Beaton
Beaton Tartan Collection
Honour the most famous healers of Gaelic Scotland with the Beaton collection — the hereditary physicians of the Lords of the Isles, of Islay, Mull and Skye, a sept of Clan MacDonald who wear the MacBeth tartan.
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About the Beaton Tartan
The Beatons were the most celebrated of all Gaelic Scotland's learned medical families — the Beaton medical kindred, known in Gaelic as Clann Meic-bethad or Clan MacBeth. Arriving from Ireland around 1300, they became hereditary physicians to the Lords of the Isles and other great chiefs, and are recognised as a sept of Clan MacDonald. As the name MacBeth and Beaton are one and the same kindred, Beatons traditionally wear the MacBeth tartan.
This collection celebrates the Beaton name and its extraordinary heritage of learning and healing, bringing the MacBeth tartan into apparel, accessories, home decor and heritage gifts for those who carry the name or trace their line to the medical kindred of the Isles.
Beaton & MacBeth Tartan Colours
Worn as the MacBeth sett, the collection draws on a rich and colourful tartan of blue and green crossed with black and lifted by red, yellow and white. It is a vivid Hebridean pattern, fitting for a learned island kindred who served the courts of the Lords of the Isles.
Who Is This Collection For?
The Beaton collection is a meaningful choice for the Beaton family and its kin — including MacBeth, MacBeath and McBee — for descendants of Islay, Mull and Skye, and for anyone proud of a name woven into the learned and healing traditions of Gaelic Scotland.
- Beaton & MacBeth family
- Clan MacDonald kin
- Islay, Mull & Skye roots
- Lovers of Gaelic heritage
- Birthday & Christmas gifts
- Everyday tartan style
Beaton Family Heritage
From the early 15th century the Beatons were associated with Islay, then spread to Mull, Skye and beyond, becoming the largest and longest-serving of Gaelic Scotland's three great medical dynasties. They served as hereditary physicians to the MacDonald Lords of the Isles, and also to the MacLeans of Duart and the MacLeods of Dunvegan. Fergus Beaton witnessed a charter of the Lord of the Isles in 1408, and the family held lands in return for their healing skill and their renowned library of medical manuscripts in Latin, Greek and Gaelic.
The MacBeths practised chiefly in Islay and Mull, the Beatons in Skye, but all sprang from the same learned kindred whose Gaelic name means "son of life." The last of the hereditary Beaton physicians, Neil Beaton, died in 1763. It is worth noting that this island medical kindred is distinct from the unrelated Bethunes of Balfour in Fife, with whom the name is sometimes confused.
Beaton Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Beaton name, the tartan its members wear, and why Beaton products make meaningful Scottish heritage gifts.
Does Beaton have its own tartan?
The Beaton (MacBeth) medical kindred is recognised as a sept of Clan MacDonald and traditionally wears the MacBeth tartan, the sett tied to the kindred's Gaelic name.
Who were the Beatons?
The Beatons were the most famous of Gaelic Scotland's hereditary medical families, serving as physicians to the Lords of the Isles and other chiefs from around 1300 until the 18th century.
What clan is Beaton associated with?
Beaton is recognised as a sept of Clan MacDonald, the family they long served as physicians, with further links to the MacLeans and MacLeods.
Is Beaton the same as MacBeth?
Yes — within this island kindred, Beaton and MacBeth are the same family. The MacBeths practised mainly in Islay and Mull, the Beatons in Skye.
Are the island Beatons the same as Bethune of Balfour?
No. The Beaton medical kindred of the Isles is a separate family from the Bethunes of Balfour in Fife, though the names are sometimes confused.
Is Beaton tartan a good gift?
Yes. MacBeth-tartan Beaton products make a meaningful gift for the Beaton family and for those with Islay, Mull, Skye or Clan MacDonald heritage.
Celebrate the Beaton Name and Its Healing Legacy
Discover MacBeth tartan apparel, accessories and gifts for the Beaton family — honouring the hereditary physicians of the Isles and a name woven into Clan MacDonald.
View Beaton Tartan Products