Visit your clan lands and monuments, stay in your clan castle

Visit Your Clan Lands

We offer visits to family or clan lands that are as intense and complete as possible. 'Intense' means that we bring you as close as we can to the heritage of your ancestors. ‘Complete’ does not mean spending every day hunting down old graveyards; rather that significant places and buildings are not missed through simple lack of knowledge.

Image courtesy of Alladale Estates

You can find some more general detail on our touring holidays here

To bring you as close as we can to the built heritage of your ancestors you can, in many cases, sleep in a building with clan associations. Ideally this will be a castle, in exceptional cases the clan chief’s castle. If this is not possible we can often arrange for visitors to stay in a significant, but more modest, house: perhaps one built by a younger son or as a dower house.

Ethie castle was a property of the Beatons, but passed to the Carnegies in 1549

Brodie Castle, home to Brodie of Brodie until a few years ago

Our 18th century forbears would look with some amazement at today’s neat lawns, flower beds and crunching gravel, but they would know the building and they’d recognise the grooves on the front door pillar where they sharpened their claymores.Many clan castles are well looked after and open to the public. But most of our finest castles are now in ruins – ravaged by clan feuds, civil war, foul weather, and the simple needs of later generations seeking to build their own houses. But even if your clan castle is no more than the stump of a wall, a welcome shelter to sheep in winter storms… the hills and rivers are still there. This is the spot. These are the stones.

Grave of John Livingston of Lismore, 1793

Graveyards are another place where you can walk in your ancestors foot prints. It is tempting to imagine highland graveyards with row upon row
of Campbells or Eliotts or Ogilvies;the reality is slightly different, due to the inconvenient fact that not all members of a clan shared the same name.

However there are graveyards that are primarily associated with a clan or family, often with a vault or burial enclosure for the local laird and his family. The tombstones and wall tablets that you see will date largely from the 19th century; some will be 18th century, only a few earlier inscriptions are legible. Graves in Scotland normally have yew or rowan trees to watch over them, warding off the evil spirits; the trees are still watching and it only takes a little imagination to see the mourners of earlier times and hear the piped lament, itself dying in the wind.

Prophecy Stone by the ruins of Duchal Castle

And battles. Every clan had its battles. Most battle sites are unmarked but sometimes there is a monument to the dead or a stone where the clan would traditionally gather. You may also be able to see the old bridge where a particularly significant murder took place, giving rise to another bout of feuding, or the shore upon which a planned attack foundered. We will take you there if we can. There is no additional charge for any research we undertake for your clan land holiday: we just tailor the holiday to take in as much of your specialist interest as you would like.

Here is what some others felt about their days in the clan lands:

I can't begin to thank you enough for all the research you did on the McGillivray's to make our tour and our entire trip to Scotland so memorable. We look forward to returning soon and spending more time trekking through the fields with you.

Robert McGilvray ( MacGillivray clan lands)

We had the trip that we really wanted. What is also fabulous was the side trips, the spur of the moment hikes across the peat bogs to the ruined castle (I need the postcard to remember the correct name).

Selma Arnold ( Campbell clan lands) (It was Dun Sgathaich, Selma, illustrated right.)

Thank you for an incredible three days. I will never forget the beauty of the country nor the humor & welcome we received from you & those we met along the way.

Mary Lou McConnell Millett (McConnell clan lands)

We also loved meeting Lord Airlie at Cortachy Castle. Cassidy just couldn't believe it. We drove up the Glen Clova and wandered around the cemetery at Clova. We had kept the Winton House a surprise for Cassidy she thought we were staying at a B&B, when we rang the door bell at Winton, she near died! She had a great time and Sir Francis was really great with her and us, such a everyday kind of person considering who he is.

Teresa Ogilvie Bell ( Ogilvie clan lands)

Thanks for an unexpectedly wonderful visit to the McGillivray sites with you. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it, and the entire visit to Scotland exceeded my expectations. Thank you.

Steve McGillivray ( MacGilllivray clan lands)

I can tell that the people were very satisfied with Fridays schedule and especially for you, so many thanks for your guidance, we were very happy to have you as our guide.

Heidi Rajahala (Taits of Pirn lands)

I wanted to say how much we truly enjoyed the time we spent with you. Everyone in the family expressed how much they missed you once we moved on to Ireland. Our days there were very nice but I must honestly tell you that you were a very tough act to follow. I'm glad for the opportunity to have met you and we will all treasure our Scotland memories.

Jodi MacDonald ( MacDonald clan lands)

We thoroughly enjoyed the day with you. Thanks again for the effort and the professionalism. It was great.

Patrick Forbes ( Forbes clan lands)

When we remember our first visit to Scotland, our brightest moments are from the portion that you arranged. The varied accommodation and the private tour with the rock carvings were all exactly right. While listening to your running Scottish history lessons and viewing the incredible countryside, we fell in love with Scotland and plan to return. We particularly enjoyed all your detailed information about our MacCollum and MacLeod ancestors and look forward to having you arrange a reprise.

Dr and Mrs Homer Twigg (MacCollum and MacLeod lands)

Threave Castle, reached only by boat
Threave Castle, a Douglas stronghold built by Archibald The Grim.

Terms and conditions are as for Touring Holidays. Please fill in the Enquiry Form.



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