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MACNICOL or NICHOLSON
Crest Badge: A
hawk’s head erased, gules.
Motto: Sgòrra
Bhreac
Gælic Name:
MacNeacail
Origin of Name: (Gælic)
MacNeacail (son of Nicol, conquering people).
Plant Badge: Trailing
azalea
In
the old Statistical Account, the Rev. William MacKenzie, in his description
of the parish of Assynt, writes : “Tradition and even documents declare
that it was a forest of the ancient Thanes of Sutherland. One of
these Prince Thanes gave it in vassalage to one Mackrycul, who in ancient
times held the coast of Coygach, that part of it at the place presently
called Ullapool.” Mackrycul has been identified as the Gregall mentioned
in the genealogy of the MacNicols in the MS. of 1450, and on the marriage
of Torquil MacLeod to the daughter of the last of the MacNicol chiefs,
the lands of Assynt passed to the MacLeods.
When Assynt passed to MacLeod, the Clan MacNicol appear to have emigrated
to Skye, where the MacLeods had extensive possessions, and the lands of
Scorrybreck near Portree were in possession of MacNicols or Nicolsons for
several centuries. The clan played an important part in the history
of Skye and from time to time their names appear in local records.
The Rev. Donald Nicolson, who was chief of the Scorrybreck family at the
end of the 17th century, was minister of Troternish for over thirty years.
He was a strong Episcopalian, and resigned his charge in 1696 only because
of his opposition to Presbyterianism which had become the established church.
Norman, the last chief of Scorrybreck, emigrated to New Zealand.
There was also a strong branch of the MacNicols resident in Argyllshire.
Reprinted from:
Robert Bain’s THE CLANS AND TARTANS
OF SCOTLAND
Published by Collins. London and Glasgow
Fourth Edition, 1959, Revised, 1960, 1961,
1964, 1966
©1964 William Collins Sons &
Co. Ltd.