According to their own genealogies, the MacLeods and Dunvegan Castle become intertwined in the 13th Century through the marriage of their progenitor, Leod, with the heiress of the Macarailts, in those days the Viking Seneschals of Skye, who lived at Dunvegan.

Leod himself was a son of Olaf the Black, King of the Isle of Man, who in his turn was descended from the Norse King Harald Hardrada. Leod and his Lady had two sons, Tormod and Torquil, progenitors respectively of the MacLeods of Dunvegan, Harris and Glenelg and the MacLeods of Lewis. The gaelic word 'Mac' meaning 'son of' helps to symbolise the moment when Clan MacLeod first appears as a historical reality.

Tormod, the first Chief of MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan was the first individual member of that Norse family to 'live' in the Gaelic language. The reason for this immense cultural change lay in the political upheaval caused by the unexpected defeat of the powerful Norse King, Haakon, at the Battle of Largs in 1263 by the young King, Alexander III, of the comparatively young kingdom of Scotland.

That defeat broke the direct hold of the Norse power on the Hebrides, and Clan MacLeod's Gaelic period of recorded history began.

If you are connected in any way with the Clan MacLeod no matter how tenuous you may feel those connections may prove we are a family and as such we welcome all distant relatives friends and friends of friends into our fold and family which is world wide.

Please make contact with us, we would welcome you.

Go to website :-

www.clanmacleod.org