Clan Johnstone is a Lowland Scottish clan. They were involved in many battles on the Scottish borders.

 

The Clan Johnstone fought against the English armies at the Battle of Solway in 1378 and also at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388.

 

However it was the fighting Johnstons of the Western Borders who would become most powerful. Sir John's great, great, grandson Adam was Laired of Johnston in around 1413. In 1448 the Johnstons victoriously fought against the English at the Battle of Sark during the Anglo-Scottish Border Wars.

 

Adam's son supported King James II of Scotland in putting down the Clan Douglas. They won their lands of Buittle and Sannoch near Threave Castle as a reward.

 

John Johnstone the eldest son of Adam was progenitor of the Annandale branch and his brother Matthew who married the daughter of the Earl of Angus was progenitor of the wester Hall branch of Johnstones. John's offspring would become the main chief Johnstone family.

 

 

There had been a long running feud between Clan Johnstone and the Clan Maxwell. The feud came to a head on the 7th December 1593 at the Battle of Dryfe Sands near Lockerbie. The Clan Maxwell army approached the Johnstone town of Lockerbie. Johnston kept most of his men hidden, just sending a handful of men out on horse back to taunt and provoke the Maxwells. The Johnstones attacked taking the Maxwells by surprise. The Clan Maxwell fared badly that day and their chief Lord Maxwell who was one of the most powerful people in southern Scotland was slain. It is said that 700 Maxwells were killed but this may have been an exaggerated number. Many were wounded by downward sword strokes known as "Lockerbie Licks".

 

The Clan Johnstone also had a long feud with the Clan Moffat who were another Scottish border clan who were raiders and reivers, and conducted long-running feuds with their neighbours. Their greatest enemies were the Clan Johnstone. The feud accumulated with murder of the Clan Moffat chief, Robert Moffat. The Clan Johnstone then went on to burn the church with the most important members of the Moffat family inside and slaughtered anyone who tried to escape. In one blow the powerful Clan Moffat was almost wiped out. Seventy years later all of the Moffat's lands were passed to the Johnstones due to the Moffats having massive debts.