Clan Macnab Society

07/06/2026

21/04/2026

Daisy, the Chief of Clan Macnab’s daughter, married Charlie Channer on Saturday. Daisy is the Chief’s heir.

09/02/2026

Clan MacNab is our celebrated Clan of the Month for February and there are three tartan variations to choose from!

Let us know your favourite(s) by voting in our MacNab Tartan Poll and we'll post the results at the end of the month.

Vote for your favourite(s) here ➡️ https://hubs.li/Q03_TSLR0

Macnab Clan | Clan Macnab Society

09/02/2026

A key part of MacNab’s ancestral territory was located on Eilan Ran, an island on the north bank of the river Lochay, at the western end of Loch Tay.

Loch Tay is long and narrow, at around 23.42 km long and 1.6 to 2.4 km wide, following the line of the strath from south-west to north-east.

The main settlements today are Killin, located at the head of the loch, and Kenmore, which you can find at the outflow of the River Tay. There is also a number of smaller settlements on the south side of the loch, Acharn, Ardeonaig, and Ardtalnaig, whilst Fearnan and Lawers are to the north.

Also on the north shore is Ben Lawers, the 10th highest mountain in the British Isles!

Loch Tay has a fascinating and rich history, dating back centuries. In the Iron Age, people lived on man-made islands in the water called Crannogs. You can see a reconstructed model of one such structure at the excellent Scottish Crannog Centre on the south side of the loch.

This scenic spot has also had a big impact on culture. The loch and its surroundings feature in the classic Scottish musical piece ‘Loch Tay Boat Song.’

It recently played another role in the musical world when Radio Heart Scotland temporarily renamed it ‘Loch Tay Tay’ in honour of Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras tour!

Learn more about the Mighty Clan MacNab over on our website, link in the comments 👇

Image credit: Don Gillies

Macnab Clan | Clan Macnab Society | Loch Tay

09/02/2026

The Dreadnought Hotel 1880
The hotel was originally built around 1802 by the Chieftain of the Clan MacNab as a hostelry for clansmen and travellers moving north into the Highlands, effectively operating as a coaching inn from its earliest days.
A stone carving of the decapitated head of the Clan McNeish chief was built in above the original doorway on Leny Road as a grim warning, following a historic clan feud, as a stark warning to never cross a MacNab. The clan motto is "Dread Nought," which gave the hotel its name.
The hotel provided transport, lodging, and meals for travellers passing through Callander. Its importance as a stop increased significantly in the 19th century when the Trossachs area became popular due to Sir Walter Scott's epic poem The Lady of the Lake. Visitors used the hotel as a base for tours of the scenic surroundings, travelling in horse-drawn carriages and coaches. The hotel would have primarily used stagecoaches or "hotel coaches" for public transport, which were typically four-wheeled and drawn by four (or sometimes six) horses. These coaches carried passengers at fixed rates and stopped at "stages" to change exhausted horse teams.
The hotel also offered smaller, private, one-horse carriages for hire, often called chaises, buggies, or gigs, which were used for local tours of the Trossachs. Around that time, a small group could hire a one-horse carriage and driver for a return trip to the Trossachs for 11 shillings and 6 pence (less than 60p), or stay at the hotel for a week for just over £3.
The hotel’s importance grew with the arrival of the railway in 1858. When the Callander (Dreadnought) Railway Station opened nearby in 1870, the hotel became a prime base for rail travellers. To accommodate the growing number of visitors, the hotel was extensively enlarged and remodelled with its characteristic baronial and turreted style in 1890.

25/12/2025

Happy Christmas to Macnabs throughout the world from the Macnabs in Edinburgh

09/12/2025

Seasons Greetings! Here is our first digital newsletter. Please send us your feedback.

-Peter McNabb, Communications Coordinator, [email protected]

Seasons Greetings! Here is our first digital newsletter. Please send us your feedback. -Peter McNabb, Communications Coordinator, [email protected]

04/10/2025

08/03/2025