[8] Gunni, whose name meant war, was allegedly descended from Viking adventurers and his grandfather was Sweyn who was killed in a raid on Dublin in 1171.

[9] Further information on the Norse origins of Clan Gunn can be found in an article written by Michael James Gunn, quoting Sir Robert Gordon's A Genealogical History of The Earldom of Sutherland from the 17th century: "Sir Robert Gordon, in researching genealogies for his work interviewed many of the heads of families in Sutherland, among them Alexander Gun of Kilearnan and Navidale, 4th Mackeamish, who died in 1655.

The significance of this statement is made clear when it is remembered that, in Sir Robert Gordon's time, the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway were united under the Danish crown.

However, the ancient Gaelic sennachies described the Gunns as Lochlannaich, or Norwegians, not Danes, because at the time of their forebear's arrival in Orkney and Caithness, Norway was a separate kingdom and not united with Denmark until the Union of Kalmar in 1391.

[8] The Gunns retaliated and repeatedly raided the Keith's territory; however, they suffered defeat in 1438 or 1464 at the Battle of Tannach.

He had married the daughter of John Gordon, 11th Earl of Sutherland and for this reason "he felt entitled to hold his head high amongst the best in Scotland".

There he was captured by Andrew Munro of Milntown and taken to Inverness, and following a mock trial, he was executed.

[8] Sir William Gunn, brother of the Robson chief, despite being Catholic, served in the army of the Protestant king of Sweden, and rose to command a battalion.

[8] He later returned to the Continent where he served the Holy Roman Empire and married a German baroness.

[8] The Gunns as a Clan did not support the Stuarts and fought for the British Government during the Jacobite rising of 1745.

Gunns were heavily drawn upon for the 79th Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders regiment during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.