Donald Cameron of Lochiel (1835–1905)

Donald Cameron of Lochiel, (5 April 1835 – 30 November 1905) was a British Conservative politician and diplomat. He was the 24th Chief of Clan Cameron.

Early life
Lochiel was the eldest son of Donald Cameron, 23rd Lochiel and Lady Vere Catherine Louisa Hobart (1803–1888), of Hampden House, Buckinghamshire. His mother, a sister of the 5th Earl of Buckinghamshire, was the daughter of the Hon. George Vere Hobart by his second wife Janet Maclean, a scion of the Macleans of Coll and Camerons of Glendessary. Lochaber joyously celebrated the birth of Lochiel's heir during the spring of 1835, with commemorative dinners held by Camerons 'from Ballachulish Ferry to the Marches of Knoydart', as well as the lighting of bonfires on Ben Nevis.

He was educated at Harrow, and shortly thereafter entered into the Diplomatic service.

Diplomacy
Entering the Foreign Office in 1852, Cameron was to be employed in diplomatic service in Europe and the Far East. In 1857, he was appointed First Attaché of the Earl of Elgin's special embassy to China during the Second Opium War. He was then at the British embassy in Berlin, where he met with Otto von Bismarck, and was also a paid Attaché at Bern, Copenhagen and Stockholm. He retired from the diplomatic service in 1859.

Public life
At the 1868 general election Cameron was elected Member of Parliament for Inverness-shire and took his seat in the House of Commons, which he held until 1885. He was a Justice of the peace and Deputy lieutenant for Inverness-shire and Buckinghamshire, respectively. From 1887, he held the office of Lord Lieutenant of Inverness-shire. From 1874 to 1880, Lochiel served as groom-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, whom he had hosted during a Royal visit to Achnacarry in 1873.

Active in sheep farming, Lochiel had to take on the stakes of most of the sheep farms on his estate during the acute depression in the industry. As such, he had an intimate knowledge of the shepherds plight, and that of the related business of deer stalking. He was appointed in 1883 to the Napier Association, to enquire into the grievances of the Crofters, and was later named to the Deer Forest Commission in 1894.

He owned 125,000 acres, with 110,000 in Inverness-shire, 16,000 in Argyll and 400 in Buckinghamshire.

Marriage and children
In 1875, Lochiel married Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott, the second daughter of Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, by his wife Lady Charlotte Thynne, the daughter of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath. They had four sons:


 * Col. Sir Donald Walter Cameron, 25th Lochiel, (1876–1951), commanding officer of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders who succeeded as Chief; married Lady Hermione Graham, daughter of the 5th Duke of Montrose.
 * Capt. Ewen Charles Cameron (1878–1958), officer of the Lovat Scouts.
 * Allan George Cameron (1880–1914), killed near Aisne during World War I.
 * Archibald Cameron (1886–1917), killed at the Battle of Arras during World War I.

Commemoration
Lochiel is commemorated with a statue in Fort William on the Parade, erected circa 1905. He is depicted in full Highland regalia with an inscription in Scottish Gaelic which reads: Dòmhnall Camshron mac Dhòmhnaill Dubh. The statue serves as tribute to a Highland gentleman who faithfully served both Lochaber and his clan during his lifetime.