Origins of the clan Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie is translated in Gaelic as ''Mac'ill-Eathain Locchabuide''. They claim descent from Maurice Fitzgerald, an
Anglo-Norman who moved to
Ireland with
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, known as "Strongbow." The Fitzgeralds of Ireland are said to have sent offshoots to
Scotland in the thirteenth century. Two Fitzgerald cousins are said to have started both
Clan Maclean and
Clan Mackenzie, with the name MacLean being coined by Gillean-na-Taughe (Gillean of the Battle-Axe), a fierce warrior who lived in the thirteenth century. He and his three sons were also said to have fought against the Vikings at the
Battle of Largs in 1263. Later Gillean was said to have signed the
Ragman Roll in 1296 as "Gilliemore Macilean" or "Gillean the Great, Son of Gillean." When the Gaelic Highlanders broke away from the Lowland monarchy in the 14th century, the MacLeans allied with the
Lord of the Isles - receiving lands from John, Lord of the Isles, in exchange for their support. Lachlan married John's daughter, and he and his brother moved to the
Isle of Mull in the
Inner Hebrides, where the two dominant branches of the family were formed: the Maclaines of Lochbuie and the MacLeans of Duart (The Maclaines of Lochbuie used the "MacLean" spelling until the 17th century). Lachlan was the head of the Duart branch, with Hector being the head of the Lochbuie branch. Many of the clansmen at Lochbuie retained other spellings of Maclaine or MacLean, such as Maclayne, McClain, and McLain. Various smaller families intermarried or banded together with the Maclaines, and they were all accepted into the clan.
16th century The Headless Horseman (Ewan The Headless) One of the famous legends associated with the Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie is that of the headless horseman. During the
American Revolution, many Highland regiments were raised in Scotland, and rarely one of them was formed that did not consist of a MacLean or a Maclaine. The period of colonization before the Revolution saw many Maclaines and MacLeans settle in the sandhills of eastern
North Carolina, and these settlers were almost all British sympathizers during the war.
19th century to present The 22nd Chief Donald made a fortune in Java in the nineteenth century with which he cleared the estate of debt. The 24th Chief Kenneth Douglas Lorne [MC; Croix de Guerre with Palm] Lost the Lochbuie estates in controversial lawsuit resulting in final foreclosure in March 1922. The estate was sold in 1922 to Sir Richard Garton, descendants of whom still own and farm the estate. The current chief of the clan is The Much Honoured Lorne Gillean Ian McLaine of Lochbuie, Baron of Moy. He is the 26th hereditary chief of the clan. ==Lands==