During the Inveraray Highland Games, I had the great honor to have another moment with His Grace, the 13th Duke of Argyll, when I was able to share with him my Scotland Sketchbook, and my family connection to Clan Campbell. The Duke graciously agreed to autograph my pages with the painting of Inveraray Castle! What a family treasure this book will be!
How does one summarize in a few words over 800 years of the Campbell Clan and their Chiefs? It is challenging, but here is my best attempt! Surprisingly, the first Campbells were thought to be from England, in the kingdom of Strathclyde, sent to Scotland to protect the king's lands. The Campbell Chiefs take their Gaelic name, Mac Cailein Mor, from Colin Mor Campbell, who died in 1296 in a dispute with the MadDougalls of Lorne. His son, Sir Neil Campbell was friend and brother-n-law of King Robert the Bruce. Sir Neil's son, Sir Colin Campbell was rewarded by Robert the Bruce with land in the Western Highlands, and soon became the most powerful family in this area of Scotland. Down through the centuries, the Clan Campbell Chiefs, descending from knights, were given additional lands and titles of Earl of Argyll, to ColinCampbell in 1477, then to duke with Archibald Campbell, 10th Earl and 1st Duke of Argyll down to our present day Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll born 1968. In American terms, he is the patriarch of my extended Campbell family!