Scottish Surnames of Clan MacRae – Origins, Tartans and Clan History

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The Scottish surnames of Clan MacRae carry the story of one of the Highlands’ most loyal and fiercely independent families. The parish of Kintail in Wester Ross was once almost entirely MacRae. In 1793, the Old Statistical Account recorded that the people of Kintail were “all MacRaes, except two or three families.” That tells you everything about this clan.

If your surname is MacRae, McRae, Rae, or any of its many variants, your roots may lie in one of Scotland’s wildest corners. This guide covers the full MacRae story — from Gaelic origins and sept names to Eilean Donan Castle and the diaspora that spread across the world.

The Meaning of the Name MacRae

The name MacRae comes from the Gaelic Mac Raith. It means “son of grace” or “son of prosperity.”

“Mac” means “son of” in Gaelic. “Raith” means grace or luck. A MacRae was, literally, a child of good fortune.

The name first appeared in the Beauly area of Inverness-shire in the 12th and 13th centuries. Within a few generations, the MacRaes moved west. They settled in Kintail on the shores of Loch Duich in Wester Ross. That land became their home for centuries.

The original Gaelic form, MacRaith, shifted and simplified over time. English clerks and emigration records turned it into dozens of different spellings. If your name looks like it could be MacRae, it almost certainly is.

Scottish Surnames of Clan MacRae: Septs and Name Variants

Many MacRae descendants carry names that look nothing like the original. Gaelic surnames changed dramatically as families crossed to the Lowlands, Ireland, or overseas. Here are the surnames most closely connected to Clan MacRae.

Core MacRae Surnames

• MacRae — the main Gaelic form
• Macrae — common spelling variant
• McRae — shortened form, widely used in emigrant records
• McCrae / MacCrae — Ulster and lowland variants
• MacRay — anglicised spelling
• MacRa / MacRach — early Gaelic variants
• MacRaith / MacRath — closest to the original Gaelic form
• MacCraith — shared with Irish families of the same root

Sept and Associated Names

• Rae — derived from shortening MacRae; used in Lowland and Ulster records
• Ray / Raith / Rea / Reath — further simplifications
• MacCraw / MacCray — phonetic variants
• MacCrea / MacCreath / MacCree / MacCrie — related forms
• MacGrath / MacGraw — shared origin with Irish MacGrath families
• MacHray — rare variant found in older registers
• Crae / Cree — very shortened forms
• MacAra / MacArra — sept names recorded in Scottish records

If your surname is Rae, Ray, or MacGrath, you may have MacRae ancestry without knowing it. Many families dropped the “Mac” prefix when they emigrated. Clerks unfamiliar with Gaelic often wrote names as they sounded rather than as they were spelt.

Our step-by-step guide to tracing Scottish ancestry explains how to search Old Parish Records, civil registers, and emigration lists to track these name variations back to their source.

MacKenzie’s Shirt of Mail

The MacRaes were never a great chiefly clan. They held no earldom or large territorial lordship. But they earned something more lasting — a reputation for fierce loyalty and courage that spread across the Highlands.

They became the principal allies of Clan MacKenzie, the powerful lords of the north-west. The MacRaes fought for the MacKenzies so often and so bravely that they earned a famous nickname. People called them MacKenzie’s Shirt of Mail. A shirt of mail was a warrior’s armour. To call the MacRaes that was to say they were the MacKenzies’ strongest protection.

The MacKenzies rewarded this loyalty generously. They made the MacRaes the hereditary constables of Eilean Donan Castle. They also appointed them as chamberlains of Kintail. For generations, the MacRaes held the keys to one of the most important castles in the Scottish Highlands.

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Eilean Donan Castle and the Jacobite Wars

Eilean Donan is the most photographed castle in Scotland. It sits on a small island where three lochs meet — Loch Duich, Loch Long, and Loch Alsh — on the western edge of the Highlands.

For MacRae descendants, Eilean Donan is more than a beautiful landmark. It was their castle. For generations, the MacRaes guarded it, maintained it, and fought for it.

In 1715, the MacRaes gathered at Eilean Donan before marching south to the Battle of Sheriffmuir. They fought for the Jacobite cause — for the Stuart king against the Hanoverian George I. The battle was a disaster. Dozens of MacRae men died. Among the fallen were the celebrated “Four Johns of Scotland” — four MacRae warriors who became legends in Kintail memory. Families in Kintail still told their stories generations later.

In 1719, Eilean Donan was destroyed. The English Royal Navy sent three warships into Loch Duich. They bombarded the castle and reduced it to rubble. It lay in ruins for nearly two centuries.

Then a MacRae descendant stepped forward. Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap spent twenty years and his own fortune rebuilding the castle stone by stone. He finished the work in 1932. The castle you see today is largely his legacy.

Stand on the bridge at Eilean Donan at dawn, when mist sits on the loch and the mountains rise behind it. You are standing on MacRae ground. The stones around you were once in MacRae hands.

For more on how Scotland’s great fortresses shaped its history, see our guide to Stirling Castle. For a full picture of Highland clan conflict, our piece on the Glencoe Massacre explores the brutal consequences of divided loyalties.

The MacRae Tartans

Clan MacRae has four tartans, each tied to a different chapter of the clan’s story.

