Tradition says that Coll Kitto searched the island of Colonsay in pursuit of Macphee, who had concealed himself in a lake with nothing but his nose and mouth above water. The pursuers were about to leave when their attentiion was drawn to a gull hovering in an unusual manner near this spot. On looking they discovered poor Macphee, and killed him.

From this period their estate seems to have gone into the possession of the MacDonalds, and afterwards to the Duke of Argyll, who exchanged Colonsay and Oronsay for Crerar, in South Knapdale, with Donald MacNeil, two of whose descendants have shed great lustre upon Colonsay in law and in diplomacy--Lord Colonsay and his brother, the Right Honorable Sir John MacNeill, G.O.B. On the death of Sir John Carstairs MacNeill, K.O.M.G., V.C. in 1904, the island was purchased by Lord Strathcona.

When the Macphees were dispossessed of their original inheritance they became a "Broken Clan", lost their independence and so were obliged to rank under more powerful clans. The greater part followed the MacDonalds of Islay; others settled in the country of the Camerons under Lochiel, where they were distinguished for their bravery; others found homes on both entrances to the Firth of Clyde; while others settled in the north of Ireland, where the name is spelt according to the primitive pronunciation--McHaffe and MacAfee.

In Kintyre the name assumed the form M'Covvie (Mac-co-vee), and some of the name emigraed to Canada before the middle of the last century, where their descendants are still to be found (see Argyll's Highlands, p. 289).

It is generally believed that the Macphees are connected by descent with the MacGregors and MacKinnons (see Skene's Highlanders of Scotland, p. 344), and so some members of the clan use the badge of the Clan Alpine (Pine), while the majority wear that of the Camerons.