The Clan Maclean

Location of Homelands:

The homelands of the Kingairloch MacLeans were located on the Morvern Peninsula on the west side of Loch Linnhe four miles to the southwest of the village of Kingairloch[1] to the southwest of Fort William, Scotland. The actual locations of the Kingairloch Manor House inhabited by Hector MacLean, 16^th Kingairloch Chieftain prior to his emigration to Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1812, and Glensanda Castle were on the southwest coast of this peninsula a few miles south of the present village of Kingairloch. The specific place for the Manor House was at a place called Arihaury on the coast between Loch Choire and Glen Sanda on Loch Linnhe.

Glensanda Castle[2], built by Ewen MacLean, 5^th Kingairloch Chieftain in the late 15^th Century, occupies the summit of a prominent rock outcrop at the mouth of Glen Sanda on the water – which all MacLean castles seem to be. It comprises an oblong tower-house of two main stories measuring about 12.9m from the northeast to southwest by 8.8m transversely over walls some 2.2m in thickness. The building in 1974 was roofless, but the walls still rose to parapet level; some of the masonry had been consolidated in modern times. The steps by which the entrance doorway is approached today are modern and in the original arrangement access was probably obtained by means of a timber forestair to a wooden platform at threshold level. There were two and possibly three floors. The castle is a ‘square keep’ built in a traditional ‘tower house’ style. Although it has not been occupied for approximately 250 years, it is quite complete to the top of the original walls. The castle was not involved in any major attacks and was not remodeled so is a good example of a 15^th century keep. By the mid-18^th century, probably a round 1780, the castle was deserted and the family had moved into the Manor House known as Connach built at the head of Loch a’ Choire.

Further amplification has been provided. Glensanda Castle, late 15^th century simple, two-storey tower of local granite, originally the stronghold of the Macleans of Kingairloch, who emigrated to Canada c. 1800. Sited atop a grassy mound looking out to Appin across Loch Linnhe, it was probably abandoned for good c.1780/90. The entrance on the south-east wall leads into an unvaulted cellar/store, with two slit vents or lights. Archaeological evidence confirms that access (now the steps) would originally have been via a removable timber staircase and platform (a primitive device for this date), and that the doorway was later reduced in size for defensive purposes; a draw bar shaft survives in the wall thickness. From here, a dogleg mural stair rises to the hall above. This has three windows (one trefoiled), a lit embrasure with garderobe, ands what was a fireplace in the north-west wall. Another mural stair leads from here to the parapet where a wall walk, but only vestiges of crenellations, survives.[3]

The original Kingairloch Manor House was part of the lands that Hector MacLean sold to James Forbes in 1803 and of which he took possession in 1812 when Hector MacLean and his family emigrated to Pictou, NS. At that time, James Forbes built a second Kingairloch House at the head of Loch a’ Choire quite close of the present village of Kingairloch and the old Manor House at Arihaury became a subsidiary farm.[4] The fate of the original Manor House is a little unclear. Apparently, one story has it that remnants of the house survived until the outbreak of World War II in 1939-1940, but were supposedly destroyed by the Royal Navy that used it for gunnery practice. Loch Linnhe was used by the Royal Navy during WWII as a safe anchorage against potential German attacks.

However, according to Kurt Larson in an October 23, 2006 e-mail, “we have been allowed to carry out limited restoration on the exterior of the structure to prevent it from deteriorating further”. He also stated that “it is still an interesting site with the remnants of walled garden (now full of mature trees), outbuildings, ruins of the main house, and ‘lazy beds’ which are remnants of the agriculture activity there”. On the estate house at Glensanda,”we also restored the ‘steadings’ which is the quarry office”. When the ‘steadings’ were completed, Foster (Yeomans) turned the building into a residence.

