Clan Symbolism

CLANN

Mackinlay

GAELIC NAME⁽¹⁾

MacFhionnlaigh (Son of Fair Hero)

Original Gaelic	Genitive	Patronymic	English
(nominative)	(“fh” silent)	(Gaelic form – modern usage)	(from Gaelic)
Fionnlaigh	Fhionnlaigh	MacFhionnlaigh	Mackinlay, McKinlay
(FYOONG – luh)	(YOONG – luh) or (YOONG – lie)	(Machk –YOONG- luh)	McKinley; also, Finlayson

*SUAICHEANTAS*	Lus-nam-ban-sith (foxglove)
(Plant Badge)	In 1785 England, William Withering proposed that foxglove (Latin: digitalis) could be an important medicine for dropsy (congestive heart failure) (courtesy, Wildseed Farms, Fredericksburg, TX)

*SLUGHORN*	Carn-na-Cuimhne
(War Cry)	(Cairn of Remembrance)

ARMS		1) Charles Mackinlay and Company, Ltd
	Crest:	A dexter hand and arm in armour embowed the hand holding a wreath of heather all proper
	Shield:	Or, stag, trippant Gules, on a chef wavy of the Second a chaplet of heather Or
	Motto:	Not Too Much

		2) Charles Mackinlay of Kynachan
	Crest:	A dexter hand and arm in armour embowed the hand holding a wreath of heather all proper.
	Shield:	Gules, a stag trippant Argent
	Motto:	Not Too Much

		3) Donald Mackinlay of Kynachan
	Crest:	A dexter hand and arm in armour embowed the hand holding a wreath of heather all proper
	Shield:	Gules, a stag trippant Argent with an Argent three point label
	Motto:	Not Too Much

HISTORICAL CRESTS

Various spellings of Mackinlay exist: McKinlay, M'Kinlay and MacKindlay being the most common. That different spellings likely signify different branches of the Clann is supported by the presence of correspondingly distinct family crests described in Fairbairn’s Crests of the Leading Families of Great Britain and Ireland. ⁽¹⁹⁾ Note, however, that it is sovereign law in the Lyon Court that Arms, including Crests, are granted only to individuals, whose male issue may apply for tincture differenced Arms while the primary is living. Upon the original grantee's death, the tincture difference disappears and the original Arms may be inherited, but only by the eldest son. ⁽²⁰⁾ An old motto, found in at least one of the parent clans (Farquharson), not surprisingly, is, “We force nae friend, we fear nae foe”.



an arm, in armour, in hand a branch of olive, all ppr.	an eagle's head, erased, ppr.	a stag, trippant, ppr.
"Not too much"	"Spernit humum"	"Amo"

TARTAN

The Mackinlay tartan could be described in tartan parlance as Black Watch with red, except that whereas the Black Watch has a narrow stripe of black centered on the green bands, the Mackinlay has a narrow red bordered by two narrow black lines. The thread count of the warp is as follows:

Blue	Black	Blue	Black	Green	Black	Red	Black	Green	Black	Blue	Black	Blue	Black	Blue
4	4	16	12	16	2	4	2	16	12	4	4	4	4	12

It is similar to the early military setts produced by Wilson's of Bannockburn for the MacKenzies, the MacLeods and the Gordons, but there is no mention in Wilson's comprehensive pattern book of a Mackinlay tartan. There is, however, basis for comparison with the Farquharson, as Mackinlays are named in that clan. To further confuse the issue the sett is very similar to Logan's 'Murray of Athol', except that in the Murray, there are no black guards on the red line. Nevertheless, the resemblance is without significance. The first publication to include the sett (as Mackinlay) was The Tartans of the Clans and Septs of Scotland: With the Arms of the Chiefs, published by W. and A. K. Johnston in 1906. ⁽²¹⁾

There exist manufacturer variations in overall color and intensity of the single Mackinlay tartan, depending on the mill weaving the wool plaid, producing, for example, Mackinlay, Modern (e.g., Auld Reekie by Geoffrey Tailor, Edinburgh) or Mackinlay, Ancient (e.g., Locharron, Ingles Buchan, Rodlinoch, etc.).

Last Update: April 2005October 26, 2003