RAE

MAC RAE. This aneientHighl.andname, signifying the ' son of Rae,' or of Rath; i.e. " the fortunate one," has nianj orthographies, of which Macray, JMacraa, Macraw, M'Crie, and M'Cree are the chief. From the prevailing characteristic of the race they were called the Black Macraes. They are said to have come originally (into Scotland) from Ireland about the middle of the XIII. cent. They were allies of the Mackenzies, and a number of them fought under the INIackenzie banner at the battle of Largs. Tliey seem never to have had a chieftain of their own. (Boswell's Tour to the Hebrides, edit. Carruthers, p. 107.) They were in considerable estimation in 1715, when there was a line of a song, "And a' the hmvc M'Craas are coming ;" but at the time of Dr. Johnson's visit to the Highlands they were but poorly off. "At Auchnasheal," saysBoswell, "we

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.