lain MacMillan MacAulay,
2O^th. Chief of Clan MacAulay
… Though he endured much, He achieved much …

Iain MacMillan MacAulay, 20^th Chief of Clan MacAulay passed away quietly after dinner August 9^th. 2003, and is now in the presence of his King. He was the most gracious and noble of all who bear the name MacAulay.

Friday, August 15^th. more than 150 of the Clan MacAulay attended their Chief’s funeral at the Church of Scotland, Lochinver and later gathered at Stoer, a picturesque cemetery in west Sutherland to bid farewell under a piper’s soulful laments.

The coffin was covered with the red and white quartered standard of the chief. On the standard were his chiefly bonnet, his medals, his MBE, and a single white Scottish rose “which smells so sharp and sweet and breaks a heart”

Chief Iain 83, made history in August of 2001 when he was elected the first chief of the clan for over 250 years. And the democratic process by which he was elected is now seen as a blueprint for other disbanded clans.

Chief Iain was born in Dunoon, ArgylI, in 1920. He joined the medical branch of the RAF in 1938 and was posted to Singapore. The Japanese occupied there shortly alter and he spent three and-a-half years in a  POW camp. He endured torture, mal-nourishment and disease. When he was finally

able to return to his family in Dunoon his health was very poor, he weighed less than five stones (70lbs) and was threatened with the possibility of blindness. He received £300 back pay for the time he had spent as a POW, giving half to one of his brothers and the other half to buy a MacAulay kilt and to marry Nina in 1946.

Chief Iain completed a physiotherapy teaching degree at King’s College London, and later founded the RAF School of Physiotherapy. The former Squadron Leader also led expeditions into the Scottish mountains to teach young service men survival skills, for which he was made an MBE.

He received his commission as Commander from

the Lord Lyon King of Arms on the 5^th Day of November 1997. From his home at Drumbeg in the Scottish Highlands his constant dream of re-establishing the Clan MacAulay led him to advertise publicly for MacAulays to come together. When he did so 50 turned up. That was, in affect, the rebirth of the clan.

He leaves Nina, his bride of 57 years, two sons and their wives, Diarmid and Fiona; Alasdair and Gisela, four grandchildren, and one great grandson.

As Chief, he leaves a revitalized clan with hundreds of members throughout the world.

“MacAmhaghadh gu Brath”

Borders Articles on Hold

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