Clan Macpherson
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Clan Macpherson is a Scottish clan from Badenoch, on the Spey River, Scotland. It is a leading member of the Chattan Confederation and has unsuccessfully claimed leadership of the Clan Chattan for several hundred years.
The name derives from the Gaelic, 'Mac a'Phersain' meaning 'Son of the Parson'. As Parson is not a person's name, the clan is usually spelled with a lower case 'p'. The Parson in question was Muriach, a 12th century parson, or lay preacher, of Kingussie in Badenoch.
The history of Clan Macpherson has been called "The Posterity of the Three Brethren" as the three grandson of Muriach are the antecedents of the three main clan families, Cluny, Pitmain and Invereshie.
For many centuries, the Macphersons have been a leading clan in the Clan Chattan Confederation along with Clan MacKintosh, Clan Shaw and others. Although the Macphersons have a strong claim to the Chattan lineage, they have been unsuccessful in wresting control of the Clan Chattan from the MacKintosh.
In the 14th century that Macphersons were partly responsible for the defeat of Clan Comyn, the enemies of Robert I of Scotland, at Badenoch.
Battle of Invernahoven 1370 or 1387. The Clan Cameron numbering approximately 400 men were returning home with the booty they had acquired after a raid at Badenoch. They were overtaken at Invernahavon by a body of Chattan Confederation led by Lachlan, Laird of Clan MacKintosh. The Chattan Confederation forces consisted of the Mackintoshes, Davidsons and Macphersons. As a result of a disagreement as to whether the Davidsons or Macphersons would occupy the right wing which was the post of honour, the Macphersons withdrew in disgust from the army. The combined numbers of the Clan Chatten confederation had outnumberd the Camerons but with the loss of the Macphersons the Camerons now had a greater number. The battle resulted in a defeat for the Clan Chatton confederation (Mackintosh and Davidson). It is said that an allie of Cameron known as Charles MacGilony led the clan into battle and is believed to have changed the outcome of the day with his uncanny ability as an archer. At this point, possibly the next morning the Macphersons changed their minds and decided to rejoin the Chatton confederation attacking the Camerons with such vigor that they changed the victory into defeat, and put the Camerons "to flight" towards Drumouchter, skirting the end of Loch Ericht, and then westwards in the direction of the River Treig. The Mackintoshes later claimed that the Macphersons were coaxed into the battle by a man from clan Mackintosh who turned up at Macphersons camp pretending to be from Clan Cameron and calling the Macphersons cowards. The Macphersons then attacked the Camerons camp making a dreadful slaughter of them, even killing the Cameron's uncanny archer Charles MacGilony at a place now called Charles's Valley, or in Gailic Coire Thearlaich.
During the 1745 Jacobite Rising the chief of the clan, Ewan of Cluny, raised a force of 400 men to aid Charles Edward Stuart. Charles was urged to wait for Cluny, who was engaged in operation in Atholl, before the Battle of Culloden. He did not and the men of Macpherson took no part in the famous defeat. The regiment was disbanded and Ewan went into hiding. A reward of 1000 pounds was placed on his head, but he was never captured in the nine years he spent in hiding. In 1755 he fled for France. During his time in hiding, his wife, Janet, gave birth to their son. The child was born in a corn kiln, earning him the nickname 'Duncan of the Kiln'.
During his time hiding in and around the clan seat at Laggan, Macpherson had many hiding places made for him. One of these was Cluny's Cage, which featured in "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson, a heather hut on the slopes of Ben Alder. In another story Cluny was staying at Dalchully House in a bolt hole in the East wing when he was caught outside by Colonel Munro, the very man charged with searching for him. Since the two men had never met Cluny calmly held the Colonel's horse whilst the soldier went inside the house. It is claimed that he was given a penny for his trouble. Another of the famous hiding places is Cluny's Cave high on the crags of Craig Dubh between Newtonmore and Laggan, this cave is nolonger accessible without expert assistance.
There are 17 tartans ascribed to Clan Macpherson.
Touch not the catt bot a glove. 'Bot' means without. The 'glove' of a wildcat is the pad. If the cat is 'ungloved', its claws are unsheathed. The motto serves as a warning that one should beware when the wildcat's claws are 'without a glove'. It is a reference to the historically violent nature of the clan and serves as a metaphorical warning to other [clans] that they should think twice before interfering with Macpherson business.
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