John MacLeod of MacLeod, born John Wolrige-Gordon (10 August 1935 – 12 February 2007), was the 29th Chief of Clan MacLeod. Faced with the need for expensive repairs to the clan's seat at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, his proposed methods to raise funds caused considerable controversy. His twin brother, Patrick Wolrige-Gordon (1935–2002), was MP for East Aberdeenshire.
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Biography
John was born as John Wolrige-Gordon in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, on 10 August 1935. He was the elder of the twin sons of Captain Robert Wolrige-Gordon, MC and his wife Joan Walter. His mother, Joan, was the daughter of Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, the 28th Chief of Clan MacLeod. She was also a direct descendant of John Walter, founder of The Times. His younger twin brother, Patrick Wolrige-Gordon, would later become a Tory Member of Parliament. The twins had an older brother, Captain Robert Wolrige-Gordon, who would later succeed their father as the 21st Laird of Hallhead, 10th Baron of Esslemont.
John was educated at Cheam School, Eton College, McGill University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He started a career in acting and singing after National Service in the Black Watch Regiment.
In 1951, he was named heir to his grandmother, changed his surname to MacLeod of MacLeod, and was recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms as John MacLeod of MacLeod, Younger. He matriculated arms at Lyon Office in 1962. He later succeeded as Chief of Clan MacLeod in 1976. In 2000, faced with the high cost of repairs to Dunvegan Castle, his clan's seat for more than 800 years, he put the Black Cuillin range in Skye on the market for £10 million. He also planned to build an 80-bedroom hotel on his Skye estate with the proceeds of the sale. The planned sale caused outrage at the time and was never completed. He had also considered transferring the range to a charitable trust for public ownership.
