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Clan Gregor - A bit of mind wandering
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Some loose facts about Clan Gregor

Castles owned by or with a historical connection to the MacGregors

  • Castle of Glenstrae
    Nothing is left of this castle, but the MacGregor chief is reputed to have had a castle on the opposite bank of the River Strae from Duiletter
  • Castles Farm
    Another castle is believed to have stood nearby the site of present Castles Farm in Stronmilchan. The exact site is not known, but some 45m northwest of a mound, there are traces of buildings.
  • Kilchurn Castle
    The site was owned by the MacGregors, but it fell - as everything in the area - to the Campbells. It was the Campbells who built or rebuilt what is left of the ruins you still see today.
    Kilchurn Kilchurn Kilchurn
  • Lanrick Castle
    The property in Doune (on your way south to Stirling) was originally held by the Haldanes, but in 1776, the newly elected MacGregor chief bought it and built the castle. It was sold in 1840 and fell into disrepair from the 1960s. The mansion was a protected B-listed building, so the owner - a wealthy property developer - was urged to repair it, but instead of some TLC, Lanrick Castle was razed to the ground by a bulldozer early 2002. For this offence the owner had to appear in court and had to pay the "mindblowing" sum of £1000. It seems that those harming the MacGregor cause still get away easily.
  • Achallader Castle
    This land was originally held by the Fletchers, but the Campbells managed to get hold of it after they tricked the Fletcher chief into killing an English soldier on his lands. The Glen Orchy Campbells built what is left of the completely ruined castle. And what does this have to do with the MacGregors? It was the MacGregors who attacked and burnt the place for the first time in 1603. The Jacobites torched it again in 1689, after which it was not restored.
    This happy fact is interwoven with the adventures of another illustrious MacGregor: The Short Grioghal.
    As you can just see, part of Achallader farm is constructed ridiculously close to the ruins. Such blatant disrespect never ceases to amaze me.
    Achallader Achallader
  • Finlarig Castle
    Aye, indeedie, a Campbell construction again, this time on land previously held by the Menzies (so we are back to the story of The Short Grioghal). The Castle - or what's left of it - was built in the early 1600s by "Black Duncan of the Castles". Rob Roy "visited" this place in 1713 (one wonders what "visited" exactly means, right?). Near the castle was an oak tree used to hang commoners. Campbell buildings were such fun places...
    The ruins now are a "visit at your own peril". What's new?
    Finlarig Finlarig

 

MacGregor's Leap

Start in Fortingall and travel westwards following the River Lyon. When you enter the Pass of Lyon, there's a place on the map called "MacGregor's Leap". This is where the MacGregor chief Gregor MacGregor of Glenstrae, who was married to a daughter of the Campbell chief of Glenlyon, jumped over the river to escape Campbell bloodhounds. It's a daring feat and a definite "do-not-try-this-yourself". As you can read in the history bit, the Campbells did catch Gregor in the end. He was beheaded in Kenmore in 1570.