The MacDonalds of Keppoch are descended from Alistair Carrach MacDonald who was a younger son of GoodJohn of Islay, Lord of the Isles, 6th chief of Clan Donald and his second wife Margaret Stewart, daughter of King Robert II of Scotland. John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, apportioned his estates between the children of his two marriages in accordance with the marriage settlement of his father-in-law Robert II of Scotland and the Lordship of Lochaber was given to Alistair Carrach MacDonald who was the third and youngest son from his second marriage. Alistair Carrach MacDonald was the first MacDonald of Keppoch and Garragach.
15th century and clan conflicts
Alistair Carrach MacDonald of Keppoch took an active part in supporting his brother, Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles, in claiming the Earldom of Ross. The result was that upon the death of Domhnall, Lord of the Isles in 1425 the Lordship of Lochaber was forfeited to the Crown and then the Crown bestowed it on the natural son of Stewart, Earl of Mar. This grant was later cancelled but the Lordship of Lochaber did not revert to Alistair Carrach MacDonald but instead was given to the Lord of the Isles who subsequently granted the lands of Lochaber to the chief of Clan Mackintosh and this was confirmed by the Crown. However, the superiority remained with the Lord of the Isles who did restore it to Alistair Carrach MacDonald of Keppoch. However, this arrangement was never confirmed by the Crown and upon the forfeiture of the Lord of the Isles in 1493, Angus MacDonald, 2nd of Keppoch had to maintain his position in Lochaber by force. It was defended for two and a half centuries and it was not until the downfall of the clan immediately after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 that Mackintosh become the real Lord of Lochaber. In 1497 or 1498 the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch defeated the Clan Stewart of Appin and the Clan MacLaren at the Battle of Black Mount in which both the chiefs of Appin and Keppoch were killed.
17th century
Alexander MacDonald, 12th of Keppoch, along with his brother was slain in 1663 in what is known as the Keppoch murders. The heads of the seven murderers were washed at Tobair-nan-ceann, before presentation to the Lord MacDonnell of Invergarry. In 1668, the MacDonalds of Keppoch fought at the Battle of Mulroy where they defeated the Clan Mackintosh. In 1689, the MacDonalds of Keppoch laid siege to the town of Inverness. Noted in the Black-book of Taymouth that in 1681 a bond of manrent was given by Gilleasba, chief of Keppoch, to John Glas, first Earl of Breadalbane; "such as Ceppoch's predecessors gave to the Earl's predecessors." binding Keppoch "to restrain all the inhabitants of Brae-Lochaber, and all of the name of Macdonell, from committing robberies within the Earl's bounds."
During the Jacobite rising of 1715 the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch were indirectly involved in the Siege of Inverness. General Wade's report on the Highlands in 1724, estimated the clan strength at 220 men. During the Jacobite rising of 1745, the clan chief, Alexander Macdonald, 17th of Keppoch, was among the men who attacked British Government soldiers who were preparing a surprise assault on the Glenfinnan gathering at what is now known as the Highbridge Skirmish. This was the first strike on the government during the 1745 rising. The MacDonalds of Keppoch were also involved in the Siege of Fort William in March 1746. Alexander, 17th Chief of Keppoch, later died at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Alexander was succeeded by his son, Ranald, the 18th Chief, followed by his son, Richard. The chiefship would become dormant in 1848 with the death of Chichester, the 21st Chief. The next chief wasn't acknowledged until 13 September 2006 when Ranald Alasdair MacDonald of Keppoch was acknowledged as the lawful chief by the Lyon Court, following a 30-year fight for the right to use the ancient title of Mac Mhic Raonuill. His descent from Donald Gorm, younger brother of Archibald 15th Chief was accepted by the Court.
The seat of the chief of the Clan MacDonald of Keppoch was originally at Keppoch Castle which was near to Spean Bridge in Lochaber. In 1690 it passed to the Mackintoshes. The lands were then disputed with the Mackintoshes, with the last clan battle being fought here. The castle itself had been demolished in 1663 after the Keppoch murders.
Tartan
The MacDonald of Keppoch tartan sett is said to have been copied from a plaid that was given to Prince Charles Edward Stuart. However, there is another tartan sett for which the same claim is made by the Clan Johnstone.
