My Scottish Ansestory
According to Stout there was an ancient "Clan Fionnladh" (Fionnlaigh) predating Clan Farquharson
from which we are descended. Some say the name Finley is derived from the Gaelic names
Fionnlaoch or Finlocha meaning "Fair hero." It first appeared according to the Ancient Genealogies
around 200 BC. Stout says it is derived from the Gaelic Finnladh which meand "son of Fergus".

Stout's source for the ancient genealogies was the manuscript "Pedigrees" at the Society of
Genealogy, London. According to him the clan Finley was outlawed after Macbeth was killed and as a
result took on the name Farquharson for several generations. Eugenius MCFINLAY, a fourth son of
Macbeth born around 1200 in Aberdeenshire , also known as Shaw Farquhar(son), was chief Clan
Finley. This was the first use Farquharson in the ancient genealogies.

I couldn't find any other use of the name Farquharson before or after this until the 1400's when the
descendants of Ferquhard Shaw took the name of Farquharson from Ferquhard. The current Clan
Farquharson is descended from this line.

In "Scottish Clans and Regiments", Sir Thomas Inns states: "The old Clan Fionnladh reemerged in the
early part of the thirteenth century as one of the original 16 Clans of the "Hail Kin Clan Chattan"

Vol I of FINLEY FINDINGS INTERNATIONAL states:  Because of this [Finley being outlawed] the Clan
FIONNLAGH took on the name of the Clan FARQUHARSON, so named because of the Farquhar
SHAW of Rothiemurchus. WOOD and FRANCE state: "In 1236 in the Braes of Mar at the head of
Aberdeenshire, Scotland, there was a certain chief named FEARCHAR, son of FARQUHAR, who was
the fourth son of Shaw DUBH of Rothiemurchus, who was head of a powerful clan known in the
Highlands as Clan FIONNLAGH, a sept of the great confederation, Clan CHATTAN, which held large
possessions which were acquired by marriage with the heiress of Invercauld and from this FEARCHAR.

Clan Farquharson was part of the Clan Chattan confederation which included Clan Shaw, Clan
Macintosh, Macpherson, Macbean, Davidson and Clan Farquharson. The genealogies get very
complicated at this point.

Shaw "Mor", great-grandson of Angus, 6th Chief of MacKintosh and Eva of Clan Chattan was, by
tradition, the leader of Clan Chattan. His son, James, was killed at Harlaw in 1411 but his heir,
Alasdair "Ciar" succeded him.

The Clan Farquharson page at tartans.com says:  Clan Farquharson, of Celtic origin, derives from
Farquhar, fourth son of Alexander "Ciar" Mackintosh of Rothiemurchus, 5th Chief of Clan Shaw. A
grant of arms made by Lord Lyon in 1697 stated that John Farquharson of Invercauld was lawfully
descended of Shaw son of MacDuff, Thane of Fife whose successors had the name Shaw until
Farquhar Shaw, son to Shaw of Rothiemerchus, Chief of the whole name came to be called
Farquharson. Thus the Farquharsons branched from Clan Shaw. Farquhar settled in the Braes of
Mar and was appointed baillie or chamberlain thereof. It was Donald Farquharson who married Isobel
Stewart, heiress of Invercauld and their son Finlay MÛr, 1st of the House of Farquharson of
Invercauld, who gave to the Farquharson Chiefs their style MacFionnlaidh (siol Fhionnlaidh or
descendents of Finlay).

At Clan MacKintosh it states: "Angus [the 20th chief of MacKintosh], married Anne, daughter of
Farquharson of Invercauld, a lady who distinguished herself greatly inthe rebelion of 1745."

History of the Shaw/Seath Clan states:
Shaw Macduff, a younger son of Duncan, Thane of Fife (a descendant of Kenneth mac Alpin)
assisted King Malcolm IV in putting down a rebellion in Moray and he was made keeper of Inverness
castle. Shaw's grandson was granted land in Rothiemurchus (in Strathspey). His son married a
daughter of the Macdonald Lord of Islay in 1291.

Patricia Myers wrote: Farquhar Shaw, the fourth son of Alexander III, Shaw of Rothiemurchus, was the
ancestor of Clan FARQUHARSON. His son married the heiress of Invercauld and the Clan gained its
lands on Deeside. Its most famous chief was Farquhar, Finla Mor who consolidated the Clan and who
carried the Royal Standard at the Battle of Pinkie in 1547 fighting for Mary, Queen of Scots."Castles

Braemar Castle, was owned by the Farquharson family in 1731 and Invercauld Castle still is owned
and occupied by the Farquharson family.

Near Braemar, Aberdeenshire - Royal Deeside. The Farquharson estate which included both castles
covers about 200,000 acres of forest and moor in the Grampian Highlands. Breamar castle sits
across the River Dee from INVERCAULD Castle. The Clan Chief today is Capt. A. Farquharson of
Invercauld, the 16th Chief. He and his wife live in Invercauld Castle. His wife is former Frances Rodney
who use to be editor of Harper's Bazaar magazine and fashion editor of Vogue magaizine.