A PROUD American dad has celebrated his 99th birthday by rekindling his Scottish roots with a deed of entitlement to a section of Scottish land in the heart of Glencoe, Highlands.
Duncan MacLeod was overjoyed on Saturday when daughter Jeanne managed to actually visit the small section of Scottish land he was gifted for his big birthday in December.
Duncan was born on Boxing Day in 1923 to Italian-American parents, but has a rich tapestry of Scottish ancestry which he has proudly shared with family over the course of almost 100 years.
This carried through to his daughter Jeanne MacLeod Garifallou – whose equal love for Scotland culminated in a long-anticipated visit to the country this month to visit her dad’s plot of land.
Jeanne, 64, travelled across Scotland right up to the Isle of Skye, Highlands, where her father’s Macleod clan originated from.
Heartwarming images show Jeanne wrapped up in warm clothes as she hugs a huge tree on Duncan’s land.
A further image shows Duncan beaming proudly as he holds the framed deed proclaiming him as a lord of the purchased land.
Jeanne explained that the near-centennial will also soon have a tree planted in his honour, with a plaque reading his name – and that his heart remains in Scotland.
Jeanne took to social media on Sunday to share the touching images, writing: “So happy to be here. Just returned from my first trip to Scotland.
“We gave my dad, Duncan Andrew MacLeod a wee bit of land in the Highland Nature Reserve.
“Here he is at his 99th birthday, and that’s me hugging the tree on his patch of land in Scotland. Hold Fast.”
The post received over 1,000 likes, and more than 90 comments from users left touched by the gesture.
Janette Wilson commented: “What a lovely thing to do. I’m sure he would be thrilled, especially with that great Scottish name.”
Joyce Brown said: “Once you’ve been here, the love for our wee country never leaves you. [Your] dad looks so happy.”
Marion Smith commented: “Happy birthday to yer dad. Fine looking man – never think he’s 99, my hubby got the same gift for his 75th.”
Violet Doherty commented: “A very happy birthday to you, sir. Slainte mhath.”
Anna Kidd said: “Happy birthday, sir, and an everlasting spot o’ Scotland for you to treasure. Enjoy.”
Gordon Sim joked: “That’s all we need – another tree hugger. Joking aside, hope you enjoy your wee bit o’ Scotland.”
Speaking to Jeanne today, she said: “I’ve dreamed of going to Scotland for as long as I can remember. In fact, when I was in elementary school, we were allowed to sign up for pen pals.
“Of course, I picked a girl my age from Scotland; Inverurie, Aberdeenshire to be exact.
“My cousin Carolyn and I had talked informally about going to Scotland one day. We both had some significant losses in our lives in recent years, and got the feeling we needed to really get serious.
“Then, we discovered ‘The Hebridean Baker’ on TikTok, whose name is Coinneach MacLeod, met him in person on his first American book tour, and the actual planning process began.
“So Carolyn, her husband Mark, son Jacob and I flew to London on 12 March, took the train to Edinburgh and spent a few days in that breathtaking city, then rented a car and headed to Fort William.
“From there, we were able to visit the Isle of Skye, home of Clan MacLeod, the beautiful town of Fort William, and of course, The Highland Title Nature Reserve.
“We spent one more glorious day in Edinburgh, then returned to London flying home to Boston on 21 March.
“My dad was born in 1923 just outside Boston, Massachusetts to Duncan MacLeod of Kentville, Nova Scotia and Marie America Fischer, of Southern Italy.
“An interesting mix to be sure but it seems that as the years went on, the dominant side that emerged for my dad was the Highlander DNA – lots of bagpipes, trips to Scotland, etc.
“He met his wife Marilyn Quinn at work in 1956, they married in May 1958 and had four children; me, Bonnie, Duncan and Colin.
“My parents had just celebrated 60 years of marriage when we lost my Mom, and the love of my Dad’s life, in 2018.
“So after my Dad turned 98, I was left with the question of ‘What do you get for the guy who needs nothing, wants nothing, yet has everything, especially his health?’
“Then one day Highland Titles showed up on my Facebook feed.
“Since we had to postpone his actual 98th birthday party because there was an outbreak of Covid, I was able to purchase the land, get all the paperwork and have the proclamation beautifully framed in plenty of time for his 99th birthday, which we just celebrated several months ago.
“When I presented him with the framed proclamation, he was actually speechless and very emotional.
“It was hard for him to grasp how it could all be real but the picture I was able to take on his actual piece of land really helped him focus in and see for himself that it is indeed quite real.
“At some point, they will plant a new tree with a plaque on it that reads ‘Duncan Andrew MacLeod – My Heart is in Scotland’.
“This entirely new aspect of our connection to Scotland made this trip so incredibly special. more than I could have imagined.”
Duncan himself added: “[I’m] Very proud many times over. Very excited and thrilled. I wonder what I would have looked like as a Highlander centuries ago.”
