7. GILLIMICHAEL7 MACDUFF (DUFAGAN6, DUNCAN5, FIRSTEARL OF FIFE4ATHELRED, MALCOLM3CANMORE, KING MALCOLM III, THEFIRST KING OF SCOTS2DUNCAN, CRINAN1) died 1139.
Notes for GILLIMICHAEL MACDUFF:
The Clan Macduff, then headed by Constantin’s eldest son Gillemichael, fourth Earl of Fife, became the premier clan among the Gaels of medieval Scotland. The Earl of Fife, "By the Grace of God", bore a coat-of-arms appropriate only to a branch of the royal house of Scotland, senior even to that of the reigning kings themselves. He was treated as almost a sacred personage, being placed first after the king in all gatherings, speaking first in council and Parliament, and leading the van in battle.
According to tradition Macduff lost his first wife by the cruelty of Macbeth, but after the restoration he married again and was succeeded by his son Duffayon, Earl of Fife, who in turn was succeeded by Constantine and Gillemichael. Gillemichael was witness to several charters by King David to the Monastery of Dumfermline, including the foundation charter of the abby of Holyroodhouse in 1128. He died about 1139 and was succeeded in the Earldom by his eldest son Duncan who vanished on the tide of time while his second son Hugo succeeded to the lands of Markinch and other lands later a part of the estate of Wemyss.
Macduff's Castle, which is now in ruins and is the older castle of the family, is located in East Wemyss. It was the seat of Gillemichael Macduff from whom it got its name. Today the ruins of the Macduff Castle primarily consist of two square towers, and portions of the walls of the fortress, on the eminence overlooking the firth. But it was at one time a powerful maritime fortress for the Earls of Fife. The site of this fortress is described as such as would commend itself to the military engineer of the mediaval day. It sat on an isolated and steep rocky eeminence which rose from the water’s edge almost abrupt to the height of a hundred feet. It’s postion provided for a view to survey both the wide Firth of Forth, and far inland. It had the additional protection of strong natural caves beneath.
