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Memor Esto (Be mindful)
MacPhail is reckoned among the ancient blood of the Clan Chattan Confederation, closer to the Macphersons, MacBeans and Cattanachs than to the Mackintoshes. Tradition places an early MacPhail stronghold at Fassifern in Lochaber, about ten miles west of Fort William, held until 1291. The family later migrated east to Strathnairn, and from at least the early 1500s the chiefly family was associated with the lands of Inverarnie on the River Nairn. The last chief, Paul MacPhail, died in Australia in 1904 with no heir.
Clan MacPhail Crest
Crest image: Caracal Rooikat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Clan MacPhail Tartan Canvas Table Runner
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Personalized MacPhail Clan Bagpipe Garden Gnome Caricature Plaque Custom Photo, Any Clan Tartan, Wood or Acrylic, Grandpa & Dad Gift, Scottish Highland Garden Decor
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MacPhail · Blue bands Reproduction
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MacPhail · Blue bands Modern
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MacPhail · Blue bands Ancient
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MacPhail · Modern
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MacPhail · Ancient
Crest & Motto
The motto of Clan MacPhail is Memor Esto (Be mindful). It appears on the Clan MacPhail crest badge: the chief’s heraldic crest set inside a strap and buckle that carries the motto.
In Scotland a crest belongs to the chief, not to everyone with the surname. Clan members may wear the crest badge, with the crest inside the strap and buckle, to show that they belong to the clan. The plain crest without the strap remains the chief’s own.
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View all MacPhail productsTradition: the MacPhails hold a stronghold at Fassifern in Lochaber until 1291[2]
Gillemore M'Phale witnesses official documentation[5]
The chiefly family holds the estates of Inverarnie under a lease; the lands are lost in 1773[5][6]
Paul MacPhail, the last chief, dies in Australia with no heir[2][3]
Map outline: Natural Earth (public domain). Pins use official Historic Environment Scotland grid references.
These family names are connected with Clan MacPhail. Each list says who records the link.
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No. The last chief, Paul MacPhail, died in Australia in 1904 with no heir, and the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs lists no MacPhail chief. In place of a chief, the Clan Phail Society elects a President.
Tradition places an early MacPhail stronghold at Fassifern in Lochaber, about ten miles west of Fort William, until 1291. The family later migrated east with other Clan Chattan families to Strathnairn, where the chiefly line took its name from the lands of Inverarnie on the River Nairn.
Yes. The MacPhails are reckoned one of the families of the ancient blood of the Clan Chattan Confederation, closer to the Macphersons, MacBeans and Cattanachs than to the Mackintoshes.
In September 2022 the Clan Phail Society announced that it would hold a Family Convention, advised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, to select a Clan Commander - a temporary head of the clan until a new chief can be chosen. The Society's own site still describes it as electing a President in place of a chief.
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Clan MacKintoshBoth are Clan Chattan; the MacPhails migrated east from Lochaber with other Clan Chattan families.
Clan MacPhersonOld Clan Chattan stock: the MacPhails are reckoned closest to the Macphersons, MacBeans and Cattanachs.