MacLellans of Morar connected to Uist?

Discussion: I am a descendant of MacLellans of Morar, both Beograd Beg and Beorad Mor via Cape Breton NS, Broad Cove/ Dunvegan area where my father, Archie Neil MacLellan was born in 1898. I am Currently residing in Hingham, MA just south of Boston. Presumably my Morar MacLellan ancestors would have traced their ancestry to the Hebridean MacLellans of Uist. I welcome any comments on this assumption.

Also, I have long been puzzled as to whether there is any familial connection between the Hebridean MacLellans and the better known Galloway MacLellans quite some distance away. How likely is it that a common, but independent, devotion to the same saint resulted in near common “root” names that independently evolved into today’s MacLellan name? Could the “Clan” connection be coincidental and not familial? Again, all comments are most welcome.

Hello Donald,
That question has perplexed me for many years ! I've traced my McLellans resided in Kintyre but I get numerous DNA matches via Cape Breton for the McLellans of Morar ( Bourblach) & Uists but the strongest Y DNA ( paternal) matches are for the McDougal name in Moidart, again via Cape Breton.

The late Alaisdair Roberts in his book, The People & Gentry of Morar states
"..this kin group were known as Clann Iain Mhoir in the Uists. Before that they were in Kircudbright, driven out by the ' troubles' when the campaign of Montrose and Colkitto came to an end. One brother went to Islay, then Uist while another brother came to Morar via Knoydart." ...also... " the MacLellans came into Morar late after the seventeenth century wars of the Covenant."

Duncan Hugh MacLellan in his book, An Innis Aigh : My Life on Margaree Island echoes the same theory via familial oral tradition.

I would dearly love to find positive substantial evidence of this as I've been pursuing our Morar/ Uist connections for 30 years.

Hugh McLellan, Clydebank, Scotland.