McAlpin

History divides the early Aryan peoples info five groups - one of these groups, the Celtic, was made up of Gauls, Britons, Scots-Irish, and Picts. The Irish, Welsh, Scotch-Highlanders and the Britons of Brittany, in France, are the present-day representatives of the ancient Celts.

The name McALPIN is Celtic; the prefix Mac, Mc, or M signifies 'of' or 'son of' so the name, originally "ALPINE" means Son of Alpine, Alpine of course, meaning 'of the hills' - or Alps.

Genealogists say that the progenitor of the McALPIN clan crossed over from Ireland to the Highlands of Scotland with the Dalriadic Scots. Authorities generally agree that the clan was one of the oldest in the Highlands, and that out of it grew a number of other clans that had their origin in fiven names: as McGREGOR, "Son of Gregor" , who was a son of Kenneth Mc Alpin: McKINNON (with variations McKINNEY, McKINNING, McKINVEN, and others) , founded by a chieftain named FIGNON, who was a grandson of GREGOR.

The Gaelic form of the modern name McKINNON, was "MHIC FHIONGHAIN"; the variations, McKINNEY and McKINNING developed in the Lowlands, among members of the clan who settled there.The traditional home of the McALPINS waws Dunstaffnage, near Oban, Argyllshire.

The ancient crest was a boar's head, (a crowned head became the crest after the Clan was made the royal one).

The emblem was a pine tree, the Gaelic motto and war-cry , "Cuimhnich Bas Ailpein," meant "Remember the death of Alpine." The Alpine alluded to was a chieftain or "king" of the Clan, and who was murdered by Brudus, after the dereat of the Scots by the Picts,near Dundee in 834.

Description of Tartan: The Clan plaid was a combination of inconspicuous colors, against a background of greenish-grey and was probably chosen in the days of Clan warfare for reasons of strategy and safety. It is said that the colors blend perfectly with the colors of teh hearther and this made it easy for the warriors to hide themselves in the hearther on the hill-sides almost under the feet of the enemy. Sir Walter Scott mentions this in foot-notes to "The Lady of the Lake," used as a text-book.

In the eighth century, the Picts were the chief power in Scotland, but thier political organization resembled a rude confederacy rather than a regularly constituted governmane. They were a number of Celtic tribes which, sometimes, in great emergencies, combined for the common defense of the country. Besides the feuds incidental to tribal communities, the Picts, the Scots, the Britons and eventually, the Saxons and the Danes, or Norsemen, carried on intermittent warfare with one another. The struggle among the clans continued until a complete nationality was formed.

In 839 the Danes invaded the territory of the Picts and defeated them. Two years later, the first centralized government was organized, by the Scots, in Argyle, under Kenneth McALPIN, as king.

---There is more which includes a list of rulers. This passage is from a very small book on the McAlpin family written by Annie Hutchison, no date found but it appears to be quite old, circa early 1920's I would estimate.