Clan Maclean Heritage Trust

Achievements

Cairns

Since 1996 memorial cairns have been erected by or with the help of the Trust at Ticonderoga in USA, and at Inverell in Australia. A cairn has also been built at Traigh Ghruinneart on Islay to remember the death of Sir Lachlan Maclean of Duart in 1598, and an associated historical display was researched and produced to educate the public about the Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart.

One of the Trust's most ambitious projects was the cairn at Pitreavie, Fife, erected in 2001 to commemorate the death of Sir Hector Maclean of Duart, the Chief, along with 760 clansmen in 1651 at the Battle of Inverkeithing. The cairn is built from granite brought 150 miles from the Maclean lands. Associated with this project was the preparation of display boards and liaison with the local primary school.

In 2007, during the International Gathering on Mull, a cairn was unveiled at Kilninian, on the Torloisk Estate on the island, to commemorate the life of General Allan Maclean (1725-1797). The General was a brave and distinguished Maclean whom many consider as being the Hero of Quebec and the saviour of modern-day Canada.

Memorial plaques

Various significant members of the clan have been commemorated by memorial plaques, including the Hon. Allan McLean (1839-1911), the 19th century Australian Premier and Federation Father, at Maffra, Victoria.

In 2006 a plaque was erected at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, to recognise the work of Dr John Angus McLean. He was the first to undertake a successful person-to-person blood transfusion.

Also in 2006, a commemorative plaque was hung in Old Government House at Frederictown, New Brunswick, Canada, to remember the 236th Overseas Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Forces, known as the Maclean Kilties, originally raised as a New Brunswick-based battalion in 1916 during the First World War. The Kilties refurbished this building and used it as a barracks, before returning it for use as a hospital. For a history of the Kilties, see The MacLean Kilties by Ian MacLean on the Clan Maclean Atlantic (Canada) website.

In 2003 a picture of Lieut. Hector Lachlan Stewart MacLean VC was presented to Fettes College, Edinburgh. He was a pupil at the School and was awarded the VC when serving on the Indian North West Frontier in 1897.

In 2009 the Trust erected a memorial plaque at the University of Sydney, Australia, commemorating Dr Archibald Lang McLean (see Recent events).

Manuscripts and archives

The tangible heritage of the Clan has included the restoration of the historic Maclean hatchment to Brigadier-General Francis McLean at St Paul's Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia, dating from 1782, the only Maclean hatchment in existence.

The Trust has purchased 700 Maclean papers and documents, including a unique Maclaine of Lochbuie charter of 1493, thought to be the oldest Clan Maclean document in private hands, and a notarial instrument of 1542. A full transcription and translation of the 1493 charter was undertaken. These papers have been indexed and most are housed, on loan, at the Isle of Mull Museum. The older documents, including the 1493 charter and 1542 notarial instrument, are on permanent loan to the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The Trust continues to purchase books for the Maclean Library.

In 2007 a new map of the Clan lands, castles and battle sites was produced. Copies of this are for sale from the CMA shop in Scotland or Clan Maclean Atlantic Canada.

Historic buildings

The Trust is a sponsor of the vital and important work of consolidation of Moy Castle, the ancestral castle of the Maclaines of Lochbuie.

Education

Educating the public is a fundamental purpose of the Trust. In this connection a project recently brought to fruition was the symposium on the influences and legacy of the historian Alexander Maclean Sinclair held at St Francis Xavier University Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada in May 2009. This was co-sponsored by the Trust with the Celtic Studies Department of the University and Clan Maclean Atlantic Canada, and attended by the Chief (see Recent events).

Piping

Part of the Trust’s policy of taking the Clan’s heritage into the future has been the founding of a Piping Bursary for a young Maclean at the College of Piping in Glasgow. The bursary will be awarded on a regular basis and helps to pay for tuition and accommodation.

The first award was made by the Chief on the steps of Duart Castle during the International Gathering in 2002, to Alexander Maclean from Tiree. The second bursary was awarded in 2007 to Nicholas McLean from Kilmartin by Lochgilphead, Argyll.

The Trust also arranged sponsorship of a special Clan Maclean area in the main Piping Hall at the College of Piping in Glasgow (thanks to an individual's gift of £1,500).

A major effort is now under way to collect and publish past and present pipe tunes associated with Macleans and the Maclean lands (see Current projects).

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