Ardvreck Castle Ruins on Loch Assynt Clan Macleod Societies Canada
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TheThe LeodLeod VoiceVoice Clan MacLeod Societies Canada National Council Newsletter # 54 Spring, 2011 Ardvreck Castle Ruins on Loch Assynt Spring, 2011 Page 1 President’s Report never wanted to do them even with attempts at reverse psychology. With the work behind us, the ex- citement of the summer is here. The trip to San Francisco to attend the Clan MacLeod Society USA annual general meeting, starts this week and it is our first highlight of the summer. We relish the thought of a By Dr. Donald McLeod MacLeod Vineyard, a silent auc- tion, piping, catching up with clan Another glorious spring day members from everywhere and and a busy time on the farms. To being part of the swirl of tartan each of us, this time of year means and kilts. You never know who will a different set of chores. Christine be attending the gatherings until and I have finished planting our you actually arrive and survey the 400 Chardonnay plants to replace crowd. It will be superb and should some winter kill in the vineyard. be on your list of summer fun. The pear tree prunings have been We are planning to drive across gathered, the lawns mowed and the Canada for the last week of July sprinklers have been set out. Some and want to stop in each city and of our range has been flooded by discuss clan business and new ideas high lake levels but the Highland for the future. cattle have been turned out to range We have been invited to attend and roads have been ploughed and the Glengarry Highland Games the hayfields have been somewhat at Maxville, Ontario and the 75th replanted. Anniversary of the Clan MacLeod All of you farmers out there Society of Glengarry event. We are will identify with this progression excited about the Highland Tartan of events and shudder at the work Ball and look to the clan booth involved. We say we love the out- and music for reverie. With all door work because it keeps us close that driving, we will make another to nature. But we are well past ly- effort of perfecting our limited ing to ourselves and we recognize knowledge of Gaelic. (Just a re- these chores as exactly that and minder that Gaelic was the most not necessarily fun. They can’t be widely spoken language in Canada that much fun because the children at the time of confederation in CMSC Newsletter # 54, Page 2 1867.) We have decided that with our own vehicle, we can take all the Book Review tartan paraphernalia with us to fit by Rowan Gladish the part of “want to be” highland- —a young reader from CMS ers. There should be no excuse for Central Ontario. us not to be decked out head to Mystery at Black Rock Island toe in tartan and the envy of any by Robert Sutherland bland European onlooker. What a Sutherland’s novel is an action- wonderful heritage we have. If we mystery about a young man from could just get the new generation Ontario (David McCrimmon) who to appreciate our pride and history. gets himself into a lot of trouble It does take an extra effort to trick when, on vacation in the Hebrides, the non-believers into Scottish he promises to fulfill a dying man’s events but once experienced, the last wish.Together with his new neophytes usually thirst for more. Scottish friend, Sandy MacLeod, Our job as members and hosts is they embark on an adventure that to provide an experience for those includes smugglers, spies and sub- unfortunate souls that have been marines to uncover the mystery of denied the spine shivering tingle Black Rock Island. of well tuned pipes around the This is an amazing read for bonfire with a Haggis and whisky youth ages eight and older. With in hand (a man’s point of view?) several plot twists and a surprising or denied eating fresh scones with ending, the story kept me reading tea while watching young highland way past my bedtime! This book dancers in fabulous outfits on stage is particulary appealing because in the sunshine (a woman’s point of its Scottish content. As my aunt of view?). I am sure everyone has (a Macleod) married a McCrim- their ideal setting for a Scottish mon, this was a neat find for me epiphany and at Highland Games personally. or MacLeod Clan gatherings, the Published in 1983, Mystery at chance for yours will never be Black Rock Island was the first of a greater. three book series following the ad- We hope to see you soon and ventures of David McCrimmon and wish each of you a safe summer Sandy MacLeod. The