Few Scots families can have occupied such varied and
widely separated areas of the country than the nomadic Macmillans. There are
many theories on their origin but the most popular view is that they are descended
from the Siol O'Cain, an ancient Pictish tribe of Moray. The name Macmillan is
ecclesiastical in origin, Mac Gillem-haoil "Son of the Tonsured servant", and
commemorates descent from an old family of Celtic abbots. An Gillemaol, the
Tonsured servant in question was living around 1132 near Elgin where he was listed
as witness in the Book of Dear, the oldest Scots religious record. It is
believed the Macmillans were transplanted from Loch Arkaig to Crown lands on
Lawers near Loch Tay by Malcolm IV around 1160. There they remained for two
centuries until once again they were driven from their home and the clan scattered
to many regions of Scotland. The main branch to Knapdale, others to Lochaber (many
of this line emigrated to Canada during the 19th century), another branch to
Galloway spreading later throughout Aryshire and Dumfriesshire and some to the
Western Isles; Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister from 1957 to 1963, was descended
from the Arran branch. Malcolm Mor Macmillan received Knapdale from the Lord of
the Isles in 1360. The charter is said to have been inscribed on a rock. (This was
later destroyed by Campbell of Calder in 1615). As vassals of the Lord of the
Isles, the Macmillans were caught up in the aftermath of the forfeiture of the
Lordship and lost control of Knap forever. They did however manage to keep the
adjoining lands of Tireleacham. Even so they were still harassed by the Campbells
who had supplanted them. Macmillan of Knap was considered chief of the clan and
when the line became extinct in 1665, the title passed to the Dunmore branch, and
from them to the Lagalgarve branch in which it is still vested.
