Clan: MacKay

Motto: Manu forti - "With a strong hand".
Badge: A hand holding a dagger.
Tartan: There are two Mackay tartans, the one shown here is a "new" tartan. In anchient times most tartans quickly faded leading to the impression that the colours were a much lighter shade.
There are many septs of this clan and alternate spellings including: Allan, Aytho, Bain, Baynes, Eason, Easson, Ison, Iye, Kay, MacBain, MacCaw, MacCay, MacCrie, MacGee, MacGhee, MacIye, MacKie, MacKee, Macky, MacQuoid, MacQuey, MacVail, Makgie, Makky, Maky, McAy, McCei, McKye, McKeye, McKy, Morgan, Neilson, Paul (MacPhail, Macvail, Polson), Reay, Scibie, Williamson, and Y.
Clan MacKay Page (Nova Scotia)

The Mackays were the most distant clan from the Scottish government, holding lands from Cape Wrath in the northwest to the Caithness border. However, their Gaelic was closer to that of southern Ireland than to the Scottish version, and the clan patronymic goes back to early Irish folktales.

The first records of the clan describe their opposition to Donald of the Isles, when the chief of the clan Mackay, Angus Dhu Mackay, led 4,000 men to defend his territories. Until the 17th century all the Mackay chiefs married into the Gaelic aristocracy of Scotland, including the Lord of the Isles' family.

They won honour and glory, not so much in the clan skirmishes of Scotland, as on the battlegrounds of Europe. By 1626 Donald, chief of the Mackays, had raised 3,000 clansmen to fight in the European wars. At the same time as the Mackays were fighting in support of Charles I's sister, Elizabeth of Bohemia, they also became Barons of Nova Scotia.

By 1875 the direct line of Mackay chiefs had died out. The title passed to the Dutch branch, who had been ennobled in the 17th century. The present chief of the clan is Hugh, 14th Lord Reay, Baron Mackay can Ophemert, whose father became a naturalized British subject in 1938.

Some of the information for this site is from The Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia and was prepared and posted by Janet MacKay, for the Clan MacKay Society of New Scotland, on behalf of the clan societies operating within Nova Scotia, including those clan societies who make up the FSCNS. Vice-President Alasdair McKay and other members of Clan MacKay have gladly passed along information.

= In Scotland =

Clan MacKay

Courtesy Electric Scotland: ALMAC, Grangemouth, Scotland

MacKay's of Tullich .. MacKay Genealogy .. History ..
Mackay, Qld. ..

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