Quote Originally Posted by bdkilted View Post
Interesting. The Keith's came for Chattam and we were told it was derived from the Catti celtic tribe from the low country that emigrated to Scotland during Malcohm I time. That said, we always pronouced it Cattam.
Stay with The Keiths you have, bdk. There was a family by the name who were tenants at Dunachton a long ways back and, I suspect, were 'captured' by the sept rievers of the 19C; thereafter all of the name became Chattans, according to the plagiarising sept lists. Not true unless you can accurately trace your ancestry to that single family.

As for the tales of origin, it is most likely that the clanchattan descended of local (aboriginal) folk who attached themselves -- in Lochaber -- to an abbot of the old church who called himself Chattan. The other story, descent from the Cattii, is stretching credibility and time-lines to the limit.

That's Chattan with an "n" by the way, bdk, not an "m".