MacIan: son of John - the most common forename in the Highlands. The MacIans of Ardnamurchan claim decent from a son of Angus Mhor, Lord of the isles in the fourteenth century. The MacIan MacDonalds were massacred by government troops in 1629 for failing to sign an allegiance to William of Orange before a given date. The name was then changed to Johnston or Johnstone for obscure reasons, perhaps to avoid persecution.

Johnston : son of John (obviously!) A powerful Border clan, they held the central area of Annandale, and Sir James of that ilk became the first Earl of Hartfell in 1643 the Legend is that the chief of the Johnstons while at the Scottish court heard of the English king's planned treachery to dispose Bruce in favour of Baliol and sent Bruce a spur with a feather tied to it to indicate 'flight with speed'. Bruce acted on the hint and later rewarded the Johnston accordingly. The Johnstons of Caskieben , Aberdeenshire and of westerhall Dumfries, are both Nova Scotia Baronetcies. The Johnstones were intermittently appointed wardens of the West March , alternating in that role with the Maxwell's, with whom they had a deadly feud, which they resolved in 1623. The 2nd Earl of Hartfell became Marquess of Annandale in 1701. The Aberdeenshire Johnstons claim decent from Stiven de Johnson in the fourteenth century. Their seat of Caskieben, Blackburn, was purchased from them by John Keith and is now the seat of the Earls of Kintore. The Borders stronghold was Lochwood Tower, near Beattock, burned by the Maxwells in 1593.

Kerr : This familly originally settled in the borders in the fourteenth century They are believed to be of Viking decent arriving by way of France where the had previously settled. Living in Scotland at the time demanded qualities of toughness, courage and wit, and the Kerrs are remembered as being successful Border 'reivers'. Kerr of Cessford was appointed Warden of the Middle March in 1515. Mark Ker eldest son of Ker of Cessford, Abbot of Newbattle, had the Abbey of Newbattle erected into a temporal lordship in 1587. He was created 1st Earl of Lothian in 1606. Anne, Countess of Lothian, married Sir William Kerr of the Ancram branch of the Kerrs of Ferniehurst : a zealous Covenantor who in 1633 was created Lord Kerr of Nisbet, Longnewton and Dolphinstoun and Earl of Ancram. In 1631, he was created Lord Newbattle and 1st Earl of Lothian, the 9th Marquee, was secretary for Scotland and keeper of the great seal, Ferniehurst Castle near Jedburugh in Roxburghshire, is the fifteenth century stronghold of the Kerrs of Ferniehurst, burned by the Earl of Sussex, but rebuilt in 1598. Monteviot, Jedburgh, is the home of the Marquesses of Lothian in recent years, but Newbattle Abbey, near Edinburgh, is the seventeenth-century mansion gifted by the nation to Phillip, 11th Marquess. It is now a Residential college.