books are a (talking as an emergency physi- little hard to find, (you may need cian) and the best of health until to search the web a bit), but it’s we meet again. well worth the effort and should be Hold Fast from Dr. Donald included in your personal library. McLeod (president Clan MacLeod On a scale of 1 to 10 I’d rank this Societies of Canada). ∆ book at a 9. ∆ Spring, 2011 Page 3 Our Trip to Assynt by Leslie and Don McCrimmon One of the greatest pleasures of the MacLeods in Assynt. for clan members travelling to Towards the end of the 15th Cen- Parliament is taking advantage of tury, Angus Mor, the 3rd MacLeod the opportunity to learn more about of Assynt, had a simple stone tower MacLeod history on the pre-parlia- built. This survives today as the ment trip. Four years ago it was a core of Ardvreck Castle which sits trip to the outer islands of Lewis on a peninsula and Harris. This year we toured extending from the almost magical land of Assynt. the north shore of Most of us have heard stories about Loch Assynt and the MacLeod history in the lands of close to Kirkton Skye, Lewis and Harris, however, where his father, what a lot of us did not known was old Angus, built the history of Macleods in the land the first par- of Assynt, in the north west corner ish church. The of the mainland of Scotland. structure was Assynt was originally the hunt- amazing and way ahead of its ing lands of the Thane of Suther- time. The main block was of three land. During one of the many raids or four storeys, with a vaulted by the Scandinavian Kings his basement pierced by gunloops and beautiful forest was burned and the round stair tower, is corbelled his cattle stolen. MacNicol of Coi- out to support a square two-storey gach recovered the cattle and was caphouse. awarded the lands of Assynt. Donald Ban MacLeod 9th be- In the 14th century Murdoch came Chief in 1585 but had to MacLeod of Lewis abducted Mar- survive many years of bloody battle garet, the only child of MacNicol, and married her. As she was MacNicol’s heiress, Margaret brought with her the lands of As- synt. In 1343 David II of Scotland granted Assynt to Murdoch and Margaret’s son, Torquil MacLeod of Lewis, thus starting the long and turbulent history CMSC Newsletter # 54, Page 4 with other members of his fam- ily. The feuding and murdering led to a siege of Ardvreck Castle which was ended by the diplo- matic intervention of Alexander, Earl of Sutherland. Surviving to a ripe old age, Donald Ban died about 1647. The MacLeod burial vault which stands in isolation in the churchyard at Kirkton is said to be his final resting place. John, the younger son of the Earl of Seaforth, became MacKenzie of Assynt. He died in 1705 and his son Kenneth became the second and final MacKenzie of Assynt. Attention Ladies: Kenneth’s wife did not like living in a drafty castle and persuaded her husband to build her a new house. Keep this in mind! Calda House was the Unfortunately the MacLeod first modern house to be built in the history in Assynt came to an end northwest highlands. MacKenzie as a result of the horrid MacKenzie eventually lost his control of As- Clan who aligned themselves with synt due to his indebtedness to the the newly restored Monarchy in Earl of Sutherland in 1736. 1660. Neil MacLeod was arrested While the clan history is fasci- and charged with betrayal. He was nating there is much more to this imprisoned in Edinburgh then re- amazing land. From a geological leased in 1666 when no evidence perspective, Assynt is an absolute could be found against him. By gold mine. The Lewisian gneiss this time Neil was deeply in debt. rock is considered the oldest found The Earl of Seaforth, who was the anywhere on earth (3,000 million MacKenzie Chief, attempted to re- years old) and is easily found as deem Neil’s debts by laying claim it is actually on top of the ground to the lands of Assynt. Neil resisted due to what is called the Glencoe but was eventually defeated at Ar- Thrust. The Thrust occurred when dvreck Castle, a battle that lasted the new rock was driven under the 14 days. old rock forcing it to the surface. The MacKenzie control of This Lewisian gneiss rock is also Assynt lasted just over 60 years. found across Europe and in parts of Spring, 2011 Page 5 (with a fall of 600 feet), the tall- est waterfall in Britain. While we were piloted by Gordon MacLeod from Nova Scotia, we saw many sunbathing sea lions. North America which proves that we were all joined together at one point in time.