiness for battle. Their motto is “This We’ll Defend.” The plant badge is the cranberry. The battle cry is “Loch Sloy”, which means “Springtime’s Comin’.” There are 4 red roses on the Arms, symbolizing grace and beauty.

Clan MacInnes is one of the oldest names of Scottish clans. Because there was not a recorded history, exact knowledge has been hard to come by. These Celtic, Gaelic-speaking people first appear there as settlers from Ireland in the last years of the 3rd or 4th century. The name comes from the Gaelic MacAonghais, literally "Sons of Angus", "mac" meaning son or family of; "aon" meaning one or unique, and "gusa" meaning choice - thus Unique Choice. They descended from Angus, son of Erc, Irish King of Dalriada. Angus occupied the West and the clan was among the early inhabitants of Islay, Jura and the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland, generally part of the region known as Argyll, or “coastland of the Gael”. After many battles with the Vikings, many relocated to Iona. Because of the Viking battles, there is a strong kinship with the MacDonalds. The clan crest has a bow, referring to their hereditary archers from Skye.

The name MacKay is pronounced “mac-aye”, and the Gaelic translation is “God of Fire”. Heritage is claimed from King Malcolm III and the Pictish Royal House of Alpin. The first clan chief in 1250 AD held lands in Durness and Strathmore. The MacKays supported Robert the Bruce and fought at Bannockburn. The US Society was organized in 1971, and their motto is “With a Strong Hand”.

The MacLellan Clan is traced back to 1230 AD and the name evolved from the Gaelic "MacGillifillan", which means "son of a servant or follower of Saint Fillan." Fillan, meaning wolf, was a missionary from Perthshire. The form "MacLellan" was chosen as our clan name because the castle at Kirkcudbright is so called, and Scottish history uses this spelling most often in referring to the Lords Kirkcudbright and other knights bearing the name in Galloway, particularly the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. The clan crest bears a piper, as many were hereditary pipers of Inverness. The MacLellans were related to the Logans, were supporters of the MacKenzies, and fought at Culloden. Their motto is, “While I breathe, I hope.”

The progenitor of the MacLeods was Leod, younger son of Olaf the Black, one of the last Norse Kings of Man and the Isles. Leod inherited Lewis and Harris along with parts of Skye on his father’s death in 1237. Through marriage to the Norse seneschal of Skye, the family acquired Dunvegan Castle, which remains in the family to this day. The Clan consists of two main branches: the MacLeods of Lewis descend from Leod’s son Torquil, while the MacLeods of Harris and Skye descend from another son, Tormod. The Clan motto is, “Hold Fast.”

The name MacPherson is translated in Gaelic to “son of the parson”. A traditional account of the founding of the clan has Gillicattan More Mac Gillespick coming to the Lochaber region of Scotland on the eastern side of Loch Ness, where he founded the Chattan Clan. It is said that three of Gillichattan Mor's sons founded branches of the Old Clanchattan. Murriach, a younger son of Gillichattan Mor, founded Clann Mhuirich. His grandson Duncan was called the Parson, since he had the collection of parsonage tithes and vicarage of the Parish of Laggan. It is from him that the name Macpherson came to be the surname of the clan’s core family in the 15th century. The motto is “touch not the cat but with a glove.” The plant badge is white heather, a symbol of good luck.

The Malcolm Clan seat is at Duntrune Castle on the Poltalloch Estate in Argyll, the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland. The Clan Chief, Robin Neill Lochnell Malcolm, resides there. It was Robin’s father, Lieutenant Colonel George Ian Malcolm, the 18th Laird of Malcolm, who started the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1950 at Edinburgh Castle. The name Malcolm is derived from the Gaelic word “calaman”, which means a dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. The Latin equivalent is “Columba”, which is also the name of Saint Columba who established the monastery on Iona. Followers of Saint Columba were “maol Chaluim” which gradually became the name Malcolm. From the 10th century onwards, there were four kings named Malcolm. There were three landowners named “Maucolum” (from Berwick, Perth and Montrose) who were signatories to the Ragman Roll in 1296. The clan plant is the Rowan Tree. The clan motto is “In ardua tendit”, which means, “We aim at difficult things.”

