Archibald was the son of
Sir Colin Og Campbell of Lochawe and his wife Helena, a possible daughter of
John de Menteith. He became Lord of Lochawe either through inheritance from his father or the disenfranchisement of his brother, Dougall. In 1342,
King David II granted Archibald the forfeited lands of his brother Dougall as well as the barony of Melfort. Melfort was in turn granted to Archibald's half-brother Neil, from whom the
Campbells of Kenmore and Melfort descend. In the 1350s, Archibald was granted numerous properties in
Argyll by John, Lord of Menteith and John's cousin
Mary de Menteith, most notably
Castle Sween. In 1373, he received the lands of Finnart and Stronewhillen from Paul Glenn. In 1382, he and his son, Colin, were appointed the hereditary position of King's Lieutenants and Special Commissioners in the
Sheriffdom of Argyll, which would provide them income in exchange for performing various bureaucratic duties. == Marriage and issue ==