Clan Malcolm
Malcolm, also known as MacCallum, is an Argyll clan led by the Lairds of Poltalloch, near Kilmartin. The family adopted the name Malcolm in the late eighteenth century and lives at Duntrune Castle.
History
Malcolm and MacCallum are two names for one clan. Both derive from the Gaelic Mac Ghille Chaluim, 'son of the servant of Columba', after the saint who brought Christianity to the Western Highlands. The clan society sets the family in Lorn, in Argyll. Its earliest written record dates from 1414, when Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochow gave Reginald MacCallum of Corbarron lands in Craignish and beside Loch Avich.
The most important line is that of Poltalloch, near Kilmartin. According to the society, a man called Maol Caluim was granted Poltalloch in 1510 and was followed by his son Gillespic. Gillespic's son Donald received a charter for the lands in 1562 from Duncan Campbell of Duntrune, and is counted as the first Laird of Poltalloch. The MacCallums held the land as Campbell vassals, a sign of their standing in Argyll.
The change of name came late. Dugald MacCallum of Poltalloch adopted the surname Malcolm, reportedly by preference. The clan society dates this to 1779, though at least one other account says 1799, so we would not lean too hard on the date. His descendants have kept the name Malcolm since, and both names have had one chief from then on. Some writers think MacCallum and Malcolm began as separate groups that were later drawn together under that chief. That is a view, not a proven fact.
In 1792 the Malcolms of Poltalloch bought Duntrune Castle from the Campbells. It stands on the north side of Loch Crinan and is often described as the oldest castle on the Scottish mainland to have been lived in without a break. Accounts differ on how much of the present building is thirteenth century and how much later, so we have not tried to date it. It is still the family's home.
The family later made its mark outside Argyll. John Wingfield Malcolm, the 15th Laird, sat as MP for Argyll and was created Lord Malcolm of Poltalloch in 1896. The peerage ended with his death in 1902, but the chiefship and the style 'of Poltalloch' passed to his brother, Edward Donald Malcolm.
The chiefship carries the style 'Malcolm of Poltalloch', and the family still lives at Duntrune. In 1971 the Clan MacCallum-Malcolm Society of North America was founded, with encouragement from the then chief, Lt. Col. George Ian Malcolm of Poltalloch, to keep members in touch across the Atlantic.
Clan Malcolm tartans
Names and reference numbers follow the Scottish Register of Tartans. Mills sell most setts in modern, ancient and weathered colourways. The pattern is the same; only the shades change.
MalcolmClan tartan · Register ref. 2791The Register treats this asymmetrical sett as the correct Malcolm. It rests on a woven sample in W. and A. Smith's 1850 book, which says Sir John Malcolm of Balbeadie confirmed it as his tartan. It looks very like the Double Davidson, as D. C. Stewart noted.
Malcolm, 1840Other sett · Register ref. 2793Taken from a Wilsons of Bannockburn sample book that is dated to about 1840. The Register notes that it is the oldest known Malcolm sample, and wonders aloud whether it should be the true sett. It is unusual for using both a scarlet and a rose red.
Malcolm, dressDress tartan · Register ref. 2795A dress version taken from the sample collection of J. Cant, made between 1930 and 1950. It follows the asymmetrical sett recorded in 1850 and appears to match a dress Malcolm described in an 1888 catalogue.
Get the kilt
When you order a kilt, ask for the tartan by its full name — for example “Malcolm” — and say which colourway you want. “Modern” is dark and strong, “ancient” is lighter, “weathered” is muted. The sett is the same in each.
We are choosing retailers we trust and will list them here soon.
Wear the colours
Our own Malcolm range is on its way: the name, the tartan and the motto on a heavyweight tee, a hoodie and a mug. About the shop.
Lands and seats
- Duntrune Castle. On the north side of Loch Crinan, near Kilmartin. Bought from the Campbells by the Malcolms of Poltalloch in 1792 and still the family's home.
Surnames
The clan name and its spellings
- Malcolm
- MacCallum
- McCallum
- MacCollum
- McCollum
- Malcomb
Names associated with Clan Malcolm
- Callum
- Callam
- Collum
- MacAllum
- Malcolmson
- Callum: Listed by the clan society among the names of the clan.
“Associated” means the name appears in published sept lists for this clan. It does not prove descent, and many names are linked to more than one clan. Where your family lived is often the better clue.
Questions people ask
What is the Malcolm tartan?
The Register records Malcolm as an asymmetrical sett, taken from a woven sample published by W. and A. Smith in 1850. Other versions exist, including a Wilsons of Bannockburn pattern of about 1840 and a dress sett.
What is the Malcolm clan motto?
The motto is In ardua tendit, Latin for 'he aims at difficult things'. The crest is a silver tower.
Are Malcolm and MacCallum the same clan?
Yes. They share one chief. The Laird of Poltalloch changed the family name from MacCallum to Malcolm in the late eighteenth century, and both names are now counted as one clan.
Where is Clan Malcolm from?
The family comes from Lorn and the Craignish and Kilmartin area of Argyll. The Laird of Poltalloch lives at Duntrune Castle on Loch Crinan.
Sources
- Malcolm tartan (ref. 2791) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Malcolm (1840) tartan (ref. 2793) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- Malcolm Dress tartan (ref. 2795) — Scottish Register of Tartans
- A Brief History of Clan MacCallum/Malcolm — Clan MacCallum-Malcolm Society of North America
- The MacCallum/Malcolm Name & History of the Malcolm Family — Clan MacCallum-Malcolm Society of North America
- Clan Chief — Clan MacCallum-Malcolm Society of North America
- Clan MacCallum/Malcolm — gmhg.org
- Clan Malcolm arms — Scots of Lou
Clan histories are contested and sources disagree. If you can correct something here with a source, write to hello@tartanflag.com. Last updated 4 October 2026.