, historic seat of the chiefs of the Clan Maclean Castles that have been held by the Clan Maclean have included amongst others: •
Duart Castle on the
Isle of Mull is the historic seat of the chiefs of the Clan Maclean. • Ardgour House, built in 1765, lies on the shores of
Loch Linnhe on land wreasted from the McMasters in the 1430's. The first
Maclean of Ardgour, ‘Strong Donald the Hunter’, was the son of the 7th Chief of Clan Maclean from Duart on Mull. Ewan Maclean, 2nd of Ardgour was killed at the
Battle of Bloody Bay in about 1482. •
Aros Castle on the Isle of Mull,
Argyll was originally built by the
Clan MacDougall, was then held by the
Clan Donald,
Lord of the Isles before passing to the Macleans after 1493. • Aros Castle, Glengarrisdale, on the island of
Jura, was held by the Macleans who came into possession of the north part of Jura. The southern part of Jura was originally held by the MacDonalds but by 1620 had passed to the
Clan Campbell who complained that they were being harassed by the Macleans. This resulted in a battle in 1647 when the Campbells surprised the Macleans at Glen Garrisdale and killed many of them. There is a tradition that the severed head and two limb bones of one of the Macleans adorned a cairn near Maclean's Skull Cave. The castle was still in use when in 1690 the Campbell constable took action against the Macleans who had not taken the Oath of Allegiance to
William of Orange. •
Breachacha Castle, on the island of
Coll, was held by the MacDonalds, then the
Clan MacNeil and then by the Macleans. In 1431 it was seized by Maclean of Coll, but they feuded with the Macleans of Duart, who in 1578 captured the castle. In 1679 Donald Maclean of Coll garrisoned it against the Clan Campbell chief, the
Earl of Argyll. New Breachacha Castle was built nearby in 1750 and the old castle then became ruinous. Dr
Johnston and
Boswell visited the castle in 1773. In 1886 the old castle had passed to the Stewarts of Glenbuchie but it was bought by a descendant of the Macleans in 1965. •
Cairnburgh Castle,
Treshnish Isles, Argyll, was originally held by the MacDougalls, then the MacDonalds and then by the Macleans of Duart. One story is that the chief Maclean of Duart imprisoned the chief of the
Clan Maclaine of Lochbuie in the castle to prevent him producing an heir and that Maclanie's only female companion was an old, not overly pleasing woman, whom he made pregnant. Maclaine was murdered but the woman escaped giving birth to a son who recovered Lochbuie. In 1504
James IV of Scotland had the castle besieged when it was held by Lachlan Maclean. In 1647 the castle surrendered to the
Covenanter General,
David Leslie, 1st Lord Newark, and in the 1650s many of the books and records that had been rescued from
Iona were destroyed in a siege by
Oliver Cromwell's forces. The castle held out against attacks by the Campbells in 1679 but was surrendered in 1692. The castle was garrisoned during both the
Jacobite rising of 1715 and 1745. • Caisteal nan Con,
(castle of dogs) near
Lochaline, was held by the Macleans of Duart and is said to have been used as a hunting lodge by those occupying Aros Castle. • Caisteal nan Con,
Isle of Torsa, originally held by the Campbells, then the MacDougalls and then the Macleans. It was probably also a hunting lodge. • Castle Loch Heylipol,
Tiree, was originally held by the MacDonalds and then by the Macleans, who were besieged in it by the Campbells in 1678–79. • Castle Spioradain, near
Inverness, site of a castle formerly on an island that was held by the Macleans of Dochgarroch in around 1420. The name means
castle of spirits and the story goes that during a feud between the Macleans and the
Clan Cameron, several Camerons were executed and their bodies were hung from the walls. The ghosts of the dead are said to have terrorised the castle and the area. The site was destroyed when the
Caledonian Canal was built and human bones were found. • Dochgarroch, near Inverness, site of a castle held from the sixteenth century by the Macleans who were known as the
Clan Tearlach and who were allied to the
Chattan Confederation. This clan of Macleans fought as Jacobites at the
Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 and the
Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. This line now live near
Glen Urquhart and also near
Edinburgh. • Drimnin Castle, near Lochline, Highland, site of a castle held by the Macleans of Coll in the sixteenth century, but was demolished in the 1830s. Maclean of Drimin led the clan during the
Jacobite rising of 1745 and he was killed at the
Battle of Culloden. •
Dun Chonnuill Castle, on one of the
Garvellachs, Argyll, is a ruinous castle that was originally held by the MacDougalls, then the MacDonalds and then by the Macleans who now live at Strachur House in Argyll and are hereditary keepers and captains of Dunconnel. • Eilean Amalaig Castle, Isle of Mull, is where the Macleans of Duart marshaled their
birlinns or galleys. •
Glensanda Castle, near Lochaline is a ruinous castle that was originally held by the MacMasters but passed to the Macleans in the fifteenth century. •
Gorm Castle or Loch Gorm Castle on the
Isle of Islay was originally held by the MacDonalds and then briefly by the Macleans. The castle and island later passed to the Campbells and was still in use in 1745, but is now very ruinous. •
Kinlochaline Castle, near Lochaline, was originally held by the
Clan MacInnes but passed to the Macleans after the MacInnes chief was murdered along with his sons by the
Clan Mackinnon. •
Strachur Castle in Argyll was later replaced by Strachur House and is now occupied by the Macleans of Dunconnel, heredary keepers of
Dun Chonnuill Castle. They were made Baronets in 1957. •
Tarbert Castle,
Tarbert, Argyll and Bute, although a royal castle the lands were held by the
Clan MacAlister and then by the Macleans. •
Torloisk House, on the Isle of Mull, Argyll was held by the
Macleans of Torloisk. ==Clan Chiefs==