Our Family History

Campbells of Lochow

Sir Cailean Mór Campbell, 1st Lord of Lochow aka "Colin the Great", died fighting Alexander, Lord of Lorne, at the Ath-dearg (Red Ford) of Lorn (where a cairn marks the site of his grave). Earned the name Cailean Mór "Colin the Great" for his deeds on and off the battlefield and for his leadership of Clan Campbell. The Chiefs of Clan Campbell take the Gaelic title of 'MacCailein Mor' (Son of Colin the Great) from Sir Cailean Mór Campbell.

Campbells of Breadalbane

The University of Strathclyde announced in October of 2023 that the Campbells of Breadalbane were not closely related to the Campbells of Lochow and published those findings. The DNA team at the CCSNA Campbell DNA Project had known this beforehand and had cooperated with the Strathclyde researchers. The common ancestor they share likely dates back to the Roman Times in Scotland.

Descendants test as R-M222 Irish

It has long been known by genealogists that a Clan is generally a melting pot consisting of a chiefly line, and other families that may or may not be genetically related. So it's little wonder that there is an entire branch of Clan Campbell that have tested their Y-DNA and have been found to be R-M222, the second most populous haplogroup in Ireland. It has since been found that the genetic mutation exists on both sides of the Irish Sea. The mutation R-M222 was once called the Niall of the Nine Hostages mutation which is why it was thought of as Irish.

Loudoun

Campbells of Loudoun are the second oldest branch of the house of Argyll, and are descended from Donald, second son of Sir Colin Campbell of Lochaw, and brother of Sir Neil Campbell, the friend of King Robert Bruce.

Cawdor

In 1510, at 12 years old, Muriel married Sir John Campbell, third son of the 2nd Earl of Argyll. From 1524 to 1546, Sir John Campbell of Caddell lived at Caddell (now Cawdor) Castle, until his death.

Breadalbane

Earl of Breadalbane and Holland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1681 for Sir John Campbell, 5th Baronet, of Glenorchy, who had previously been deprived of the title Earl of Caithness.

The present Duke, Torquhil Ian, inherited the title on the death of his father in 2001. He combines his duties as Duke, Clan Chief and Landowner with a consultant role with Pernod Ricard, promoting Scotch Whiskies including Chivas Regal and Glenlivet. He captained Scotland to victory in 2004 and 2005 in the World Elephant Polo Championships. He is married to Eleanor Cadbury, they have three children and live in the castle today.

If you have a DNA test and a family tree in the form of a GEDCOM please consider a submission to the Project so we can obtain the widest coverage possible for Campbell related lineages.

Also if you have time to volunteer, we are seeking people to help us verify and correct submissions, date formats, place names, and verify source citations etc. The DNA Project also seeks help at Wikitree. If interested just use the contact form and let us know!

A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship or descent. Little doubt there was a progenitor who was first known as “Cam Beul”. Eventually one of the families associated with that name would become the Chiefs of the Clan. A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship or descent. Little doubt there was a progenitor who was first known as “Cam Beul”. Eventually one of the families associated with that name would become the Chiefs of the Clan. However, it should be clear from the beginning of our research that no one family has every made up a “clan”. More ... Search Contact Us If you have any questions, suggestions, or need help with the website you can email us using the Contact form located here