Gregor “Ghlun Dhu” MacGregor (d. 1622)

Chief of Clan Gregor and a Central Figure in Scotland’s Fiercest Clan Feuds

Gregor MacGregor—known in Gaelic as Griogair Ghlùn Dhu, “Gregor of the Black Knee”—was chief of Clan Gregor during some of the most turbulent decades in Highland history. He led the clan at a time when political tensions, territorial disputes, and long‑standing rivalries erupted into open conflict, culminating in the 1603 proscription that outlawed the MacGregor name.

As heir to the Glenstrae line, Gregor inherited not only the chiefship but a legacy of conflict against powerful neighboring families—most notably the Campbells of Argyll—whose political reach extended from the royal court to the Highland frontier.

A Chief in a Landscape of Continuous Feuding

During Gregor Ghlun Dhu’s lifetime, the Highlands were defined by:

  • Vengeance cycles
  • Disputed land claims
  • Shifting clan alliances
  • Competition for grazing and cattle routes
  • Growing interference from the Scottish Crown

Clan Gregor sat squarely at the center of these pressures, often positioned between stronger clans or manipulated by nobles who benefited from keeping Highland territories unstable.

Feuds With the Campbells: The Central Conflict

The most defining feud of Gregor’s leadership was with the Clan Campbell, who sought to expand their power across Argyll, Perthshire, and Breadalbane. The MacGregors, long established in Glenstrae, Roro, Rannoch, and Balquhidder, were in the direct path of Campbell ambition.

Gregor Ghlun Dhu’s role in these feuds included:

1. Defending Ancestral Lands in Glenstrae

The Campbells repeatedly used legal maneuvering and royal favor to claim or encroach upon traditional MacGregor territories. Gregor resisted these efforts, pushing back against:

  • forced evictions
  • manipulated charters
  • criminalization of MacGregor tenants
  • encirclement by Campbell‑controlled estates

His refusal to yield made him a symbolic obstacle to Campbell domination.

2. Countering Campbell Political Influence

While the Campbells controlled major offices—Sheriff of Argyll, Justice of the Peace, and positions close to the King—the MacGregors had no equivalent political protection.

Gregor was forced into the role of a defensive chief, navigating:

  • unfair prosecutions
  • biased courts
  • royal mandates influenced by Campbell interests

This imbalance contributed directly to the Crown labeling Clan Gregor as “rebellious,” paving the way for the 1603 proscription.

The Feud with the Clan Colquhoun (Leading to the Battle of Glen Fruin)

Although Gregor Ghlun Dhu himself did not lead the famous Battle of Glen Fruin (1603)—that role fell to his successor, Alastair of Glenstrae—his leadership set the stage for the escalating tensions with the Colquhouns of Luss.

Key points of Gregor’s involvement:

1. Rising Hostilities in the Lennox

The MacGregors and Colquhouns had a long‑running rivalry over:

  • cattle grazing
  • rites of passage
  • alleged thefts on both sides
  • control of routes around Loch Lomond

Gregor’s efforts to defend MacGregor interests often inflamed these disputes, which the Colquhouns reported to the Crown as “banditry.”

2. Royal Manipulation

The Colquhouns successfully appealed to King James VI for protection, portraying the MacGregors as aggressors. Gregor’s attempts to negotiate or mitigate conflicts were repeatedly undermined by:

  • royal proclamations
  • fines
  • arrest warrants
  • orders limiting MacGregor movement and arms

These harsh measures helped push the feud toward its violent climax after Gregor’s death.

Internal Clan Feuds and Maintaining Unity

Gregor “Ghlun Dhu” also had to manage internal tensions within the clan, especially:

  • Rivalries between Glenstrae, Roro, and Glengyle families
  • Disputes over cattle holdings and rents
  • Conflicts involving MacGregors living under alias names for protection

Through diplomacy, enforcement, and strategic marriages, Gregor maintained a remarkable degree of cohesion at a time when other clans fractured under similar pressures.

The Proscription: Gregor’s Fateful Legacy

The escalating feuds—especially with the Campbells and Colquhouns—culminated in the Act of Proscription of 1603, passed shortly after the Battle of Glen Fruin. This act:

  • outlawed the MacGregor name
  • authorized executions of MacGregors
  • stripped them of weapons
  • seized their lands
  • forced them to adopt new surnames

Though Gregor Ghlun Dhu died in 1622, he lived through the worst of these persecutions. Clan memory credits him with safeguarding the leadership structure and preserving the identity of the Glenstrae line through the darkest hours of the proscription.

Legacy

Gregor “Ghlun Dhu” stands as one of the great chiefs of Clan Gregor. He guided the clan through decades of bitter feuds, political hostility, and royal repression with determination and courage. His leadership helped ensure that, despite outlawry, dispersal, and persecution, the MacGregor spirit endured long enough for later generations—including the famous Rob Roy—to restore the clan’s place in Scottish heritage.

He remains a symbol of:

  • perseverance
  • loyalty to kin
  • resistance against oppression
  • the indomitable identity of Clan Gregor

A chief forged in adversity, Gregor Ghlun Dhu’s story is inseparable from the survival of the clan itself.