The Clan MacLennan Youth Pages Introduce
CHIEF RUAIRIDH MACLENNAN
Chief Ruairidh Donald George MacLennan of MacLennan
35th Hereditary Chief of Clan MacLennan
Our Clan Chief is Ruairidh Donald George MacLennan. He is 29 years old with an upcoming birthday in April when he will turn 30! He is one of three children of Ronald MacLennan and Margaret (also a MacLennan by birth) and their only son. Ruairidh has two sisters, Kirsteen and Lorna, who both live in Scotland with Ruairidh. Since the word clan means family, that would mean that Ruairidh is the head of the MacLennan families worldwide. That’s a big job! To help him with this big responsibility Ruairidh has chosen a few other MacLennans throughout the world to be his Lieutenants - people to help him guide the Clan MacLennan, answer questions and help with any Clan problems.
Clan MacLennan has had a Chief for hundreds of years until Chief Ruairidh MacIain Donmull Ban MacLennan, the 33rd chief died in battle in 1645. For the next 333 years the Clan MacLennan did not have a Chief until Ruairidh’s father Ronald MacLennan, was made the 34th Chief of Clan MacLennan in 1978. Ronald served as Clan Chief for 20 years until his death from leukemia in 1989. At the age of 12, his son Ruairidh became the youngest Clan Chief ever. Ruairidh’s mother died within two years of his father, leaving all three children without parents.
Clan MacLennan is known for it’s bagpipers and Chief Ruairidh is a very good piper, he was Pipe Major of the Pipe Band at Fettes College in Edinburgh. In 1995 he won the Scottish Schools Piping Competition. He is also a competent rower and sailor, sailing on a Tall Ship from the south of England to Ireland and Scotland as part of his school curriculum. In the summer of 1993 he rowed the length of Loch Ness (home of the Loch Ness monster) for Scottish charities. In 2002 Ruairidh graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a Master of Rural Surveying Degree, and was re-commissioned into the Officer Training Corps at Aberdeen as a Piper in their Pipe Band.
Chief Ruairidh’s home is on the shore of Loch Ness in the village of Dores, approximately 10 miles from Inverness. He is employed and currently involved with managing a number of estates. He is a well-known piper having piped with two major Pipe Bands.
We hope you have learned something about your Clan Chief and that you will write/e-mail us if you have any questions. There are two puzzles following that you can solve by finding the answers in the story above. Once you have finished the puzzles, mail/e-mail them to us for a prize! Need help, ask Mom or Dad or e-mail us. There is also a picture that you can color (one that shows Ruairidh’s favorite instrument and mail back to us. The best picture will win a prize. All the winners names will appear in the next edition of the newsletter so mail us your puzzles and pictures, win prizes and see your name in print!
Alexandre McKeon and Colleen MacLennan
Our mailing address Clan MacLennan Youth
11757 W. Ken Caryl Ave.
Littleton, CO 80127
USA
