By the time of the Rising of 1715, Duncan of Cluny had been Chief of Clan Macpherson for nearly fifty years and would live for another seven. Although he did not have the brilliancy of his brother, Andrew, he was nevertheless endowed with more than the average amount of skill needed to deal with the problems that confronted the Macphersons during this tumultuous era. But he didn't win all of his battles.

      Duncan had married Isobel, daughter of Robert Ross, Provost of Inverness who had borne a daughter, Anne who had eventually married Archibald Campbell of Cluness, son of the Laird of Calder. In 1689, the same year that the Macpherson contingent had been defeated at the Haughs of Cromdale, the Clan was threatened by an internal crisis over the succession to the chiefship. When it appeared in the marriage settlement agreement that Duncan intended to have his new son-in-law succeed him as heir to both the estate and the chiefship, the leading clansmen met to draw up a bond of protest in which they declared --

      "We shall not own or countenance any person as Duncan Macpherson's representative and failing male heirs from his body, excepting William Macpherson of Nuide, who is his true lineal successor."

      William was the eldest grandson of old Andrew's younger brother, John of Nuidebeg, and second cousin to the Chief. Calder was warned "not to meddle" in the affairs of the Clan but ten years later the clansmen agreed to accept Cluness' son as Cluny's heir provided that he took the name Macpherson and bore the arms of Cluny.

      In 1700 Cluny remarried and was borne a son which abrogated the previous arrangements. However, the child died in infancy and the matter remained unresolved until 1722 when Duncan died and William of Nuide's eldest son, Lachlan succeeded as the 17th Chief and Laird of Cluny. He was 54 years of age at the time. His succession was implicit when the signatures "D. McPherson of Cluny" and La. McPherson of Noid" appeared together in a loyal address to King George I on his succession to Queen Anne's throne in 1714. It also explains why Lachlan was the leader of the Macpherson contingent at Sheriffmuir, Duncan being too old and infirm to perform that duty.