Clan Barclay People
Field Marshall Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly (1761-1818)
Born in modern-day Lithuania, Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly was a descendant of Scottish immigrants who settled in Livona in the 1600s. He played an important role in Russian military history. As Minister of War he commanded the Russian armies fighting against Napoleon in 1812. He initiated the scorched earth campaign that contributed greatly to Napoleons retreat from Moscow later that year.
Barclay de Tolly was created a prince by the Tsar and to this day his portrait hangs in the Hermitage in St Petersburg.
Clan Barclay Places
Towie Barclay Castle
Towie Barclay Castle is a historic castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, 4.5 miles south-south-east of Turriff. The current structure was built in 1593 by Clan Barclay. The site was given to the Clan in the 11th century by Malcolm III of Scotland.
Balvaird Castle
Balvaird is Baile a’ Bhàird, ‘Township of the Bard’ in Gaelic. This is a medieval Scottish tower house, built around the year 1500 for Sir Andrew Murray, a younger son of the family of Murray of Tullibardine. He acquired the lands of Balvaird through marriage to the heiress Margaret Barclay, a member of a wealthy family. It is likely that Balvaird Castle was built on the site of an earlier Barclay family castle. Substantial remnants of earthwork fortifications around the Castle may survive from earlier defences.