Clan Logan is a both a Highland

Scottish Highlands

The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...

 and Lowland

Scottish Lowlands

The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....

 Scottish clan

Scottish clan

Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...

. The clan does not have a Chief recognised by Lord Lyon King of Arms

Lord Lyon King of Arms

The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...

, and therefore can be considered an Armigerous clan

Armigerous clan

An armigerous clan is a Scottish clan, family or name which is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon and once had a chief who bore undifferenced arms, but does not have a chief currently recognized as such by Lyon Court...

. Today, it is thought by some that Clan MacLennan

Clan MacLennan

Clan MacLennan, also known as Siol Ghillinnein, is a Highland Scottish clan which historically populated lands in the north-west of Scotland. The surname MacLennan in Scottish Gaelic is Mac Gille Fhinnein meaning the son of the follower of St Finnan.-History:-Origins:According to tradition the...

 is a variant of the Highland Logan Clan.

History

The surname

Surname

A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...

 Logan

Logan (given name)

Logan is a given name derived from a Scottish place name meaning "Small, round hill" in Scottish Gaelic. It is also a fairly common surname. The name was the 17th most popular name for baby boys born in the United States in 2007 and was the 455th most popular name for baby girls born there in 2007...

is a territorial name, likely derived from the lands of Logan in present Ayrshire

Ayrshire

Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. The earliest record of the surname is of Robert Logan who is recorded as witnessing the resignation of the lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204. The name is variously recorded throughout the 13th century. Several Logans are recorded as paying homage

Homage

Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....

 to Edward I of England

Edward I of England

Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

 within the Ragman Rolls

Ragman Rolls

Ragman Rolls refers to the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favor of Baliol in November 1292; and again in 1296...

 of 1296. These are Phelippe de Logyn (burgess from Montrose), Thurbrandus de Logyn (from Dumfrieshire), Andreu de Logan (from Wigtonshire), and Wautier Logan (from Lanarkshire). The seal of Wautier Logan (SIGILLVM WALTERI LOGAN) is blazoned a stag's head cabossed, between the antlers, a shield with three piles.

Walter Logan, lord of Hartside was a sheriff of Lanark in 1301, and in 1298 had received a grant of the lands of "Lus" from Robert Bruce. This Walter Logan appears twice on a roll of landowners forfeited in 1306 by Edward I, for supporting Robert the Bruce

Robert I of Scotland

Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...

. The first instance of Logan has John Cromwell as the petitioner for Logan's forfeited lands, while the second instance of Walter Logan has William Mulcaster and John Bisset petitioning for his lands.

In 1306 Dominus Walter Logan was taken prisoner by the English forces and hanged at Durham

Durham

Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...

, in the presence of Edward of Carnarvon (the future Edward II of England)

Edward II of England

Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...

.

In 1330 two Logans of note were killed in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 while accompanying Sir James Douglas

James Douglas, Lord of Douglas

Sir James Douglas , , was a Scottish soldier and knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence.-Early life:...

 in his quest to take the heart of the dead King Robert I of Scotland

Robert I of Scotland

Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...

 to the Holy Land

Holy Land

The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...

. Douglas and his company had been received by Alfonso XI of Castile

Alfonso XI of Castile

Alfonso XI was the king of Castile, León and Galicia.He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ensued over who would hold regency, which were resolved in 1313...

, who campaigning against the Moors

Moors

The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...

, in the Kingdom of Granada. Near the Castillo de la Estrella , Alfonso's army fought the Saracens at the Battle of Teba

Battle of Teba

The Battle of Teba took place in August 1330, in the valley below the fortress of Teba, now a town in the province of Málaga in Andalusia, southern Spain...

. During the battle Douglas observed a knight of his company surrounded by Moorish warriors, and with his remaining men attempted to relieve his countryman. As the knights were hard pressed and outnumbered by the Moors, Sir James Douglas took the silver casket containing the heart of Robert Bruce, and threw it before him among the enemy, saying, "Now pass thou onward before us, as thou wert wont, and I will follow thee or die." Sir James Douglas and most of his men were slain, among them Sir Robert Logan and Sir Walter Logan.

