This article is about the Scottish clan; for other 'Campbells see Campbell (disambiguation).

Campbell is one of the largest Highland Scottish clans. The four main branches of Clan Campbell are Argyll, Breadalbane, Loudoun and Cawdor , though there are many more septs.

The current Chief of Clan Campbell is the 13th Duke of Argyll. The Chiefs Gaelic title is "MacCailen Mor" meaning "Son of Colin the Great"; this refers to Cailein Mor of Lochawe who was killed in 1294.

Slogan, tartan, war cry

• The clan's slogan is Ne Obliviscaris, Latin for "Do Not Forget".
• The tartan is green, black and blue.
• The war cry is "Cruachan" from the mountain north of Loch Awe, overlooking the bulk of the Campbell lands in Argyll.

History

The origins of the Campbells are uncertain, it is claimed that the name is derived from the French de Campo Bello, there are a number of competing theories including the theory that the name is from the Gaelic cam beul meaning "curved mouth". The dispute over the name is part of a wider disagreement on origins of the clan between those who point to a Britannic Celtic origin and those who claim Irish descent. The name is first mentioned in written records in the late 11th century, when Archibald Campbell was made Lord of Lochawe , more certain records first mention the name in the 1230s.

The name was well established in Argyll at the end of the 13th century, as followers of the Earl of Lennox, with Campbells owning lands in Kintyre and the famous warrior Cailein Mor (Great Colin) knighted (1380) and established at Lochawe . The family of Colin went on to become firm supporters of Robert the Bruce and benefited from his successes with grants of lands, titles and good marriages.

The first Lord Campbell was created in 1445. It was from the 15th century that the Campbells came to take a increasingly prominent role, Colin Campbell was en-nobled as the Earl of Argyll in 1457 and later became Baron of Lorn and was also granted lands in Knapdale, signs that the Argylls were one of the major forces in Scotland. His son, Archibald , became the first Argyll to be appointed Lord of the Isles. In the centuries, various Campbell Clan Chiefs, including Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll, Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, and John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, have played key roles in Scottish and, indeed, British history.

Argyll became the centre of the Clan and the castle of the Chief was established at Inverary Castle. Other Campbell lands were scattered across Angus, Ayrshire (Loudoun), Clackmannan (Argyll), Nairnshire (Cawdor) and Perthshire.

In 1692, 78 MacDonalds were murdered in the Massacre of Glencoe when an initiative to suppress Jacobitism was entangled in the long running feud between Clan MacDonald and Clan Campbell. The slaughter of the host MacDonalds at the hands of their Campbell guests was a major affront of Scottish Law and Highland tradition.

Trivia

In a letter to the genealogist of Clan Campbell Society of North America, the late Duke of Argyll, MacCailein Mor, disputed the existence of Argyll as a "principal sept" [1].

External link

• http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/campbel-a.html