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Born in 1942 to Lord Charles and Elizabeth Maclean, Sir Lachlan is the 28th Chief of Clan Maclean of Duart.
He attended Eton School before entering into a career in the military, joining the Scots Guards as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1962 before retiring 10 years later after reaching the rank of Major. During this time he also served in the SAS.
After retiring in 1973, he became an executive director for United Biscuits, a major British food manufacturer, where he would work until he reached retirement.
He inherited the title of Chiefdom of Clan Maclean on the death of his father in 1990 and would relocate from his home in Perthshire to Duart Castle where he resides to this day.
This may be the biographical information on the man affectionally referred to as ‘Lochy’ but to those who know him personally, he is ‘a kind soul with a stern exterior which belies a heart of gold’, according to the head guide at Duart Castle, Edward McLean-Bibby, a distant cousin of Sir Lachlan, descending directly through the Ardgour and Boreray branch of the clan.
“Showing a genuine care and support for those who work at the castle, he routinely checks in on people’s wellbeing and worries about people visiting the local hostelries despite them being incredibly safe,” he added.
“He is deeply gregarious, often covering lunches at the castle at the age of 83 and telling a panoply of colourful stories of his life growing up at Duart and of his ancestors’ deeds.
“Yet, he can be shy almost to a fault, often picking up hitchhikers on their way to Duart Castle and never once telling people who he is or that they’re en-route to his home. His passengers will only twig that the kindly gentleman with the posh accent is the Laird of the castle once he steps over the barrier into the private wing and opens his front door.
“The Clan Maclean has had eight different chiefs named Lachlan and as such history has given them epithets to identify them. For instance, the builder of Duart was named Lachlan Lubanach or Lachlan the Crafty. The infamous Maclean 11th Maclean chief who marooned his wife on the Lady’s Rock to drown was named Lachlan Cattanach or Lachlan the Hairy.
“History will dictate exactly which epithet our current 28th Chief Lachlan will be bestowed but I cannot think of any more truer than Lachlann a’ Chridhe Mhath, or Lachlan the Kind-Hearted.”
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