The origins of Clan Munro are lost in the distant past. By tradition, mercenary soldiers from Ireland in the 11th century were granted lands in Ross by a grateful Scottish king for their assistance in defeating Viking invaders. From documentary evidence, the Munros were well established by the middle of the 14th century on the north short of the Cromarty Firth in the area known as Ferindonald (Donald’s land). In general, Clan Munro was a law abiding and peaceful clan. Nevertheless, when need arose they stoutly defended their interests against more powerful neighbors. Clansmen and women have excelled in many professions, including medicine and politics. Military expeditions, adventurism and social change in the Highlands saw the name Munro spread throughout the world. The power of the old Highland Chieftains has gone, but the spirit of the Clan lives on through the Clan Munro Association, which enjoys a worldwide membership at www.clanmunro.org.

The St. Andrew’s Society of Connecticut welcomes all who wish to share their love of Scotland, Scottish heritage and culture. Membership is open to all. You don’t have to be Scottish to belong. A tradition of “good works” and “to relieve the distressed” is a common thread that connects all St. Andrew’s Societies and underlies our goals. The St. Andrew’s Society of Connecticut is a nonprofit, all volunteer, charitable organization, and has given over $45,000 to Connecticut charities, such as the Connecticut Burn Camp, Aids Camp and various VNAs. In addition, over $30,000 has been awarded in scholarships for study of various aspects of Scottish culture, such as Highland dance, bagpipes and Gaelic singing.

The New York Caledonian Club, as heir to the legacy of its four distinguished predecessor organizations, is no stranger to Highland Games in New York City. The Club’s first predecessor was the Highland Guard, organized after the war of 1812. The members of the Highland Guard, many of whom had emigrated from Scotland, informally organized a Caledonian Club in 1830. Captain William Manson and other members of the original Highland Guard officially established the New York Caledonian Club on the 14th of November 1856. Captain Manson had migrated from Thurso, Caithness, to the United States. The Club had its first meeting at his home at 256 Spring Street, at the corner of Varick Street in New York City. In 1857, Alexander Fraser became the first Chief of the New York Caledonian Club. From then on, Scottish immigrants arriving in New York found a new home in the Club to begin a new life in their new country.

The mission of the Nutmeg Curling Club is to teach, develop, promote and encourage the Olympic sport of Curling. We hold youth, junior and senior programs that lead to interscholastic, national and international competition. Curling involves members of a team shooting (sliding) 42 lb. polished granite stones down a 146 ft. long sheet of ice helped by the sweeping of teammates to melt the ice and control the distance and direction of the stone. Closest stones to the target score points. The typical game consists of eight ends (innings). Curling is easy to learn but difficult to master.

On November 19, 1756, a small group of native-born Scots and Scottish Americans met in lower Manhattan to form what is now the oldest established charitable organization in the Empire State. We have grown considerably over the last two and a half centuries from those few Colonial gentlemen to nearly a thousand men of Scottish blood. The Society’s primary purpose is for “the relief of natives of Scotland and their descendants who may be in want or distress.”. To this day the Society continues this laudable tradition by giving emergency aid and stipendiary assistance to needy Scots and their descendants. The Society welcomes the support of individuals and organizations that share its fervor for these charitable activities.

The Long Island Scottish Clan MacDuff #81 is a not-for-profit organization, with roots in the former Order of Scottish Clans, that seeks to keep alive Scottish traditions on Long Island NY. Monthly meetings are held at the Community Church of Reform in Manhasset, NY. In addition to our annual Scottish games, we are involved in a variety of other events throughout the year, including a Robert Burns Supper in January, New York City Tartan Day Festivities in April, a golf outing during the summer, and a Kirkin' of the Tartans Service in November. Our Chief is Robert Small, who can be reached at 516-248-3852. Many of our members are also involved with the Clan Gordon Highlanders Pipe Band of Locust Valley, NY. The Long Island Scottish Clan MacDuff is a charter member of the Association of Scottish Games and Festivals.

The Lady MacKenzie Lodge #68 of Stamford CT has been a long-time supporter and integral part of the success of the Round Hill Highland Games, providing many volunteers over the years. Margaret MacKenzie was the first Past Chief Daughter from Victoria Lodge #1 which first met July 2, 1895, in New Haven CT. The Grand Lodge was instituted in 1899 and incorporated in Connecticut in 1906. The Grand Chief Daughter for 2006-2007 is Mrs. Bernice Reed-Geggus. Membership is open to females age 16+ of Scottish descent.