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The Robertsons of Struan are
one of the oldest families in Scotland, being the
sole remaining branch of the Royal House which
occupied the throne of Scotland during the
eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Robertsons,
known as Clan Donnachaidh, are claimed to be
descended from the Celtic Earls of Atholl. The
clan takes its Gaelic name from Donnachadh
Reamhar (Stout Duncan) the staunch friend of
Bruce, who led the clan at Bannockburn.
It was from Robert Riach
(Grizzled Robert) that the clan took the name of
Robertson. This Robert was the chief who captured
the murderers of James I and delivered them to
the Government, and for this action he received,
in 1451, a crown charter erecting his lands into
the barony of Struan. Some of its members took
the name Mac Conachie, Donachie or Duncan, rather
than the second surname Robertson. About a
century later the Earl of Atholl seized about
half of the Struan lands under a wadset and the
Robertsons never recovered them. The Robertsons
were loyal adherents of the Stuarts and
accompanied Montrose in all his campaign, and
after the Restoration Charles II settled a
pension on Robertson of Struan. Alexander, the
celebrated poet, chief of Struan, born about
1670, was studying for the church when he
succeeded to the chiefship; he left the cloisters
and joined Dundee in 1688.
Although the chiefs of Struan
were disposed they lived on by Loch Rannoch
until the last of their estates were sold in the
present century. Langton Robertson, 26th of
Struan and Chief of Clan Donnchaidh, lives at
Kingston in Jamaica, but his son represents him
at gatherings of the clan society.
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Robertson
