Clan MacLellan

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Clan MacLellan is a Scottish clan from the Lowlands, in the region of Galloway. Today it has no chief, so it is considered an armigerous clan. Its historic seat was MacLellan’s Castle in Kirkcudbright.

Origin of the name and early leaders
The name comes from Mac-a-ghille-dhiolan, meaning “son of the bastard.” The clan’s leadership can be traced back to Cane McGillolane in the late 1200s, a knight who served King John Balliol. Cane was the son of Thomas of Galloway, who was the illegitimate son of Alan of Galloway.

History and conflicts
The MacLellans supported Balliol during the Wars of Scottish Independence. They were involved in the power struggles around the Lords of Galloway and fought against the rising Douglas family. A famous feud with the Douglas family led to dramatic events, including the murder of a Douglas leader in Stirling in 1452 and a legendary use of the Mons Meg cannon by the MacLellans to attack Threave Castle in revenge for the murder of their chief. The clan’s crest includes a mortar piece and the motto “Superba frango,” which translates roughly as “I humble proud things.” Their history is full of shifting fortunes as the crown and great families jostled for power in the southwest.

Prominent era and titles
The MacLellans supported the Stewart kings and held power in Galloway for a time. They suffered during the later medieval and early modern wars, with members dying in battles such as Flodden (William Maclellan of Bombie, 1513) and Langside. Sir Thomas Maclellan of Bombie built MacLellan’s Castle and served Mary, Queen of Scots. Sir Robert MacLellan was made Lord Kirkcudbright in 1633. During the Civil War, the third Lord’s royalist stance left the family heavily in debt and their estates were ruined. Two rivals for the chiefship were resolved by the House of Lords in 1761, but the title became dormant when the tenth Lord died in Bruges in 1832.

MacLellan’s Castle
MacLellan’s Castle, in Kirkcudbright, began in the Reformation era around 1560. Stones were later taken from Lochfergus in Bomby to build or repair the castle.

Origins and spread
There are MacLellans in the Western Isles, specifically in Uist, where the Gaelic form is Mac Gille Fhialain. The Uist MacLellans were once known as Na Faolanaich. In North Uist they are also called Clann Iain Mhóir, named after the 17th-century ancestor Iain Mór MacLellan. It is possible this branch descended from South Uist MacLellans who migrated north.

Current status
Today, Clan MacLellan remains a historic clan with roots in the Scottish Lowlands, but it has no chief. It has many septs and branches, and it is allied with Clan Stewart while having historical rivalry with Clan Douglas.