The new Chieftain of Clan MacBean Richard McBain has said that coming back to Scotland is like coming home – despite being born and raised in Arizona.
Richard McBain, 65, currently resides in Tucson but has travelled back to his family’s ancestral land to take up the mantle of Chieftain following his father’s death.
He is the 23rd Chieftain of Clan MacBean, part of the historic sept of Clan Chattan, dating back to the 15th Century.
Coming back, Mr McBain said, is “a double-edged sword” as rising to the highest clan position is only after his father passed away on March 7 at age 93.
Mr McBain had already begun taking on duties for the last 10 years to fill in for his ageing father.
While his roots are Scottish, Mr McBain was born in Arizona in 1956 after his parents moved and his father set up a successful photography business.
He would let his young son help at the shop, and by the time he was 17, Mr McBain had already photographed 200 weddings.
He attended Southern Illinois University, where he studied photography and English, before setting off for San Francisco, where he lived for 10 years.
A keen outdoorsman, Mr McBain has swum from Alcatraz Island to the shore of San Francisco Bay and enjoyed riding his Ducati 900 SS motorbike.
Richard McBain has become the 23rd Chieftain of Clan MacBean
In 2013, his father tasked him with restoring the McBain Memorial Park, located on the high hills above Dores.
The park had suffered from theft and vandalism but many improvements have now been made, including Scottish Wildcat statues, the McBain Park road sign and the new Alan Bean memorial area.
Alan Bean, part of Clan MacBean, was the fourth man to walk on the Moon and the first person to take a piece of tartan to the Moon, which was MacBean tartan.
Mr McBain spoke about the anticipation in the run-up to becoming Chieftain. He said: “It’s a day you know is coming, in my case since I was born.
“I’ve been doing this job for around a decade since my father slowed backed off from major duties. It is wonderful to be here with old friends.
“Our family came through Canada many generations ago and eventually ended up in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“Somehow, my father ended up going out to the desert in Arizona, which is one of the only places in the world where saguaros grow (giant cactus).
Clans represents traditions of old Highland way of life
“I was born in Arizona, so when I first made the trip over to Scotland in the 1980s, it was absolutely mystical.
“I could not believe that the first time I set foot in the area where our lands are, there was a special feeling, and I am a sceptical person so I was surprised to feel that.
“This is definitely home, it’s just a shame I can’t come back here more often.”
On becoming Chieftain, Mr McBain’s main goal is to create more interest in the history and more interconnected Clan MacBean, whose members have spread across the globe.
Thousands of clan members now reside in countries like the USA, Canada, Australia and part of Africa.
Speaking about the importance of clans in promoting Scottish traditions and culture, Mr McBain said “they are the flag that people rally to” to learn about Highland history.
He wants to educate the younger generation on the sacrifices and stories of their ancestors who lived, fought and died as part of the clan.
Mr McBain added: “Your history and your own personal family are tied up in the clans if you’re a Highlander.
“As you come into this world and learn from the people who run the clan you will learn stories about your own family that you didn’t know.”
Conversation