The 45th Chief

 

Ian Roderick MacNeil

Ian Roderick MacNeil of Barra, the 46th clan chief, claims descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages, the king of Ireland from 379 to 405.  MacNeils are said to have lived in Barra for about a thousand years and James I granted the island to Gilleonan MacNeil in 1427.  It left the family’s ownership for nearly a century when General Roderick MacNeil sold it in 1840.  However, it was bought back by the current chief’s father in 1937 when he moved from the United States to buy the island and restore the ancestral seat, Kisimul Castle, between 1956-70.
 
At the time, Ian MacNeil spent a considerable period on the island and went to school in Castlebay. He has now run the crofting estate for nearly 35 years, splitting his time between the island, his native America, where he taught law at Northwestern University in Chicago, and Edinburgh where he now lives.
 
He is an expert in contract law and is said to be very knowledgeable about crofting and crofting legislation. He and his family used to live in Kisimul Castle when they visited Barra, but they have since renovated and extended a croft house.
 
The castle was recently leased to Historic Scotland for a thousand years for an annual rent of £1 and a bottle of whisky - presently Talisker, although Mr MacNeil has reserved the right to change the whisky.
 
He is also a historian and makes regular contributions on clan history and other topics to the clan newsletter, The Galley, and attends Highland gatherings in North America. Last year, he presented a paper on the dating of Scottish galley castles to a major conference in Barra.