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"Remember the people from whence you came"

The MacNaughton Clan Crest is a castle tower and the proud MacNaughton clan motto, “I hope in God”.

The blue blood of the ancient Pictish Kings flow through the veins of Clan Macnaughten, whose name means "the child of Nechtan". Nechtan, believed to mean "the Pure" in the lost tongue of the Picts, was a renowned early 8th Century Pictish King. The Picts were feared by the Romans during their occupation of Britain, and are regarded as the earliest known inhabitants of Scotland. From this proud bloodline, which flows into the very bedrock of Scotland, comes the Clan Macnaughten.

The earliest written record of the Clan appears in the 13th Century, and relates to the three sons of Malcolm Macnachten - Athe, Gilbert and Gilchrist. Gilchrist gained the favour of King Alexander III, and received a charter in 1297 granting him the keepership of the island castle of Fraoch Eilean in Loch Awe, situated amid the rugged splendour of the Pass of Brander. The Macnaughtens aligned themselves to the Macdougalls, who opposed Robert the Bruce's quest for the Scottish throne in favour of other contenders. While the Macnaughtens originally fought against Bruce, they finally rallied with him against the English armies at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where the English overlords were driven from Scottish soil. However, Bruce's memory was long and the Scottish King swiftly placed the Campbells as the dominant Clan in Loch Awe. This did not deter the Macnaughtens, who retained much of their lands, and they set about building Dunderave Castle on Loch Fyne. This stronghold became the Clan seat. Clan Macnaughten continued to be supportive of the Scottish Crown, with Clan members being involved in many of Scotland's battles.

One Chief, Alexander, was knighted by King James IV, and fought beside his monarch at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Another Alexander was in high favour with Charles I, and served as gentleman of the Privy Chamber. In 1627 Alexander raised a force of Macnaughten bowmen to fight beside the French Huguenot rebels in their struggle against Cardinal Richelieu, who was acting as the ruler of France. This expedition fought at the siege of La Rochelle. Alexander's grandson was a stauch royalist during the Cromwellian occupation of Scotland, leading his Clansmen in a rising against the Roundheads. He was knighted after the monarchy was restored in 1660. The Macnaughtens produced people of great calibre, and chiefs of the Clan have included renowned judges and distinguished men of letters.

The 19th Century Chief, Francis Macnaughten, a judge in Madras and Calcutta, was created a baronet in 1836. The 4th Baronet, Sir Edward, became a Lord of Appeal in 1887 and had the life peerage "Baron Macnaughten of Runkerry". In the 20th Century, two brothers succeeded to the Chiefship of Clan Macnaughten, only to be killed during battle in the First World War. The 9th Baronet is Sir Patrick Macnaughten of Macnaughten.