Buchanan

Gaelic: Cononach

Motto: Clarior hinc honos
“Hence the brighter honor”

Badge: Bilberry

Lands: Loch Lomond-shire

Name Origin: from Both-Charain (Canon's Seat)

Famous Buchanans:
Pat Buchanan - political pundit and Reform Party presidential nominee in 2000
James Buchanan – 15th US President
Jensen Buchanan – Actress (Another World, One Life to Live)

The early origin of this family is said to be a son of the king of Ulster who landed in Argyll around 1016 and was rewarded with land on the east side of Loch Lomond by King Malcolm II, for service in fighting Nordic invaders. The area was known as "Buth chanain", Gaelic for "house of the canon" and may have been connected with the ancient Celtic Church.

There were at one time so many members of the Buchanans, that it is said the laird of Buchanan could, in a summer's day, call fifty heritors of his own surname to his house, upon any occasion, and all of them would easily be able to return to their respective homes before nightfall, the most distant of their homes not being above ten miles from Buchanan Castle.

 

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