Written Friday, June 8, 2012
No, I’m not referring to returning to the United States
(although we do that tomorrow) but to “coming home” to the MacLean family
castle on the Isle of Mull, Duarte Castle!
For the past 4 days we have been travelling with our tour
company, Highland Experience, traveling about the Highlands of Scotland and the
beautiful Isle of Skye. Thursday night
landed us in the charming seaport town of Oban, capital of the West Highlands. Had we known what Oban was like before
booking the tour, we would’ve just come here!!
The harbor is dotted with sailboats, and several islands lie to the west
with the Caledonian McBryane ferries running out to them daily.
We decided to depart our tour and not return with them to
Glasgow on Friday, but rather spend the day in Oban, taking the ferry over to
the Isle of Mull where the Duart Castle, ancestral home of the Clan MacLean
guards the sound of Mull.
The diversion was well worth it! The castle has been restored and welcomes
members of the MacLean family by having them sign in a special guest book. It is a beautiful and strategic setting. I was surprised to find myself tearing up as
we walked onto the grounds; something about “coming home” to the place where my
ancestors once lived, fought and died.
Dad had researched the MacLean ancestry back to “Neil of
Ross”. According to the records at Duart
Castle, Neil was the son of Lachlan Bronneach MacLean, son of Red Hector, son
of Lachlan Lubenach who came into possession of Duart Castle and the Isle of
Mull when he married Mary MacDonald whose father was the Lord of the Isles;
Duart was her dowry, a wedding gift.
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