The leading Logan family's principal seat was in Lastalrig or Restalrig

Restalrig

Restalrig is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located east of the city centre, west of the A199 road, and to the east of Lochend, with which it overlaps. Restalrig Road is the main route through the area, running from London Road at Jock's Lodge, to Leith Links at the south edge of...

, near Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

. Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig married Katherine Stewart, daughter of Robert II of Scotland

Robert II of Scotland

Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...

, and later in 1400 Sir Robert was appointed Admiral of Scotland.

Sir Robert Logan was one of the hostages given in 1424 to free James I of Scotland

James I of Scotland

James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...

 from being held in England. Robert's son or grandson, John Logan of Restalrig, was made principal sheriff of Edinburgh by James II of Scotland

James II of Scotland

James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...

.

In 1555 Logan of Restalrig sold the superiority of Leith

Leith

-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....

 (the principal seaport of Edinburgh) to the queen regent Mary of Lorraine (aka. Marie de Guise).

The last Logan to possess the barony was Robert Logan of Restalrig

Robert Logan of Restalrig

Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig was a Scottish knight involved in the Gowrie House affair of 1600.The Logan family lived at Lochend Castle near Restalrig, and others of the name had been Provost of Leith...

, who was described by contemporaries as "ane godless, drunkin, and deboshit man". Sir Walter Scott described him as "one of the darkest characters of that dark age".

The last Logan of Logan, in Ayrshire was celebrated for both his wit and eccentricity. Logan was known for his The Laird of Logan, published after his death, which was a compilation of amusing anecdotes and puns. He had one daughter, who married a Mr. Campbell.

Shared tartans

Today both clans Logan and MacLennan share the same tartan

Tartan

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...

. This tartan was first recorded in 1831 by the historian James Logan, in his book The Scottish Gaël. Later in 1845 The Clans of the Scottish Highlands was published, which consisted of text from Logan, accompanied by illustrations from R. R. McIan

R. R. McIan

Robert Ronald McIan , also Robert Ranald McIan, was an actor and painter of Scottish descent. He is best known for romanticised depictions of Scottish clansmen, their battles and domestic life....

. This work was the first which showed the MacLennan's sharing the same tartan as the Logans. The text on the history of Clan Logan pointed to an ancient link between the Logans and MacLennans. The plate for MacLennan, shows a man from this clan wearing the Logan tartan, but no name is given to it unlike every other clan tartan shown. Given the style of writing at the time and subtleties used by both the artist and writer, this is not a surprise and allows them to pay homage to the story of the origin of MacLennan. It should also be noted, that until the early nineteenth century there were no such thing as "clan tartans".

The founder of the MacLennans was at best the great grandson of Gilliegorm Logan (a mythical Chief of Clan Logan from circa 1372), and was far removed from the holdings of the Clan Logan. The MacLennan were subservient to clans Fraser

Clan Fraser

Clan Fraser is a Scottish clan of French origin. The Clan has been strongly associated with Inverness and the surrounding area since the Clan's founder gained lands there in the 13th century. Since its founding, the Clan has dominated local politics and been active in every major military conflict...

 and MacKenzie

Clan MacKenzie

Clan Mackenzie is a Highland Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire.-Origins:The Mackenzies, a powerful clan of Celtic stock, were not among the clans that originated from Norman ancestry. Descendants of the long defunct royal Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata, they...

 at various times.

Chiefly Arms

The issue of Chiefly Arms has come up as a point of contention, with the heart of the Bruce being incorporated into the Arms of the MacLennan Chief, being given as proof of relationship. This could however not be farther from the truth. The current Chief of MacLennan may have a heart in his Arms, but the recorded Arms of the Chiefly line of MacLennan were of a shield argent

Argent

In heraldry, argent is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures, called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it...

