Introduction

Tonight, I am reporting on the impending appointment of the first chief of Clan MacEwen since 1493.

Information on the new chief.

Clan MacEwen’s tradition homeland is the Cowal peninsula in the west of Scotland.

The last chief, Swene McEwan died childless in 1493 since when the clan has been without an official chief.

It is now proposed that Sir John Roderick Hugh Mcewen, 57, be installed as the new chief in 2024. Sir John is the fifth Baronet of Marchmont and Bardrochat and resides near Duns in the Scottish Borders.

Sir John describes himself as an “ordinary writer and actor, husband of a teacher, smallholder and father to four children”.

The clan represents variations of the name including MacEwan, MacEwen, McEwan and McEwen.

The new chief will be verified by Lord Lyon King of Arms. This official presides over heraldic and clan matters.

The clan’s motto is “Grow strong again”.

Day tour to the ruined MacEwen castle

First, I collected my small group of guests from a cruise ship at Greenock, Glasgow. We then embarked on a fascinating trip to visit the site of Mac Ewan Castle, near Kilfinan.

First we drove round to Gourock and caught the ferry across the Firth of Clyde to Dunoon. Then drove for about 1 hour west along  a narrow, winding road to our first stop at Otter Ferry. This was the place of domicile of Ewen of Otter on the shores of Loch Fyne. This person as active around AD 1200 and is the earliest historical forbear of Clan MacEwan. Lovely spot to admire on a  warm, sunny morning.

Next, we drove on to Kilfinan where at the Kilfinan Hotel. Here we were provided with some excellent assistance by Madelon. She provided very helpful information on Clan MacEwan and directions to the castle ruins. We were also provided with a friendly dog (collie) by name of Jessie to accompany are hike.

Kilfinan Hotel

Jessie

Accessing the castle site proved something of an adventure, navigating across fields, a stream, rickety fences, and a beach.  We eventually achieved our target although were all  in agreement that perhaps Clan MacEwan or some other authority should improve the access and signage. Our exertions were mitigated to an extent by the warm sunny weather and relatively dry conditions underfoot.

On the trail to Castle Mac Ewan

The castle site is prominent but now amounts to little more than a pile of stones. However, view across Loch Fyne and surrounding landscapes was superb.

We next headed back to the Kilfinan Hotel where we had a pleasant light  lunch under care of Madelon. Very enjoyable experience sitting outside on the veranda.

Finally, we drove to the heritage village of Luss and then on to Greenock to connect with the cruise ship

Luss Village

More Information for the visitor to Scotland

The publication, Visitors’ Guide to Scotland includes sections on landscapes, history, cities, architecture and much more. This book is heavily illustrated and contains a wealth of information on Scotland. The ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. Also available via Kindle.