16th Laird of Poltalloch
Breed Master of the West Highland White Terrier (“The Westie”) &
Past Chief of Clan MacCallum/Malcolm
The beginning of the modern West Highland White Terrier breed is attributed to
Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch, Scotland in Argyllshire in the late 1800’s.
The story has it that Colonel Edward Malcolm was hunting with his pack of cairn
terriers when he thought he saw a rabbit running through the underbrush and
shot it, only to find that he had shot his favorite Cairn. From that day forward, he
determined only to breed white dogs, because they were easy to see. At the same
time, the Campbell of Roseneath began to breed white dogs which he called
“Roseneath” terriers after the name of his estate. Later, the “Poltalloch” and
“Roseneath” terriers were combined into the West Highland White Terrier, a
name coined by Colonel Malcolm of Poltalloch Estates.




