MacRae (Red) — The main clan tartan. Bold red with green and blue stripes. This is the tartan most MacRae descendants wear today at Highland games and clan gatherings worldwide.

MacRae Hunting Ancient — The most historically significant of all. It is based on a fragment of kilt believed to have been worn at the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. The colours are deep olive green and grey-green — built for the Highland landscape, not the ballroom.

MacRae Hunting — A modern take on the hunting tartan, with similar tones but a fresher cut.

Dress MacRae — The newest tartan. Worn at formal events and weddings.

The clan motto is Fortitudine — “With Fortitude.” The clan crest shows an arm raised and holding a sword. The plant badge is fir club moss, once pinned to bonnets before battle and believed to offer protection.

The Clearances and the Scattered Children of Kintail

The MacRaes had survived wars, rebellions, and centuries of Highland hardship. But the Highland Clearances hit them harder than any battle.

From the late 18th century into the 19th, landlords across the Highlands forced families from their land. They wanted the glens for sheep. They evicted entire communities. Kintail was no exception.

The MacRaes of Kintail became known as the “scattered children of Kintail.” The parish that had been almost entirely MacRae for centuries was emptied. Families who had guarded Eilean Donan, farmed the glens, and spoken Gaelic in every home were told to leave.

They crossed the Atlantic in waves. Early settlers went to the Carolinas, Virginia, and Nova Scotia in the 18th century. Later waves — driven by the Clearances — reached Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In New Zealand, MacRae families from Kintail settled in the South Island. In the hills behind the town of Gore, a group of Catholic Highlander MacRaes began distilling whisky illegally. They kept it going from the 1870s until the 1930s. Today, Hokonui whisky is part of New Zealand’s heritage story — a direct echo of the Highlands carried ten thousand miles south.

Other MacRaes fought in the American Revolution. Some joined the Loyalist cause and moved north to Canada after the war. Their descendants still carry the name today in Cape Breton, Ontario, and across the eastern provinces.

The Clan Ross of Easter Ross faced similar displacement during this period, as did many Highland clans in the north-west. It was a generation-defining rupture across the entire region.

Where to Visit MacRae Country

If you are planning a heritage journey to Kintail, here is where to start. Our full guide to planning a Scottish heritage trip gives you a framework for organising everything from records research to clan land visits.

Eilean Donan Castle, Dornie

This is the essential MacRae heritage site. The castle sits on the A87, eight miles from Kyle of Lochalsh, where the road from Inverness meets the west coast. It is open to visitors most of the year. The exhibitions inside cover the MacKenzie and MacRae history in detail. Arrive early. The light on the loch before 9am is like nothing else in Scotland.

Kintail and the Five Sisters

The Five Sisters of Kintail are five mountain peaks rising above Loch Duich. The MacRaes walked these glens for centuries. You can hike the full ridge or simply drive through the glen on the A87 and feel the scale of the landscape. The National Trust for Scotland manages much of this land.

The Falls of Glomach, Kintail

One of the highest waterfalls in Britain, hidden in the hills above Kintail. It takes a good walk to reach — about five miles from the nearest car park. But the MacRaes knew these paths, and the falls are worth every step.

National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh

If you are researching MacRae ancestry, the records are here. Old Parish Records for Kintail, Glenshiel, and the surrounding parishes are digitised at ScotlandsPeople. Civil registration records run from 1855. Emigration lists often give the parish of origin — a direct link back to the glen your family left.

For a full heritage itinerary covering the Highlands and beyond, see our 7-day Scottish ancestry itinerary.

Frequently Asked Questions about Clan MacRae

What does the surname MacRae mean?

MacRae comes from the Gaelic Mac Raith, meaning “son of grace” or “son of prosperity.” The name first appeared in the Beauly area of Inverness-shire in the 12th century before the clan moved west to Kintail in Wester Ross.

What clan was MacRae associated with?

The MacRaes were the principal allies of Clan MacKenzie. They served as hereditary constables of Eilean Donan Castle and were known as “MacKenzie’s Shirt of Mail” for their fierce loyalty and fighting ability.

What tartans does Clan MacRae have?

Clan MacRae has four tartans: MacRae (Red), MacRae Hunting Ancient (based on a kilt worn at Sheriffmuir in 1715), MacRae Hunting, and Dress MacRae. The Hunting Ancient tartan is the most historically significant.

Is Eilean Donan Castle a MacRae castle?

Eilean Donan was not built by the MacRaes, but they served as its hereditary constables for centuries. The castle was destroyed by naval bombardment in 1719 and rebuilt in the early 20th century, partly funded by the MacRae-Gilstrap family.

Where did the MacRaes emigrate to?

After the Highland Clearances, MacRaes emigrated to Nova Scotia, Virginia, the Carolinas, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. MacRae families in New Zealand became famous for illicit Hokonui whisky distilling near Gore from the 1870s to the 1930s.

How do I trace MacRae ancestry?

Start with ScotlandsPeople, which holds Old Parish Records for Kintail, Glenshiel, and other MacRae parishes. Clan MacRae societies in Australia, Canada, and the USA also offer genealogy support. Our full ancestry tracing guide walks you through every record type step by step.

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