D. Mc Lean

D. Mc Lean biography

Dougie MacLean OBE (born 27 September, 1954, in Dunblane, Scotland) is one of Scotland's finest singers and songwriters, with a rich, heavily-accented voice. He is a multi-instrumentalist (harp, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, didgeridoo, guitar) with a large back catalogue. MacLean began his career playing with the Tannahill Weavers in 1976. In the early '80s, he was briefly part of Silly Wizard. His solo career started in 1981. His first release was in 1983 with the album "Craigie Dhu", although he had already recorded other albums, such as "Snaigow" and "Fiddle", which were not released till much later. Perhaps his best-known track is "Caledonia", used for a Scottish Tourist Board advert, and very evocative of Scotland. Also well-known is "The Gael", from his 1990 album The Search, which was adapted by Trevor Jones as the main theme to the 1992 film Last of the Mohicans. MacLean's lyrics are fervently pro-Scottish; a recurring theme is the Highland Clearances. He also campaigns for the Aborigines and the native Americans. MacLean lives in Dunkeld in Perthshire. The popular music bar in The Taybank Hotel, which displays MacLean ephemera and is a popular venue for folk music enthusiasts. In 2011, MacLean was invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). More info: www.dougiemaclean.com