Clan Irvine

Clan Irvine is a Scottish clan.

Sometime between 1124 and 1125 Gilchrist, son of Erwini, witnessed a charter of the Lords of Galloway. The first lands by the name of Irvine were in Dumfriesshire. According to family tradition the origin of the clan chief's family is connected with the early Celtic monarchs of Scotland. Duncan Irvine settled at Bonshaw. Duncan was the brother of Crinan, who claimed descent from the High Kings of Ireland, through the Abbots of Dunkeld. Crinan married a daughter of Malcolm II of Scotland and their son was Duncan I of Scotland.

William de Irwyn was the second son of Irving of Bonshaw and was taken into Royal Service by the king Robert the Bruce For twenty years of faithful service William de Irwyn was granted the royal forest of Drum, in Aberdeenshire, as a reward. This then became the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine of Drum. There was already a tower at Drum which was built before the end of the 13th century as a royal hunting lodge. From this grew Drum Castle, seat of the chief.

Origin of the crest badge – "Robert Bruce, who, when a fugitive from the court of Edward I., was concealed by Irving of Bonshaw on numerous occasions and it is his second son William De Irwyn who went into Royal Service |William De Irwyn]] followed the changing fortunes of his royal master; was with him when he was routed at Methven; shared his subsequent dangers; and was one of the seven who were hidden with him in a copse of holly when his pursuers passed by. When Bruce came to his own again he made him Master of the Rolls, and ten years after the battle of Bannockburn, gave him in free barony the forest of Drum, near Aberdeen. He also permitted him to use his private badge of three holly leaves, with the motto, Sub sole sub umbra virens, which are still the arms of the Irving family."

Clan Irvine was often at feud with the neighbouring Clan Keith. Both clans invaded each other's lands. In 1402, Clan Irvine is said to have slaughtered an invading war party of Clan Keith at the Battle of Drumoak.

The third Laird of Drum was Alexander Irvine, who was the first in a line of twelve Irvines who successively bore the name Alexander. He was said to be a knight of legendary prowess and followed the Earl of Mar to the wars in France. He later fought at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, which was fought only twenty miles away from Drum itself. At Harlaw Alexander Irvine engaged in single combat with the famous Hector Maclean of the Battles, chief of the Clan Maclean. Both are said to have died from wounds that they inflicted on each other. This is commemorated in a ballad about the battle as "Gude Sir Alexander Irvine the much renounit Laird of Drum".

The next Laird of Drum was a prominent figure in the negotiations to ransom James I of Scotland from the English and when the king was released de Irwyne was knighted. When the king was murdered in Perth, Sir Alexander Irvine took control of the city of Aberdeen to restore order.

The sixth Laird of Drum and chief of Clan Irvine was a peacemaker, and was rewarded by King James V of Scotland for his efforts to suppress rebels, thieves, reivers, sorcerers and murderers in 1527.