, three piles (long points), sable

Sable (heraldry)

In heraldry, sable is the tincture black, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures, called "colours". In engravings and line drawings, it is sometimes depicted as a region of crossed horizontal and vertical lines or else marked with sa. as an abbreviation.The name derives from the black fur of...

, in chief, and in base, a cross crosslet fitchee, gules

Gules

In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....

. The Crest was an arm and broadsword, proper, with the Motto (same as current) Dum Spiro Spero. The Arms and Crest of the old line of MacLennan Chiefs show no regard to Logan heritage at all.

The current Chief of Clan MacLennan, Ruairidh D. G. MacLennan of MacLennan, has also added to this controversy by stating that the first known of that name was Duncan MacLennan of Strathearn. Duncan is mentioned in a charter of King Alexander II in 1217 as being the Laird of Bombie, and it is through him that the MacLellans are said to have originated (by the MacLennans only). This is over one hundred years before the birth of the child of Gilligorm Logan.

This history is further complicated by the mention of Lide MacLennan and his twelve hundred men in the authenticity debated Ossianic poetry

Ossian

Ossian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Scots Gaelic. He is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a character from Irish mythology...

, which is purported to be sixth century. St. Adomnán of Iona is also said to have recorded that they occupied Glenshiel at this time.

Other sources on MacLennan, site that the clan was at Eilean Donan castle

Eilean Donan

Eilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the village of Dornie. Eilean Donan is named after Donnán of Eigg, a Celtic saint martyred in 617...

 before 1263 and that the MacGillafinnens, or MacLennans, were titled Lords of Loch Erne, Tairg, and Muintir Peodachain.

With all of the evidence to suggest that MacLennan are an old and proud clan, and in existence as long or longer than that of Logan, the descendantcy of the current line of MacLennan Chiefs includes none of this. They site their origin to Gille Fhinnein, grandson of Gilligorm Logan, and show no connection to any MacLennan before this time.

Clan symbols

Today Scottish clans use crest badges

Scottish crest badge

A Scottish crest badge is a heraldic badge worn to show allegiance to an individual or membership in a specific Scottish clan. Crest badges are commonly called clan crests, but this is a misnomer; there is no such thing as a collective clan crest, just as there is no such thing as a clan coat of...

, clan badge

Clan badge

A clan badge, sometimes called a plant badge, is a badge or emblem, usually a sprig of a specific plant, that is used to identify a member of a particular Scottish clan. They are usually worn in a bonnet behind the Scottish crest badge, or attached at the shoulder of a lady's tartan sash...

s (plant badges) and tartan as symbols to represent themselves. The crest badge suitable for members of Clan Logan contains the heraldic crest of a passion nail piercing a human heart, Proper; and the heraldic motto HOC MAJORUM VIRTUS, which translates from Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 as "this is valour of my ancestors". The plant badge (clan badge) associated with Clan Logan is furze (gorse). According to Robert Bain, the slogan of Clan Logan is Druim-nan-deur (translation from Scottish Gaelic: "the ridge of tears").

The tartan most commonly associated with the surname Logan is identical to that of Clan MacLennan. The sett was first published by James Logan's The Scottish Gaël of 1831. There are however earlier dated tartans which are attributed to the name Logan. One such tartan is usually known as a Skene

Clan Skene

-Origins of the clan:The Clan Skene is thought to have originally been an exceptionally early sept of the Clan Donnachaidh before it became known as the Clan Robertson. Clan Skene is known in Gaelic as Siol Sgeine or Clann Donnachaidh Mhar. The traditional origin of the name is found in an eleventh...

 tartan, though it has sometimes been known as a Rose

Clan Rose

Clan Rose is a Highland Scottish clan. Their chief's motto is "Constant and True" and their chief'sfamily castle is Kilravock Castle, built in 1460...

 tartan. The official state tartan of Utah

Utah

Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

 is based upon this tartan, in respect of Ephraim Logan who is considered the first American of Scottish descent

Scottish American

Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...

who left a permanent mark on Utah.

External links

• http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/htol/logan.html
• http://www.clanlogansociety.com/