Are the Sinclairs a Highland Clan?

Are the Sinclairs a Highland Clan? As the Normans and the Lowlanders had a good deal of Celtic blood in their veins, it would be folly to look upon the Lords of Roslin as Scandinavians. Sir Henry Sinclair, fourth of Roslin, was the son of Celtic mother. William Sinclair, second Earl of Caithness and progenitor of the Sinclairs of Caithness, was also the son a Celtic mother. The Scandinavians who settled in Caithness occupied only parts of the country. They did not slay the whole of the original inhabitants. It was indeed quite a common thing for a Norwegian to marry into a Celtic family. Leod, the progenitor fo the Macleods, was the son of a Scandinavian father. He married a Highland girl and two sons by her, Torquil of Lewis and Tormod of Dunvegan. These sons were only half Scandinavians. Tormod of Dunvagan married a Celtic girl and had a son named Malcolm by her. Malcolm was very far from being a half Scandinavian. He was certainly a Celt rather than a Scandinavian. Before a Sinclair, a Macleod or a Gunn talks about his Scandinavian origins, it would be wise for him to calculate with some degree of care to what extent his blood is Scandinavian blood. Patrick Sinclair, third of Ulbster,was the son of Jane Chisholm. John fourth of Ulbster, was the son of Elizabeth MacKay. John, fifth of Ulbster, was the son of Janet Sinclair. John, sixth of Ulbster was the son of Jane Munro. Geroge, seventh of Ulbster, was the son of Henrietta Brodie. Sir John Sinclair, eighth of Ulbster, the most eminent man Caithness ever produced, was the son of Janet MacKay. Was Sir John a Scandinavian? He believed himself to be a Highland Chieftain.

The Gaelic form of the name Sinclair is Singlear. The Sinclairs of Argyleshire call themselves Clann-na-Cearda or the Children of the craft or trade. It is probable that the name was given them by their neighbours would naturally take for gratned that Singlear meant shingler or flax-dresser. The Sinclairs of Argyll are out-and-out Highlanders.

The Earls of Caithness held their lands of the Crown and were in no way subject to the Saint Clairs of the Lowlands. They lived in the Highlands, were Chiefs of the Sinclairs of Caithness, they ruled over a large number of Gaelic-speaking Highlanders and they were to some extent Celts by blood. They thus had a perfect right to regard themselves as Highland Chiefs and to wear tartans and bonnets and use bagpipes if they saw proper. The Sinclairs of Caithness are thus a Highland Clan just as much as the Sutherlands, Gunns and Macleods are Highland Clans; but they are not Celts to the same extent.