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MacCallum
Motto: In arduit petit (He has attempted difficult things)
The name MacCallum comes from the Gaelic ‘MacChaluim’, the son of Calum. Calum has long been a favourite name in the Highlands especially in the Western Isles. It is derived from ‘colum’ a dove’. In the past it was often found in the fuller form, ‘MacGillechalium’, son of the servant of Calum (the dove like one), and has been Anglicised to Malcom during the last two hundred years; this does not mean that all Malcolms were originally MacCallums.
Mac-Gille-Chaluim is the designation in Gaelic of MacLeod of Raasay, and it is to this cadet branch of the MacLeods of Lewis that the name MacCallum is most strongly associated. They descend from Malcolm Garve, son of Malcolm, 8th Baron of Lewis.
In 1414 Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochow granted lands in Craignish to Reginald MacCallum of Corbarron with the office of hereditary constable of the castles of Lochaffy and Craignish. This branch died out and Corbarron was inherited by Zachary MacCallum of Portalloch.
The Argyllshire family, the MacCallums of Portalloch, were unlikely to have been connected with the Raasay MacLeods. The MacCallums of Corbarron were followers of the Earl of Argyll and thus the Campbell Clan. Dugald MacCallum of Portalloch who succeeded the estate in 179 was the first to formally and permanently change their name from MacCallum to Malcolm. The tartan of Malcom and MacCallum are often interchanged.
Choose from one of the MacCallum tartans listed below:
