The infancy of the Scottish nation was a turbulent time, where survival was dependent on sheer strength and the force of law lay on the edge of a battle worn claymore. With this in mind, it is little wonder that the Davidsons were one of the earliest Clans to join the mighty Clan Chattan, a powerful group of Clans renowned throughout Scotland's history. This confederation of related Clans would amass under a common flag when faced with a foe foolhardy enough to challenge a member of Clan Chattan, crossing swords with the enemy for the sake of the alliance. Clan Davidson trace their ancestry back to the union of Donald Comyn and Slane MacKintosh at the beginning of the 14th Century. It was a bonding of two great Clans, with Donald's grandfather being the great Red Comyn, Robert the Bruce's greatest rival for the Scottish throne, and on his bride's side came the influential Clan MacKintosh, as Slane's father was the sixth MacKintosh chief. The leaders of the MacKintoshes hold the honour of commanding Clan Chattan, and so Slane's family were gladly inducted into the alliance by her kinsfolk. The Clan Davidson takes its name from David, son of Donald and Slane, whose descendants became known as Clan Dhai, or the MacDhais, whose name became anglicised through the course of time to Davidson.
The Davidson's honoured position within the Clan Chattan led to envy amongst other members of the confederation, and in particular the MacPhersons questioned the Davidson's influence. This first surfaced in 1370 at the Battle of Invernaven when the Clan Chattan gathered to defend their lands of Badenoch against a Cameron raiding party. The MacPhersons asserted that it was their prerogative to command the Chattan warriors, but the MacKintosh chief was definite in his support for the brave and trusty Davidsons. Thus refuted, the MacPhersons took humbrage and abandoned the field, leaving their compatriots to fight the Cameron invaders alone. Clan Davidson took the brunt of the enemy swords, and the MacPhersons only returned to the battle once they were sure that the Davidsons mettle had been thoroughly tested. The rival Clans seem to have resolved their differences, for they fought on the same side against the Camerons in a 30 a side battle fought before King Robert II in 1396. Thirty champions from the Clan Chattan and Clan Cameron met on the field at North Inch, and fought with such fury that at the close of day only 11 Chattan warriors survived and but a single Cameron remained alive.
The seat of the Davidsons was set amid the beauty of Cantray in Invernessshire, a picturesque setting for the history of the Davidsons to unfold. By the 15th Century, Davidsons had moved north from the Highlands and had settled in Cantray and Tulloch, with other Davidsons settling in the north eastern coastal towns of Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen. The Davidsons of Tulloch obtained Tulloch Castle for the Clan through the 18th Century marriage of Alexander Davidson to the Bayne heiress of the castle. This 15th Century keep became the seat of the leading branch of Clan Davidson. The Davidson crest is of a stag's head, and the proud motto reads "Sapienter si sincere" meaning "Wisely if sincerely".
The chiefship of Clan Davidson remains vacant, although a claim to the chiefship has been placed before the Court of the Lord Lyon by a direct descendant of the Davidsons of Tulloch, who currently resides in New Zealand.
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