Clan Ross Tours of Scotland

Clan Ross Tours of Scotland. In the ancient Celtic tongue, a ros was a promontory, such as the fertile land between the Cromarty and Dornoch Firths. The Rosses were prominent in Scottish affairs and supported an alliance with Llewellyn the Welsh Prince, against the English and on the 8th of March 1258 William, the 3rd Earl of Ross, was one of the Scots nobles who entered into an agreement with Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, that the Scots and Welsh should only make peace with England by mutual consent.

They fought at the Battle of Largs against the Norse invasion in 1263, and spoke in Parliament of 1283 in support of settling the succession to the throne of the infant Princess Margaret, the Maid of Norway. The clan fought with distinction at Bannockburn and the earl's seal was affixed to the memorable letter the great Declaration of Arbroath to the Pope which asserted the independence of Scotland in 1320.

Hugh, the brother-in-law of Bruce, fell at the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333. In 1711 David died without issue, and the chiefship passed to his kinsman, Malcolm Ross of Pitcalnie. The estate of Balnagowan had been heavily burdened with debt, and was eventually purchased by General Charles Ross, Lord Ross of Hawkhead's brother, whose family were from the Lowlands and were truly 'de Roos' of Norman descent.

Septs of Clan: Anderson, Andrew, Dingwall, Gillanders, MacAndrew, MacCulloch, MacLulich, MacTaggart, MacTear, MacTier, MacTire, Taggart, Vass, Wass.