The Kingairloch House, built by James Forbes, was sold again in 1888 to John Bell Sherriff of Carronvale, a Falkirk industrialist, for 30,140GBP. In 1902, the House was bought by Mr. George Herbert Strutt of Belper, Derbyshire, an English cotton magnate, who expanded Kingairloch House turning it into a grand Baronial shooting lodge[5]. It encompassed some 24,000 acres. Upon the death of his son, Arthur, in 1977[6], Arthur’s widow, Patricia Strutt, whom he married in 1930, continued to reside in the Kingairloch House until it and some outbuildings were purchased by Foster (Yeoman) in 1982. Known as the “Killer Lady of Kingairloch” because of her deer stalker capability, she died in 2000 at the age of 89. In 2006, Kurt Larson, former Director of Operations of Foster (Yeoman), bought the Kingairloch House and buildings including a couple in the village, and they are available for rent.

In addition, when the Kingairloch lands were sold to the Foster (Yeoman), Ltd in 1982, according to the company and Anne Cameron’s book[7] on the village of Kingairloch, the company restored Glensanda House in 1984 and used it for their company offices. The company also stabilized the ruins of the castle and erected temporary flooring enabling a person to go up to the Second Floor and get a feel for how the castle would have been laid out.

Foster (Yeoman) in purchasing the land established a large quarry operation on the peninsula, an operation that continues to this day. The stone is used to build roads and is shipped around the world. The entire operation was sold to Aggregate Industries, Inc, an American firm, in August 2006[8] and, according to company sources, the quarry operations will be expanded further changing the geologic face of Kingairloch lands.

The reason that Hector MacLean, the 17^th Kingairloch Chieftain, sold the land was that he was a gambler and was deeply in debt to the tune of 10,000GBP. Hector did “gamble away his inheritance and lost the place on the turn of a card in Almanac’s Club in London”.

It was a result of this that Hector MacLean purchased a ship, put his family and the clan of approximately 500 people, and all their possessions aboard, and sailed for Pictou, NS in 1812.[9]

History and Succession:

The MacLeans of Kingairloch can trace their roots back to Gillean [10]or William[11] of the Battleaxe, the 1^st MacLean Chief, who was born in 1174 and who achieved his name because of his fighting prowess. He was progenitor of the Clan. He died in 1249. The name, MacLean, is usually translated from the Gaelic [12]as “Son of the servant St. John”.

He was succeeded by Malise Gille-Iosa MacLean[13], his son, as the 2^nd MacLean Chief who died about 1300. By 1249, Malise had adopted the name, MacLean, and made it the clan name. He is said to have led his followers to victory against the Norsemen in 1263 on beach at the Battle of Largs during the Scottish-Norwegian War on the occasion that persuaded King Haakon of Norway to cede the Western Isles to the Scottish king.[14]

Malcolm Gillie-Caluim MacLean[15], son of Malise MacLean, became the 3^rd MacLean Chief and married Rignach, a relative of Robert Bruce[16], father of Robert The Bruce who became Robert I, King of Scots, in 1306. He died at Bannockburn about 1310 fighting under Robert Bruce. He was the first with the patronymic MacLean. John Dubh or John the Black or MacLean who was born on Mull about 1290 became the 4^th MacLean Chief as well as the 1^st Duart Chieftain and married Mary (of the Isles) MacDonald, a daughter of Eachann or Hector MacDonald. Their son, Eachann or Hector Reganach MacLean, who died about 1407, founded the Macleans of Lochbuie, Dochgarroch, and Kingairloch, and became the 1^st Lochbuie Chieftain. Their son, Charles, born about 1358, then became the 1^st Chieftain of the Kingairlochs. He died in 1386.

Kingairloch MacLeans are an offshoot of the MacLeans of Urquhart, the Clan Tearlach or Macleans of the North[17], who moved to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle as Constables for the MacDonald, Lord of the Isles. This castle still exists today on the right-side of the road from Fort William to Inverness along Loch Ness and can be visited[18]. The Kingairloch branch of the MacLeans returned to their home at Glensanda with the removal of the MacLeans from Urquhart in 1476. It was at this time that Ewen MacLean built Glensanda Castle. On some lists of Kingairloch Chieftains, Ewen MacLean is listed as either the 5^th Chieftain or the 1^st Chieftain. To clarify this confusion, Ewen MacLean was the 5^th Chieftain but the first to reside at Glensanda; hence on some lists he is the 1^st Chieftain.