McMillans in Glenurquhart

A view of the eastern end of Glenurquhart with Loch Ness in the background. Castle Urquhart is just beyond the far hill.

An ancient tradition has it that the Macmillans in Glenurquhart were descended from a Cameron who fled Lochaber to escape justice for a murder and disguised himself from his pursuers by shaving his head - and was so known as An Gille Maol, "the shaven-headed lad". This story, which echoes that of how the ancestor of the Macmillans of Murlagan first came to Lochaber from Knapdale, is associated with mid-16th century events in the history of "The Glen" (as Glenurquhart is known locally); but Macmillans are on record in Inverness and other places around the Moray Firth before that, and it's reasonable to assume that some descendants of Gilchrist mac Cormaic, the original Gille Maol - "Tonsured Servant (of God)" - may have been in the area since the time of their illustrious ancestor.

Another tradition tells of The Glen Macmillans being descended from three separate families: Clann 'ic 'illemhaoil Buidhe (the yellow-headed Macmillans), Clann 'ic 'illemhaoil Dubh (the black-headed Macmillans), and Clann 'ic 'illemhaoil Ban (the white-headed Macmillans). While the first family cannot now be identified, the second is that associated with Duncan Macmillan "the Architect" who wrote down what he knew about his ancestors, and other Macmillans in The Glen, at the end of the 19th century. The "Dubh" Macmillans, he tells us, had come to The Glen from Inverary in Argyllshire, via Kinerras in Kiltarlity (the parish just to the north of Glenurquhart) - presumably at the time that Kinerras was owned by the Campbells.

The "Ban" Macmillans were descended from three brothers of Macmillan of Murlagan who came from Loch Arkaigside to settle in The Glen. In this case it's possible to identify with a fair degree of certainty at least one of those concerned, since the father of Lt. Finlay Macmillan of Buntait (an officer aged about 20 in the Macmillan company of Lochiel's regiment at Culloden in 1746) was called Duncan, and a brother of the Lochaber chieftain of the same name was living at Murlagan in 1717. Finlay of Buntait was the father of Buchanan Macmillan the royal printer, and also of a Duncan Macmillan who emigrated to Glengarry County, Ontario, where one of his sons was John Ban Macmillan (1780-1860). Another Finlay Macmillan from The Glen, a son of William Ban Macmillan in Lochletter - probably the second of the three brothers of Murlagan - emigrated in 1773, and after serving in The Royal Highland Emigrants Regiment in the American Revolution, settled in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. This became a favourite destination for Glenurquhart emigrants, and many more Macmillans from The Glen settled there in the 19th century. Later on New Zealand became a popular place for Macmillans from The Glen to settle - one of whom was Robert Macmillan (1845-1938), a grandson of John Ban Macmillan (1772-1852), whose grandfather John Ban had fought at Culloden with his reputed first cousin Lieutenant Finlay Macmillan.

Articles relating to Glenurquhart in Clan MacMillan International magazines and newsletters.

Folklore about the Macmillans in Urquhart & Glenmoriston - Nov./Dec. 2003, Issue 1

Project MAOL and the Glenurquhart Macmillans - Nov./Dec. 2006, Issue 7

A Kiwi in Glen Urquhart - Nov. 2007, Issue 9