How Important Was the Chief of the Clan?

In the first episode of season five of Love Scotland, Jackie and her guest Sir Tom Devine take a look at the origins of the Scottish clans. Over the course of their discussion – which will be continued in a second instalment next week – they reveal how the clans came to be, how they organised themselves, and what united them.

Has the reality of clan life been romanticised? What were the key moments in these crucial centuries of Scottish history? And how, ultimately, did the system of kinship give way to a modern world of capitalism.

Next week, Jackie and Sir Tom look to the years beyond the Battle of Culloden.

To find out more about some of the locations discussed in this week’s episode, visit the NTS website. You can also learn more about Culloden here, Glencoe here, and Killiecrankie here.