Sir Lachlan Hector Charles Maclean
28th Chief, 12th Baronet of Morvern, 24th Laird of
Duart, CVO, DL, 8th Lord Maclean*
Sir Lachlan Hector Charles Maclean, Bt, CVO
http://macleanhistory.org/chiefs/sir-lachlan-hector-charles-maclean-28th-chief/
Major the
Honorable Sir Lachlan Maclean, Bt, CVO, DL became the 28th Chief of the Clan
Maclean, 12th Baronet of Duart and Morvern, and 8th Lord Maclean on the 8th of
February in 1990, upon the death of his father. Though today he is known as
being kind, humble, soft-spoken, and genuinely warm, Sir Lachlan was a special
operations officer, corporate executive, and is today the embasador of his
ancient clan.
Among only
a handful of Maclean Chiefs to witness the passing of a century, Sir Lachlan
holds the distinction of being the only among them to preside over the passing
of a millennium. Keenly ware of the significant role the Macleans have played
in Scotland and around the world throughout the last eight centuries, Sir
Lachlan has worked to preserve the Clan’s history and historicial sites. He was
instrumental in creating the Clan Maclean Heritage Trust, and continues lead
the ancient and world-wide clan the Macleans have become.
Early Life
8 year old
Sir Lachlan learning to throw a hammer from Jack Hunter at the Argylleshire
Gathering in Oban in 1950
Click to
Enlarge
Sir Lachlan
was born on the 25th of August in 19421 to Lord Charles and Elizabeth Maclean,
née Mann, in Windsor, Berkshire of southeast England.9 Weeks after his birth
Sir Lachlan was taken to Duart because the western Highlands were safer than
suburbs of London durring World War II. The honor of carrying the future chief
across the threshold of the ancient fortress was given to Jennie Macleod, a
long-serving housemaid of the Maclean family.1 Sir Lachlan’s early years were spent
at Duart.1
Sir Lachlan
received his early education in Berkshire. Due to distance between school and
his home on Mull, many of his half-term holidays were spent with the Manns—his
maternal grandparents—at their home in Wiltshire.1 Like his grandfather and
great-grandfather, Sir Lachlan attended Eton Colege.1 Among his Eton classmates
were 20 future government officials and politicians, 5 future judges, 4 members
of royal households, and a number of future celebrities.11
Family
In 1966 Sir
Lachlan married Mary Helen Gordon. Born on the 31st of October in 1943, Lady
Mary was the eldest daughter of William Gordon Gordon of Lude and Helen Gordon
who lived in Blair Atholl, Perthshire. The couple married while Sir Lachlan was
still in a Lieutenant in the British Army. Together they had five children—Emma
Mary Maclean, the Maid of Morvern, Sarah Elizabeth Helen Maclean, Malcolm
Lachlan Charles Maclean the Younger of Duart and Morvern, Alexandra Caroline
Maclean, and Andrew Lachlan William Maclean. Following Sir Lachlan's retirement
from military service, the family made their home at Arngask House in Glenfarg,
Perthshire. In 1990, Sir Lachlan inherited the estate of Duart and the family
relocated to Mull. Lady Mary passed away on the 30th day of December in 2007.
On the 8th
of September in 2010, Sir Lachlan married Mrs. Rosemary (Rosie) Mayfield. Lady
Rosemary is the widow of Lt.-Col. Richard Mayfield, DSO, LVO, a fellow Scots
Guards officer of Sir Lachlan’s. Lady Rosemary is the daughter of Col. Donald
Matheson,10 and her family came from Dornie in the West Highlands.10 She and
her late husband had a son and a two daughters; their son won the Sword of
Honour on his commissioning from Sandhurst into the Scots Guards in 1986.10 The
two families have been friends since Sir Lachlan and Richard served together.
