As printed in "A History of the Scottish Highlands, Highland Clans, and Highland Regiments" 1875
Of the clan Macfarlane, Mr Skene gives the best account, and We shall therefore take the liberty of availing ourselves of his researches. According to him, with the exception of the clan Donnachie, the clan Parian or PharlaN is the only one, the descent of Which from the ancient earls of the district where their possessions were situated, may be established by the authority of a charter. It appears, indeed, that the ancestor of this clan was Gilchrist, the brother of Maldowen or Malduin, the third Earl of Lennox. This is proved by a charter of Maldowen, still extant, by which he gives to his brother Gilchrist a grant " do terris de superior! Arrochar de Luss;" and these lands, which continued in possession of the clan until the death of the last chief, have at all times constituted their principal inheritance.
As printed in "The Scottish Nation, or, The surnames, families, literature, ... Volumn II" 1877
MacFarlane, the name of a clan descended from the ancient earls of the Lennox, the distinctive badge of which was the cypress. In ancient times the land forming the western shore of Loch Lomond, from Tarbet upwards, and the greater part of the parish of Arrochar, was inhabited by "the wild Macfarlane's plaided clan." From Loch Sloy, a small lake near the base of Ben Voirlich, which formed their gathering place, they took their slughorn or warcry of "Loch Sloy! Loch Sloy!" In Gaelic Loch Sluai signifies "the Lake of the host or army"
The history of Clan MacFarlane by James MacFarlane... 1899
The early history of the Clan Macfarlane is so interlinked with the House of the ancient Earls of Lennox that the history of one family is practically the history of the other, until the extinction of the line with the eighth earl of the original House of Lennox.