The position of the Head of the Clan was hereditary, but no heir was bold enough to step forward into that position until he had performed some deed of worth.

They were principally herders, their chief stock being the famous small black cattle of the Highlands.

Their wars with each other were cattle raids.
Only in war, however, did the Gael lay hands on his neighbor's goods.
There were no highwaymen and housebreakers in the Highlands.

No Highland mansion, cot, or barn was ever locked.

Theft and the breaking of an oath, sins against man's honor, were held in such abhorrence that no one guilty of them could remain among his clansmen in the beloved glens.
These Highlanders were a race of tall, robust men, who lived simply and frugally and slept on the heath among their flocks in all weathers, with no other covering from rain and snow than their plaidies.