This is the Cry that the clan warriors would yell as they began to engage in battle.  It was meant to unite them as one force.  Kinchyle (kin-hile) was the land owned by the Clan which stretched around 2 miles along Lock Ness.  This was located approximately where the town of Dores (Due-ers) is today.

Clan MacBean Tartan

The well-known Robert McIan portrait of Gillies MacBean portrays him wearing a kilt of Mackintosh tartan but with hose that appear to be late 18^{th century Birrell tartan. MacBeans (as a Clan of the Clan Chattan Confederation) always considered themselves to be Mackintoshes with the right to wear that tartan. According to tartan authority James Scarlett, MacBean tartan was a result of the tartan trade never missing an opportunity to proliferate tartans, so it was an interpretation of artist Robert McIan's interpretation of the Birrell tartan that became known as MacBean. Many people mistakenly think that because some MacBean tartan may have a color stripe of dark blue/purple, medium purple, fuschia, or burgundy, that they are different tartans. They are not!}

^{As James Scarlett says, "One constantly hears ancient, modern, reproduction and all the other tartan colourways referred to as different tartans whereas, in fact, the only differences are in the shades of colour used. In all tartans, it is the sett that counts; the weaver chooses shades of colour that suit his taste or from what are available." So, although the registered sett has particular colors associated with it (the thread count or proportion), various shades of those colors may appear, whether from being woven by different mills or from dye-batch variations used at the same mill.}

Governing official clan tartans is the authority of the Chief, hereditary leader of the clan. Ultimate approval for a sett or pattern is vested in the Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms which governs Scottish heraldry. A clan's official tartan (sett) is registered with the Lyon Court. The thread count or proportions of each specific color determine the sett. The sett could be woven in small, medium or large versions. This does not make them different - only better suited for certain uses. A small sett is more suitable for ties than a medium or large sett. A medium sett might be better for ladies wear while a medium or large sett is better for a kilt. What became known as MacBean tartan, as noted above, existed until Hughston McBain became the 21st Chief. James Scarlett notes, "When the late Hughston McBain matriculated as Chief, he adopted a minor variation on this. I have a note that the piece of MacBean tartan that went to the moon was of the old, no longer official, pattern.."

So, Chief Hughston chose to alter the thread count and register the new version as the official MacBean sett. Two others, which are merely color variations of the official sett, have been designated as hunting and dress versions by the present 22nd Chief, James H. McBain of McBain. James Scarlett states, "The present Chief has recently authorized the use of the official sett in reproduction or muted colours as a hunting tartan," and "The Dress tartan takes the usual form, with the pattern woven on a white, instead of red, ground; all black is omitted from the main pattern but here is a composite black/red/black overcheck on the main white ground." This overcheck is often referred to as the Mackintosh stripe intending to show the MacBean connection to Clan Mackintosh and to the Clan Chattan Confederation.

Clan MacBean, therefore, has one official sett (pattern) in variations typically known as "modern" (red ground), "hunting" (muted/dark burgundy ground) and "dress" (white ground with overcheck). The moon tartan is of the old, no longer official, sett. There is another very hard to find variation, which many would refer to as "ancient" colors in that the red ground is reproduced in an orange-ish red or tomato soup shade, similar to what a vegetable dye red would fade to, with the other color shades altered similarly. As noted above, the differences in color shading don’t make it a different tartan, only a different color variation on the official sett.

An American company, L. L. Bean, was marketing a tartan that they called MacBean Hunting. This was brought to the attention of Chief James who challenged them on it, rightly asserting himself as the only person who could legally make such a designation. As a result, L. L. Bean renamed the tartan Bean of Freeport (Freeport, Maine, being the company location). James Scarlett comments, "There is a pattern called Bean of Freeport, which is a simple variation of the green Shaw of Tordarroch tartan. It has no official standing."

Quoted passages and other information are from The Tartans of the Clan Chattan by James D. Scarlett (Copyright, 2002), published by the Clan Chattan Association, 2003. Used by permission. Copies of the book, which includes color plates and official thread counts, are available from the Clan Chattan Association. See the page on Clan Chattan for their Web site and contact information.

The Large Sett       The Medium Sett       The Small Sett      The Dress Tartan

The Hunting Tartan - This is a new tartan that was just commissioned by the Chief a few years

                               ago.  It has a dark dull burgandy color as it's background. 

Ancient/Weathered Tartan - This tartan has an orange looking background and is very hard to find.
 

As members of Clan Chattan ,  we are able to wear this tartan, also.
 

This Wildcat holding the targe, with his right paw up in the air, is part of our Chief's Coat of Arms which is recognized by the Lord Lyon, King of Arms. 

 We wear the belt and buckle with the Motto written on it , which circles the Wildcat, as a symbol of our loyality to our Chief.  We have no claim to the Coat of Arms.  That belongs only to our Chief. All Clan Members may wear the badge.

The Motto on our Badge states: Touch not a catt bot a targe!

This means - Don't mess with this cat unless you have a shield for protection against it!
  
 

The Clan "beastie" was the pet or charm animal that was supposed to exemplify the characteristics of the family. It is just like modern nations which have a national animal or bird and in the old days, each Clan considered itself to be a nation in its own right!

We really use the Wildcat as a play on the name Clan Chattan. The confederation took its name from being the followers or devotees of St. Chattan. His was a personal name meaning "Little Cat". Being warriors, the Macbeans took the wildcat as their emblem. These were common in the Highlands. They are very tough beasties. Within modern memory, one killed an armed and experienced gamekeeper in the Highlands.

Anyone seeing the wildcat should know at once we are also a part of Clan Chattan. This same cat is seen on the badges of Clan MacPherson, Clan MacIntosh, MacGillivray, and MacThomas. We are not a clan to be played with!