Military
Service
Officer
Cadet Maclean was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Scots Guards upon
graduating from Eton on the 13th of January in 1962.2 The majority of Sir
Lachlan’s military career was with the Scots Guards, who from 1962 till 1972
were deployed to Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar, Malaysia, Sarawak, Sabah, Iserlohn,
Munster, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong, and Honduras. It is unclear which
operations Sir Lachlan may have taken part in.
Sir Lachlan
was selected to serve with the British Army’s elite Special Air Service (SAS).1
He likely transfered to the 22nd SAS Regiment in 1968 or 1969 and remained with
the regiment until his retirement from the Army in 1973. The world-renowned
all-volunteer14 special forces corps is known for its expertice in special
operations, counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, and hostage rescue. Only 10% of
SAS candidates make it through the gruling five month selection process of the
Special Forces Aptitude Test.14
During his
time in the SAS, Sir Lachlan took part in a special joint-training program with
the United States Army Rangers. Sir Lachlan served with Lord Guthrie of
Craigiebank,12 who then commanded a Squadron of the 22nd SAS Regiment13.
Operation Storm, a counteraction to the Dofar Rebellion famous for the Battle
of Mirbat where 9 SAS soldiers held off a force of 400 Adoo guerrillas,15 began
shortly after Sir Lachlan transfered to the SAS and continued four years after
his retirement.
Sir Lachlan
served in combat operations, for which he was awared the General Service Medal
and the the United Nations Medal. His United Nations Medal is suspended from
the Operation UNFICYP ribon indicating that he served in the Limassol and
Larnaca Districts of Cypress as part of the the United Nations Peacekeeping
Force.
At the age
of 29 and having reached the rank of Major, Sir Lachlan was at a crossroads.
Sir Lachlan recalls, It was a case of staying in for life, which I didn’t
particularly want to do, or leaving before I was thirty, which would give me a
chance to start a new career.1 Sir Lachlan decided to retire from military
service in 19736 and settled his family north of Edinburgh in Arngask.
Professional
Career
Upon
leaving military service, Sir Lachlan enjoyed a stable—and far more
quiet—corporate career with United Biscuits. At the time, Sir Lachlan’s uncle,
John Mann, was a non-executive director for the company and helped arrange the
initial interview, but after that, Sir Lachlan notes, I was on my own. Though
he received a number of job offers, Sir Lachlan ultimatly decided to accept the
one from United Biscuits. About the time Sir Lachlan started his new career
with United Biscuits, the giant food conglomerate acquired the United States based
Keebler Company for $53 million.16 Sir Lachlan’s career at United Biscuits also
saw the company’s acquisition of the Wimpy hamburger chain.17
Eventually,
Sir Lachlan retired as an executive of the United Biscuits.1 In contrast to the
corporate life, Sir Lachlan spent several years in private business as a
restaurateur. Today Sir Lachlan enjoys running Duart Castle, his childhood
home, and light farming at his winter home in Perthshire.
Public
Service
In 1993 Sir
Lachlan was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Argyll and Bute. He is a member of
the Royal Company of Archers, the historic bodyguard of the British Monarch in
Scotland, where he served as Adjutant and later one of the four Lieutenants of
the organization. In this role he served as Silver Stick for Scotland during
the 1999 state visit of Queen Elizabeth II for the opening of the Scottish
Parliament.
For many
years, Sir Lachlan served on the Board of Trustees and as Seretary of the Robertson
Trust, an independent charitable Scottish trust who’s priorietys are
community-based care, health, education, art, and sport. The Robertson Trust
works to improve the quality of life and realise the potential of people and
communities in Scotland.
In ages
past a chief’s primary public service would have been to his clan—though the
focus has shifted from raising armies and protecting territory, Sir Lachlan
continues in that ancient tradition by fostering the world-wide kinship of his
modern clan while preserving its history for generations to come. The work of
both Sir Lachlan and his late wife, Lady Mary Maclean, was recognized when
Duart Castle was awarded the Caledonian MacBrayne Award for Excellence in
Tourism in 2008. Their dedication made Duart Castle, the ancestral home of the
Clan Maclean, accessible to the family it once protected.
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