Sir Ewan Cameron of Lochiel was the eldest son of John Cameron and the grandson of Allan Cameron of Lochiel, 16th Chief. His father having predeceased him in infancy, Ewen Cameron spent much of his youth under the guardianship of the 1st Marquess of Argyll at Inveraray. In 1647 he succeeded his grandfather as Chief of Cameron, being one of the most important Highland clans. The Camerons were always strong supporters of the Royal Stuarts and as The Lochiel he joined William Cunningham, 9th Earl of Glencairn in the Royalist rising of 1651 to 1654, being defeated at the Battle of Tullich in 1652. However, Sir Ewen also won several minor skirmishes; after the defeat of this attempt he served the royalist cause by harassing the Parliamentarian general and military governor of Scotland General George Monck. He then built a new base at Achnacarry Castle in 1655, to keep his men further away from the government troops. It was only upon the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658 did he submit to general Monck and was received warmly for his chivalrous conduct during the Civil War. Soon after he accompanied Monck to London where the General called a meeting of Parliament to discuss the new status quo. After lengthy discussion and debate it was decided that the King would be invited back from exile and that the Royal House of Stuart would be restored to the throne after a Republican Interregnum of 12 years. For his loyal service during the Civil War, the Lochiel was received warmly by the King and was allowed soon after to return to his estates. On 20 September 1665, Lochiel ended the 360-year feud with Clan Mackintosh after the stand-off at the Fords of Arkaig near Achnacarry. From that point, Ewen Cameron was responsible for keeping the peace between his clansmen and their former enemies. However whilst he was away in London in 1668, a feud broke out between Clan Donald and hostile elements of Clan Mackintosh, who headed the confederation of clans known as Clan Chattan. Being absent he was unable to constrain some of his clansmen and they made a small contribution to the MacDonald victory over the Mackintoshes at the Battle of Maol Ruadh. In another dispute, Lochiel was on his way to talk to the Duke of Atholl about a border between Lochaber and Perthshire when he met Gormshuil Mhòr na Maighe. She was married to a Cameron and was known for her supernatural powers.. At first he ignored Gormshuil but she told him to return home to get his men. He should take them with him and keep them hidden and if he needed them he was to turn his coat inside out. Lochiel took her advice and although Atholl too had men lying in wait, he was able to defeat them. This dispute between Lochiel and Atholl led to the Cameron clan's motto 'Sons of the hounds, come here and get flesh.' It's also said that this came from the tune Lochiel's piper was playing at the time, 'Thigibh an seo, chlanna nan con, is gheibh sibh feoil,. In 1681, Sir Ewen was knighted by Charles II, whom he had fought alongside during the Civil War. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688 when the House of Stuart was replaced by a foreign dynasty, the Hanoverians, he became one of the principal commanders in the Jacobite rising of 1689 where he fought under John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, at the Battle of Killiecrankie, a victory marred by Claverhouse’s death. After this the Jacobite rebellion soon collapsed because of arguments among the remaining leaders. By this time Sir Ewen Cameron, nearly sixty years old, had started to give his son, the Master of Lochiel, greater responsibilities. The Lochiel felt he was now too old to participate directly in military action thus designated his son John Cameron to lead his clan in battle, most notably in the second Jacobite rising of 1715 at the Battle of Sheriffmuir.
Major Donald Cameron, Alan Cameron, Margaret Cameron, Ann Cameron who married Allan Maclean, 10th of Ardgour, Katherine Cameron, Janet Cameron Married John Grant-"Ian-a-Chragain" Laird of Glenmoriston-, and Lord Lochiel, who succeeded as 18th Chief of Clan Cameron.
