Clan Cameron is a West Highland Scottish clan, with one main "Lochiel" branch, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber and within their lands lies Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in the British Isles. The Chief of the clan is customarily referred to as simply "Lochiel".
Based on the DNA data, I believe the Cameron clan's DNA SNP string is P312 > Z290 > L21 > DF13 > ZZ10 > MC14 . The details re their more granular SNP branching can be found on the YTREE, with further breakdown as follows: MC14 > Y16773 > 22438335-A-G > A7298 > A7299 > BY11861.
Using age estimates prepared by experts (refer Chapter 11 of the King's Son (The Evidence) - "All Roads Lead to Northern Frankish Origins"), L21 was initially born in 2934BC and DF13 was born in 2602BC. Using an estimate of 98 years per SNP (there are often 3 generations per SNP mutation - I don't believe we know why), then MC14 was born in ~ 2308BC. These dates are actually range values, based on statistical confidence intervals - and a subject to change and may not be as precise as the above information indicates. However, I have noticed over the last few years, the dates have been tending to solidify around the values I have provided.
The origins of the Clan Cameron is still an open question. However the newly released Appendix 3-Cameron and McPhee Ancestral Analysis now sheds more light on the topic, based on the latest DNA SNP analysis.
This Appendix 3:
a. provides an improved SNP assignment of the various Cameron Clan sub-groups;
b. proposes that Clan Cameron descend from Clan McPhee;
c. proposes the increased probability that Clan Cameron and Clan McPhee are the descendants of King Alpin of Scotland b. ~780 AD whose SNP could be A7298 / 19642958-T-G, ; and
d. most importantly provides a clear path of future DNA testing that if the results of further DNA tests align with the data in the Appendix, would show that Clan Cameron, Clan McPhee, Clan McNab and other Scottish Highland clans are indeed descendants of King Alpin of Scotland.
Appendix 3 is still draft, and as more DNA test results come in, can be updated to reflect the latest information.
The modal STRs for the Cameron, McPhee, Cameron "Grant", and McNabb clans can be found here.
Until now per Wikipedia:
"The origins of Clan Cameron are uncertain and there are several theories. A manuscript of the clan says that it is old tradition that the Camerons were originally descended from the son of the royal family of Denmark who assisted the restoration of King Fergus II of Scotland, and that their progenitor was called Cameron from his crooked nose (Scottish Gaelic: cam-shròn) – such nicknames were and are common in Gaelic culture, and that his dependants then adopted the name. Another possible origin is that Donal Dubh, the first chief of Clan Cameron was descended either from the Macgillonies or, the mediaeval family of Cameron of Ballegarno in Fife.
According to John Mair, the Clan Cameron and the Chattan Confederation shared a common origin and together followed one chief, but this statement has no foundation or evidence to support it. Allen surnamed MacOrchtry the son of Uchtred is mentioned by tradition as the chief of Camerons during the reign of King Robert II of Scotland and, according to the same source, the Camerons and Chattan Confederation were two rival, hostile tribes.
Sometime around the beginning of the 15th century (or possibly earlier) the Camerons established themselves as a Highland clan in the western end of the Great Glen in Lochaber."
