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Clan MacBean exercised great influence over their ancestral territory in the stunning Scottish Highlands. Luckily, there are a number of locations that still show the impact of their presence, and we have identified several that would be perfect to visit if you are looking to connect with your ancestors, envision the lives they led, and pay your respects.
Discover the Sites of Clan MacBean
McBain Memorial Park
Our Site of the Month for Clan MacBean is the clan’s official memorial park. The story of the park started on the 26th September 1958, when Hughston M McBain petitioned the Lyon Court for Chiefship of Clan MacBean. One of the requirements the Lord Lyon replied with was that McBain should ‘make an effort to repurchase Kinchyle,’ and restore the clan’s ancestral lands.
McBain took this to heart, and by the summer of 1960, the park was born! It has become a beloved place for clan members, but it hadn't been easy for Hughston to acquire. According to his written account, at that time the Scots were suspicious of foreigners, and Americans in particular, so he met resistance from the locals, and specifically Baroness Burton, who then owned the lands of Kinchyle. It took almost two years before she agreed to sell a small piece of the land, around two acres up the hill from Dores. Two years after that, he finally got permission to put up a signpost on the Dores road directing the public where to go!
Sadly, the park has suffered numerous thefts, but the family’s response symbolises the MacBean dedication and loyalty to their people. In the early 1960s, the heather that had been planted was blooming. So much so the plants were not only being clipped but taken out completely, probably as mementos. Hughston set about deterring the 'thieves' by putting up signs with a bit of humour such as “Please let us stay; we want to cheer you, on your way!” and “Let me be, I’m just a Wee tree!”. It worked, at least 80 per cent of the thefts stopped. Hughston believed it was just clansmen wanting a piece of the Chief's heather!
Not only the heather, but the road sign for the turning to the park was taken, and then the two bronze statues of a pair of striking cats were stolen in 1997, and a memorial plaque was taken in 2011. The Clan Society set about putting a plan in place to restore them.
Artist, Moira Marti Geoffrion, who'd been head of the University of Arizona Art Department, sculpted the two cats and brought the treasured symbol of the clan back to the park.
She also designed the replacement plaque, making it look like bronze, but crafting it out of less valuable materials to discourage further thefts. Lisa MacFarlane wrote the following sign to also warn off any potential thieves!
Bronze, brass or worth
Money, I am not
Leave it to a frugal Scot.
So steal me not,
Least you be cursed
And die, amongst
All kinsmen, first.
On the 5th August 2016, the park hosted a ceremony to celebrate the return of the cats and the plaque, and it was a truly victorious occasion. The Clan President brought 22 clans people from Australia, Canada, and The United States to join the many locals also in attendance. The Clan Chattan Piper, Cindi McIntosh Misch, volunteered to play at the ceremony, adding an extra element of Scottish culture. Even the piece of MacBean tartan that Alan LaVern Bean took to the Moon and back was present at the ceremony.
Dunlichity Church
Our next site we're exploring is Dunlichity Church, an ancient place of worship with a rich and winding history that intertwines with Clan MacBean. The church standing today was built in 1759, but it is thought that Dunlichity has served as a Christian site since as far back as the 7th century. The original church was dedicated to St. Finian, an iconic figure of the Celtic Christian Church. Dunlichity displayed a grand statue of the saint until 1643, when it was stolen and destroyed during the Reformation.
While this was certainly a fascinating period for the church, arguably its most striking history occurred in the 1700s, when it played an unlikely role in the infamous Battle of Culloden. A group of soldiers on their way to fight happened across Dunlichity and took the opportunity to take in a brief rest before the chaos they were about to experience. They also used the time to sharpen their swords on the abundant stone around them. To this day, you can see the marks made by their weapons. If you find yourself in this scenic churchyard, be sure to seek out these fascinating spots and take a moment to imagine your clan ancestors standing in the same place, preparing for what would become one of Scotland’s most famous battles.
You can also spot your ancestors’ names in the ancient burial ground among many other Chattan Clan members. Particularly interesting is a large, gated section which holds the graves of several clan chiefs.
