Lot Essay
Born in 1911, the 15th Hereditary Keeper and Captain of Dunconnel, Fitzroy Maclean proved himself in the Second World War to be one of the more remarkable men of his generation. After leaving the Foreign Office after the outbreak of war, he joined the Cameron Highlanders as a Private, became a 2nd Lieutenant in 1941, and joined the 1st Special Air Service regiment in 1942. His extraordinary career in that regiment is well-known, culminating in his service from 1943-45 as Brigadier commanding the British Military Mission to the Yugoslav partisans. After the war he turned to politics, as M.P. for Lancaster from 1941-59, and Bute and N. Ayrshire from 1959-74. He was also a successful writer, publishing sixteen books between 1949 and 1992, including most notably Eastern Approaches.