Welcome and Thanks

Welcome to Old Castle Lachlan.

My ancestors built a castle here at least 800 years ago to protect our homeland and clan members. From here, my fellow clansmen and women contributed to the development of Gaelic and Scottish life and culture across many centuries, and set out to make new lives in every corner of the globe. Almost every day I hear from someone in a distant land wanting to connect with our clan and discover the story of their ancestors’ place in Scottish history.

My family and I still live nearby in ‘new’ Castle Lachlan, and meet many of the people who find their way here. To some the Old Castle is their ancestral home. To all who visit, it is a beautiful, natural, tranquil place that lifts the spirits and often inspires life-changing chapters in people’s personal stories.

But even something as solid as a centuries-old castle weakens over time. The Old Castle, the symbol of enduring bonds that span the world, is in a fragile state. It needs specialist attention to repair and conserve it. No-one will ever live in it again. It will stay a romantic ruin, a magical place accessible to everyone, conjuring up all manner of feelings and thoughts about the past, contemporary life and the future.

The castle and its unique designed landscape are now in the hands of a charity, the Lachlan Trust, which is raising funds to ensure people can enjoy visiting for centuries to come. If you are able to make a donation to the fund-raising effort, I’d like to thank you on behalf of everyone involved. Your generosity will make a big difference.

Yours aye,

Euan Maclachlan of Maclachlan