The Clan MacDowall, like their Clan MacDougall neighbours and allies, supported the Clan Comyn who were once the most powerful clan in Scotland and rivals to the Scottish throne of Robert the Bruce.
Once Robert the Bruce had killed John the Red Comyn, chief of Comyns, the MacDowalls became mortal foes of the Bruces.
The MacDowalls followed the MacDougalls into several battles against the Bruces until Sir Dougal was killed and dispossessed by the Bruces. The next generation of MacDowalls and MacDougalls changed sides many times but eventually became defenders of Scotland, loyal to the Bruces.
Read more about Clan Macdowall: The MacDowalls Today, Clan Profile
Famous quotes containing the word clan:
“We cannot think of a legitimate argument why ... whites and blacks need be affected by the knowledge that an aggregate difference in measured intelligence is genetic instead of environmental.... Given a chance, each clan ... will encounter the world with confidence in its own worth and, most importantly, will be unconcerned about comparing its accomplishments line-by-line with those of any other clan. This is wise ethnocentricism.”
—Richard Herrnstein (1930–1994)