Clan Mackie History
The name Mackie comes from the Gaelic name MacAodha, meaning ‘son of Aodh’, which is a given name meaning ‘fire’.
The name is an old one, particularly in the Stirling area where it can be traced back to the 15th century. In a Scone charter, a William Makke was a charter witness in 1491.
The family was also a prominent clan in Galloway during the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth centuries. They were keen supporters of the Covenanters. The principal family of the clan were the Mackies of Larg, and Sir Patrick Mackie of Larg was one of the initial fifty Scottish undertakers of the plantation of Ulster. However, around 1,000 acres of Mackie’s land near Donegal were later taken over by John, Earl of Annandale.
The Mackies of Larg later on obtained the lands of Bargaly in Kirkcudbrightshire and Auchencairn near Castle Douglas.
On the arms of the Mackie of Larg family are two ravens, skewered together by an arrow. It is said that Mackie of Larg, a very capable archer, was once in the company of King Robert II. The king wanted a demonstration of Mackie’s skill, and so pointed to two ravens sitting in a distant tree, and told Mackie to hit them both. Mackie, very confident of his ability, accepted the challenge. He took careful aim and successfully killed the two birds with only one of his arrows.
From then on the Mackie of Larg family’s coat of arms bore two ravens, along with a lion above, symbolising the king as a witness to the feat.
Mackies can still be found all around Scotland today.
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