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Sgian Dubh
The Clan Alasdair descends from Somerled, 12th century Lord of Argyll, through his grandson Donald, who founded the mighty Clan Donald. Until the 15th century, they were, in fact, the senior cadet branch of the Clan Donald rather than an independent clan. Clan Alasdair was, and is, a West Highland clan, centred on the Kintyre peninsula and surrounding islands, although many MacAlasdairs later settled in the north of Ireland and the southwestern Lowlands.
The exact identity of this clan's progenitor was long a matter of debate. The difficulty arises from the existence at about the same time of two closely related men named Alasdair (Alexander). In the past, it was claimed that the MacAlasdairs descend from an early chief of the Clan Donald, who lost his lands and position for aiding the MacDougalls in their opposition to Robert Bruce (c. 1309). This forfeited MacDonald chief was Alasdair Og which means Alexander the younger, or "junior". Virtually all authorities now agree that the Clan Alasdair was in fact founded by Alasdair Og's uncle, Alasdair Mor (Alexander "senior"), the younger son of Donald, Lord of the Isles. The difference is important: The elder Alasdair was never chief of the Clan Donald, and although it is not known for sure whether or not he supported Bruce, he was actually killed in battle against the MacDougalls (1299). The descendants of Alasdair Og formed important branches of the Clan Donald in Antrim (Northern Ireland), but no family of significance was established by them in Scotland. |
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