Skene of Skene is an Aberdeenshire family, who resided in a parish of the same name, about twelve miles distant from the capital of the country where Gaelic is no longer the native language, but the circumstance of its having ceased to be the mother tongue of a chief or part of this clan, is no bar to their claim of Highland descent. Gaelic, at no very distant period, was the prevailing speech of all who lived beyond the Grampian Mountains, and the Parliamentary line of demarcation, which was drawn on occasion of passing the Act, prohibiting the use of the Highland dress, passed from the north side of Lochlomond, by the north side of the Forth, near Stirling, and comprehended the hill part of the country of Kincardine, the whole of Aberdeenshire, etc.; all that division of Scotland being accounted the native residence of the Highlanders.   

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The Skenes have another claim to Highland origin--a current tradition being that they are descendants of Clan Doncha’ or Robertsons of Athol. William Forbes Skene, Esq., F.S.A., etc., etc. furnished several corroborative proofs of this descent. A second son of the chief of the Robertsons having crossed the mountain ridge, which separates Athol from Mar, passed down Strathee, and ultimately settled in the district in which the family so long resided. The leader of this branch of the clan was designated Doncha’, or Duncan mor na Sgine and was believed, with much probability, to have been contemporary with the first Lowland Earl of Athol, whose succession to this property was likely to induce the discontented portion of the highland clan to leave their original seat. The "Baronage," is to be observed, deduces the Robertsons from a younger son of Donald of the Isles, but on what authority does not well appear.

Clan Skene History Page 2 >