The
Clan Maclean
The Macleans of Duart had
held the earlier office of Chamberlain to the Lord
of the Isles, a title which was confirmed by the crown in 1495 even
after the Lordship was abolished. The clan Maclean's extensive lands included
the islands of Mull, Tiree, Coll and Islay, as well as mainland Morvern
and Lochaber. As the clan expanded, it split into a number of different
branches, including the Macleans of Coll and the Macleans of Ardgour. It
seems however from various sources that the clan originally belonged to
Moray
and their descend. The clan is held either to be of norse or italian origin
descending from the family of Fitzgerald originated in a noble who came
to Great Britain with the Conqueror.
Possibly they were one of those clans transplanted from North Moray by
Malcolm
IV, and it is not unlikely that Glen Urquhart was their original residence