These graves have drawn lots of interest over the years, not only from keen historians, but also from slightly more nefarious types! In the 18th and 19th century, graverobbing became widespread and hard to control, with many crooked characters digging up the bodies of the dead to sell to medical schools for a lucrative profit.
To combat this, a watch tower was built on the South wall of Dunlichity in 1820, and men would be stationed there to watch over the site. One gravestone holds some fascinating proof of one attempted robbery that is still visible today, showing 2 bullet holes from when the watchmen must have aimed at a couple of would-be graverobbers!
Battle of Culloden
As we have discussed Clan MacBean’s preparations for the Battle of Culloden, it only makes sense to explore the battle itself.
The family had already supported the earlier Jacobite rising of 1715 and suffered many of their ranks being transported to plantations in Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina after the Stuart defeat. This did not put them off pledging their fighting services once again. The then Chief, Gillies Mòr MacBean, one of the clan’s most famous warriors, took up a commission as a Major in Lady Anne Mackintosh’s Regiment, to fight for Bonnie Prince Charles, and fought heroically at Culloden. He is said to have been a giant of a man – the tallest in the Prince’s army. In a rear-guard action, even though already wounded, he urged those around him to escape while he held back the pursuing Government soldiers. With his claymore broadsword he is said to have killed 13 or 14 of his opponents, before he himself was sadly mortally wounded.
Other members of the MacBean clan also made names for themselves at Culloden, with another Gillies MacBean – of Free by Tomatin, formerly of Faillie, helping lead a badly injured Cameron of Lochiel, carried by his Cameron kinsmen to safety, via a ford across the River Nairn near Craggie, after fighting off some pursuing Government soldiers. Another tale is told of an Aeneas MacBean who managed to make his own escape by displaying stunning strength and stamina, exhausting his pursuers by leaping repeatedly from one side of a stream to the other, forcing the enemy to give up and let him go.
You can visit the site of this iconic episode in history and learn more about the soldier’s experience. Today, Culloden Visitor Centre stands besides the battlefield, and the National Trust for Scotland describes it as ‘both a monument and a guide to a pivotal day in history.’ It includes a 360-degree battle immersion theatre which can transport you back in time to the thick of the action, a fascinating museum displaying a range of unique weapons and artefacts, a roof garden offering sweeping views of the landscape, and an award-winning shop.
The Memorial Cairn to the fallen Jacobites, at the centre of the battlefield, was erected in 1881 by Duncan Forbes of Culloden, who was a cousin of the MacBean chiefs. Alongside are the graves of the clans marked by memorial stones, a number of them being for the dead of Lady Anne Mackintosh’s (Clan Chattan) Regiment, and would therefore be the burial places of the MacBeans who died there, except that of their Chief, Gillies, whose body was recovered and according to one account was reburied in Daviot churchyard.
To find out more and plan your visit, head over to their website here: Culloden | National Trust for Scotland.
We hope you have enjoyed exploring a few Clan MacBean sites and feel a bit closer to your mighty ancestors. Please do get in touch if you have been to, or plan to go to any of these fascinating spots! We’d love to hear about your experiences.
If you’d like to learn more about the MacBeans, head over to our Clan MacBean page and keep an eye out for the rest of our content over January, as we will be focusing on this fascinating family for the whole month!
Image Sources:
All McBain Memorial Park photos courtesy of Philip Beddows, Seanachaidh of Clan MacBean
Dunlichity Church by C Page, CC BY-SA 2.0
Major Gillies 'Mor' MacBean by Robert McIan in James Logan's 1847 book provided by Philip Beddows, Seanachaidh of Clan MacBean
The new Culloden Visitor Centre by Mike Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0
Battle of Culloden Memorial Cairn Photo © David Dixon (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Clan MacBean wreath laying at Culloden Memorial Cairn, and Memorial Plaque Major Gillies Mor MacBean provided by Philip Beddows, Seanachaidh of Clan MacBean
