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Clan Maclean Heritage Trust

Events

2011

Pipe tune competition

The Trust sponsored a competition, administered by the National Piping Centre in Glasgow, for the composition of a new piping tune. Entrants were invited to submit a tune for a march in 6/8 time.

There were 21 entries and these were judged by Roddy MacLeod MBE, Principal of the National Piping Centre, Major Gavin Stoddart MBE BEM, formerly Director of the School of Army Piping and Highland Drumming, and James MacLean, formerly of Strathclyde Police and currently the Chief's Piper.

Chief presents Quaich
Dr Simon McKerrell
being presented with his
prize by the Chief

The winner, announced on 22nd December 2011, was Dr Simon McKerrell, with a tune appropriately entitled 'Duart Gathering 2012'. Simon is a graduate of the BA course in Traditional Music from the quondam Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He also has a PhD from St Andrews University which is entitled 'Scottish Competition Bagpipe Performance: Sound, Mode and Aesthetics'. He currently lectures in Folk Music at Newcastle University.

A recording of the tune will be posted here in due course. The tune was also included in the book of Maclean piping tunes that was launched at the International Gathering on Mull in June 2012.

Harlaw

On Sunday, 24th July 2011, 40 Macleans attended the events held to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Harlaw (see 2011 Anniversaries for information about this battle).

The anniversary was marked by a service of commemoration at the Kirk of St Nicholas, Aberdeen, attended by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, the Provost of Aberdeenshire and members of the clans who took part in the battle. A Prayer for the Fallen was given by the Rt Rev Peter Moran, who until recently had been the Roman Catholic Bishop of Aberdeen (and whose successor had not yet taken up his position).

Harlaw Monument
Monument as erected
This was followed by a civic ceremony at the existing Battle of Harlaw monument, near Inverurie. Speeches were given by the two Provosts, by Sir Lachlan Maclean and by David Irvine of Drum, and wreaths were laid. Erected in 1911 to mark the 500th anniversary, the 40 ft high monument had been left incomplete (see photo). According to Charles Burnett, Ross Herald of Arms: "The monument is decorated with eight [actually six] blank panels which were intended to carry the coats of arms of the principal protagonists along with an additional four armorial devices.

Maclean Coat of Arms
Maclean Coat of Arms
As three of the arms were to represent Macdonald, Maclean and Macintosh, there was an objection to paying for the arms of the ‘enemy’, and as a result no heraldry was added to the monument." The coats of arms have now been affixed and were unveiled at this ceremony. In addition to the coat of arms of our Chief, Sir Lachlan Maclean of Duart and Morvern (see photo), the coats of arms of the Earl of Mar, the Lord of the Isles, the City and Royal Burgh of Aberdeen, Robert Davidson, the then Provost of Aberdeen, and Irvine of Drum have also been fixed to the monument. The Trust contributed to the cost of the Maclean panel.

The Chief and Irvine of Drum
The Chief and Irvine of Drum
Attendance at the civic ceremony was by invitation only, and numbers were limited. In addition, therefore, the Clan Maclean Heritage Trust arranged a public ceremony on the battlefield, which included viewing the site of the Maclean cairn; a recitation by Brigadier John Macfarlane of the Brosnachadh, the Gaelic incitement to battle, written for this battle; a reading of the traditional account of the death of Hector; the lowering and raising of the standards; and the playing of the Piobaireachd, Red Hector of the Battles. Also during this ceremony Sir Lachlan and David Irvine of Drum, whose predecessors had killed each other in single combat at the battle, exchanged swords and spoke a few words of reconciliation (see photo).

The Macleans then adjourned to Littlewood Park, near Alford, where Mrs Deborah McLean kindly provided tea.

Death or Victory

On 21st July 2011 Death or Victory – Tales of the Clan Maclean by Fiona Maclean, was launched in the presence of the Chief at the Tobermory Games on Mull. This book was commissioned by the Clan Maclean Heritage Trust in memory of Sir Lachlan’s first wife Mary, who died in 2007. Further information about this book may be found here.

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