The Clan MacLeod Genealogy Series

The Clan MacLeod Trilogy

The five sections of The MacLeods – The Genealogy of a Clan represent the second instalment of a trilogy of books about Clan MacLeod. The first instalment was Dr I.F. Grant’s 1959 publication The MacLeod’s – The History of a Clan. The third instalment was originally conceived as The MacLeods – The Migration of a Clan and was finally published in 2005 as Scottish Exodus: Travels Among a Worldwide Clan written by James Hunter.

First editions of the Genealogy of a Clan series were published between 1968 and 1976.  Section I and Section II were published in 1968 following a collaboration between Rev. Dr Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison. Sadly Rev. Dr MacKinnon died in 1966 before any of the Sections could be published but his name rightly sits alongside Alick Morrison’s as author of the original editions of the first two sections. Alick Morrison subsequently completed Sections III in 1970, IV in 1974, and V in 1976.

In the years following publication, genealogical research was ongoing and by the mid-1980s it was recognized that certain inaccuracies had been recorded in the series and ACMS determined that they should be revised. As a first step, Alick Morrison rewrote Section One on the MacLeod Chiefs of Harris and Dunvegan and this was published as a hardback book called The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod in 1986. This is currently out of print but scheduled to be republished by ACMS as a print on demand publication in 2023-24.

During the 1990s work started on the revision of the other four sections, II, III, IV and V, and these were all revised and republished in late 1999 by ACMS. In each of the revised titles, a Note to 1999 Reprinting by William R. McLeod was included and this has been reproduced in its original form as a pdf guide to the changes in the 1999 Sections and how they have been reorganised from the 1968-1976 first editions.

Sections II, III, IV, and V are all available for purchase from ACMS Merchandising  and details are set out in the merchandising pages and below.

The MacLeods – The Genealogy of a Clan series

The MacLeods: The Genealogy of a Clan Section I : MacLeod Chiefs of Harris and Dunvegan (1968) by Rev. Dr Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison. First published by ACMS in 1968, now out of print, with revision and republication by Alick Morrison as The Chiefs of the Clan MacLeod in 1986. This book scheduled to be re-published by ACMS as print in demand by end of 2024.

A description of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan from Leod to John MacLeod of MacLeod, 29th Chief.

The most complete genealogy of the MacLeod Chiefs of Harris and Dunvegan.

The MacLeods: The Genealogy of a Clan Section II : The MacLeods of Talisker, Berneray, Orbost, Luskintyre, Hamer, Greshornish, Uilinish and Dalvey. (1968) by Rev. Dr Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison. First published by ACMS in 1968 and reprinted by ACMS in 1999. There was an undated second edition looking like, and so probably published not long after, the first edition, but in a slightly lighter blue cover. In this second edition, the account of the MacLeods of Luskintyre was extracted from the account of the MacLeods of Berneray and given its own chapter; also, the “PRICE 20/-” was removed from the front cover and a “THE” was added before “CLAN MACLEOD SOCIETY” at the bottom of the front cover.

Describes the descendants from Ruairidh Mor MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan, whose five sons were progenitors of many important families of the Clan. 

The MacLeods: The Genealogy of a Clan Section III : MacLeod Cadet Families descended from William XIII Chief, Norman XII Chief, Iain Borb VI Chief, William Cleireach V Chief, and Malcolm III Chief. (1970) by Rev. Dr Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison. First published by ACMS in 1970 and reprinted by ACMS in 1999.

Traces several important families descended from some of the great warrior chiefs of the Clan through to more modern times throughout the world. 

The MacLeods: The Genealogy of a Clan Section IV : The MacLeods of Lewis, including the MacLeods of Raasay (1974) by Alick Morrison. First published with a red cover by ACMS in 1974. Revised in the 1980s by Major Loudoun Henry Davenport MacLeod RM (retired), an unofficial 2nd edition with a mustard-yellow cover was published by Torquil Roderick Macleod, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia in 1989. This was followed by a third edition (though officially second edition) with a dark pink cover in 1990 and with loose sheet corrected versions of the pedigrees inserted.  The final reprint by ACMS in 1999, as part of the tartan cover series, includes revisions and additions from the earlier editions but unfortunately carries the wrong second name of Loudoun and pedigrees that do not match the inserted corrections of the third volume.

The MacLeods: The Genealogy of a Clan Section V : The MacLeods of Gairlock, Assynt, Geanies, Flanders, Cambuscurry, Cadboll, Sallachy, Handa, Coigeach and Eddrachillis (1976) by Alick Morrison. First published by ACMS in 1976 and reprinted by ACMS in 1999.

Includes a discussion of the MacLeods of Lewis in their struggle against the MacKenzies. 

Sections II to V of the Genealogy series are available from Clan MacLeod Merchandising