The extended Robertson family has a long history. See the clan Donnachaidh website for more details about this history.
A number of Robertsons were recorded in the Killin area from the 1690s. According to this Wikipedia entry, Killin is 'a parish, in the county of Perth; containing part of the late quoad sacra district of Strathfillan, 8 miles (N. by W.) from Lochearnhead. This parish, which is situated within the Highland district of Breadalbane, extends from Loch Tay, on the east, to Loch Lomond, on the west.'
This webpage focuses on several Robertson families, including my own maternal grandfather's line, who were recorded in the Killin and Loch Tay area of Perthshire from the early to mid-1740s, with links to others pages recording the history of several Robertson families.
Establishing details about Robertsons in the Killin area is complicated by the fact that several key record sets do not exist.
In the absence of these records, certain assumptions that were made in the past about the relationships of various individuals. Some of these assumptions were proved wrong during 2025, based on new research and DNA results.
The main focus of this page is the story of two Robertson families, and some related families, who lived in the Killin area from the early to mid-1740s. The two families are:
Until October 2025, it had been assumed that the John Robertson who married Ellen Clark was the son of Robert Robertson and Janet Guild. New research shows that this is not the case.
To confuse matters a little further, nothing is yet known about Robert and Janet Robertson (nee Guild)'s son John Robertson baptised in December 1744. And, three other Robertson couples named a son John Robertson in Killin in the period from 1727 to 1745.
Robert Robertson and his wife Christian Carmichell had two children baptised in Killin:
Hugh Robertson and his wife Christian Campbell had the following child baptised in Killin. No other children are recorded anywhere in Scotland for this couple.
Alexander Robertson and his wife Janet McNab had the following child baptised in Killin. No other children are recorded anywhere in Scotland for this couple.
Another John Robertson was baptised in 1761, the son of John Robertson and Janet McCawish).
In the absence of any other records, traditional Scottish naming conventions were used in some cases to try to identify potential family groups. This method proved a useful way to help identify the names of parents of a couple.
DNA played an important role in showing that the male descendants of Robert Robertson and Janet Guild were not related to the descendants of John Robertson who married Ellin Clark. This, and the fact that John Robertson's family memories and in particular a letter from one of John's sons to his son (also John) in Australia in 1854 seemed to indicate that they had no knowledge of the family or descendants of Robert Robertson and Janet Guild.
Follow the links below to read more about the two Robertson families that lived in the Killin area from the early to mid 1740s.
Colin Campbell and Kathrine/Katharen McIntyre from Easter Ardeonaig were married in Killin before 1734. Kathrine may be the Cathrine McIntyre born to Finlay McIntyre and Jenet McCaile/NcCaile on 27 October 1715 in Killin (Ref 361 10/65). Two men named Finlay McIntyre are recorded in 'Scottish Highlanders' in 1769 (and they may be the same person): One was a joint tenant fatmer at Ballimenoch, north side of Loch Tay, while the other was a tenant farmer at Blairliargan, also on the north side of Loch Tay ['Scottish Highlanders', page 138 (SL)].
There are several Colin Campbells in 'Scottish Highlanders'; Colin may be the 'wright in Killin, witness 1738, bond registered 7 February 1740 [Source: Scottish Highlanders', p.11 (PSC)]. A 'widow of Colin' is recorded as a tenant farmer in Milton of Lawers, on the north side of Loch Tay in 1768 ['Scottish Highlanders', page 14 (SL)]. Colin's parents are unknown but they may have been Thomas and Jean, based on the names of the children born below.
Colin and Kathrine Campbell had the following children, all registered in Killin:
After the Battle of Culloden in the north of Scotland near Inverness in 1746 (to quell the Jacobite uprisings), and in particular after 1762, life began to get even worse for highlanders. Large scale emigration from Scotland to America began after the battle. Clan structures were broken up and the highlands were 'cleared'. Many were forced off the land (from their crofts) and moved to the coast from where some migrated overseas. It is not known why Robert and Janet decided to move from the Rait/Kilspindie area but perhaps it had something to do with his occupation in the Killin area as an innkeeper.
By the late 1700's, more forced evictions were occurring. Lieutenant-General John Campbell (30 March 1762 - 29 March 1834), the 1st Marquess / Marquis of Breadalbane, and a Scottish soldier and landowner, had become the Earl of Breadalbane in January 1782. In 1792 many families were forced to leave to the coast and many others emigrated.
The 'Papers of the Campbell family, Earls of Breadalbane', dating from 1306 to 1908 (Archives of Scotland reference GD112) include references to Robertsons along the southern side of Loch Tay, east of Ardeonaig, as follows. Further research needs to be undertaken to identify if or how any of these people are related to the other Robertsons described on this page.
According to a history of the Village of Killin by Ella Walker, the death of John Campbell in 1834 'heralded a time of great hardship and sorrow for many of his humble tenants'. His son, the 2nd Marquis, did little to manage the estates and instead left the Estate to the care of his Factor, a Mr James Wyllie, 'a name long remembered with dread in Breadalbane'. According to the history, Wyllie cleared the tenants from several parts of the Estate to make room for the formation of large sheep farms, often using means 'of great cruelty and injustice'. This may have started from the early 1800's and continued after the death of Campbell. Many of the original farm houses were destroyed; the remains of many the old stone farmhouses remain scattered around Loch Tay to this day.
Page created 18 October 2025 from the original dated 11 December 2011, updated 18 October 2025. Copyright © Andrew Warland. (andrewwarland(at)gmail.com)