Lachlan Maclean, 6th Laird of Coll facts for kids

Lachlan Maclean, 6th Laird of Coll was an important leader on the Scottish island of Coll. He took over this role from his father, Hector, and later his son John became the next Laird sometime in the 1600s.

Lachlan Maclean's Story

Lachlan was the son of Hector Roy Maclean, 5th Laird of Coll, who passed away before December 1596. Lachlan was a well-known person in his time.

Early Challenges and a Brave Uncle

When Lachlan was young, a legend says his great-uncle, Niall Mor Maclean, looked after him. During this time, Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean of Duart started an old argument with Coll. He wanted to force the people of Coll to obey him as their chief.

Niall Mor Maclean went to meet the invaders. On his way, he realized they had forgotten their flag! An old warrior named Domhnall Mugach saw Niall's worry. He took off his hat, pointed to his bald head, and said, "This will be our flag! I promise it won't move back an inch until night."

The two groups met at Struthan nan Ceann, near Totaranald. The invaders were defeated. Soon after, Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean sent a larger force and took control of the island. Niall Mor Maclean ran away, but Sir Lachlan's men chased him. They caught up with him at Clachan Dubh in northern Mull and killed him. Niall Mor Maclean is thought to have been a son of Hector Maclean, 4th Laird of Coll. He was known for being very strong, brave, and fair.

Taking Back His Lands

One of the first things Lachlan did was to get his lands back. Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean of Duart and Rory Beg Maclean had taken control of them while Lachlan was still young. Lachlan asked the privy council (a group of royal advisors) for help, and they agreed.

In his complaint, Lachlan stated that his lands included the twenty pound land of Coll, twelve pound land of Quinish, four pound land of Rum, and four pound land of Achalennan and Drimnin. All these lands had belonged to his father. This record is from December 23, 1596.

A Leader for Peace and Progress

In 1601, Lachlan helped bring peace between the MacDonalds of Sleat and the MacLeans of Duart. In 1609, he was one of the chiefs who met the Bishop of the Isles at Iona. There, they created the Statutes of Iona, which were rules for how the chiefs should behave and govern.

In 1615, Lachlan was called upon to help defend the islands. This was against Sir James MacDonald, 9th of Dunnyveg, who was rebelling at the time. Lachlan appeared before the privy council again in 1616. They made him promise to show one of his main relatives each year. He also had to live at his castle at Breachacha and not keep more than one barrel of wine. He also showed up in person the next year.

In 1622, the Privy Council made Lachlan and other chiefs agree to certain actions for the good of the Isles. One of these was that he should build and fix the local church.

Land Disputes and a Sad Loss

In a report from 1634 about fishing and other matters, Lachlan was mentioned as one of the main landowners in the Isles. He received a special document from the Bishop of the Isles for the six marklands of the Isle of Muck. These lands had been held by the MacIains of Ardnamurchan, who were tenants of the bishop.

However, these people not only kept the land but also became violent. They attacked and killed Lachlan's son, Ian Gallda Maclean. This young man had been given a farm called Mingary in Mull by his father. He went to Ardnamurchan for some private business. A group of MacIans attacked his boat as he was landing. Ian was killed, and his servants had a very hard time carrying his body away, which had thirteen arrows in it.

Because of this and other bad acts, Lachlan had fourteen of the main MacIan men arrested at Ardmore in Mull. He sent them to Inverary, where they faced consequences for their actions. The MacIans later sought revenge for this.

Changing Beliefs

It is believed that Lachlan was the one who helped his tenants change from Catholicism to Presbyterianism. The story is well-known and likely true. When Lachlan became convinced of the new Protestant teachings, he went to Mull. He helped his tenants convert by meeting them as they went to church. He would guide them into a barn where the Presbyterian preacher was ready to speak. He used a gold-headed walking stick on this occasion. Because of this, people started saying that their new religion was "that of the yellow-headed stick." This stick stayed with the family until recently, when it was lost or taken.

Friendships and Respect

When he was young, Lachlan spent fourteen years living in the house of the Laird of Macintosh. After that, a very strong friendship grew between their families. Rorie MacLeod of MacLeod also trusted Lachlan to look after his two sons, Sir Rory MacLeod and Sir Norman MacLeod.

Lachlan lived to be quite old. He was highly respected by all his neighbors, who saw him as a very wise and brave leader.

Family Life

Lachlan was married to Florence, who was the daughter of the Laird of MacLeod. They had the following children:

• John Garbh Maclean, 7th Laird of Coll, who became the next Laird
• Hector Maclean of the Isle of Muck
• Neil Maclean of Driranacross
• Catherine Maclean, who married John Maclean, Laird of MacKinnon
• Jannet Maclean, who married Farquhar Eraser, who was the dean of the Isles