Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 5

FLOEA MACDONALD. 57
effect his rescue through the instramentality of a young lady in the neigh-
bourhood, viz., ]\ri.ss Flora Macdonald of jNIilton.
Let us now leave his Koyal Highness in his cave in the rocky recesses
of Corrodale,* M'hile we will attempt to delineate the early history and
future movements of this interesting young lady.
Flora was daughter of Fianold Macdonald younger of Milton, in South
Uist. She was born in the year 1722, thus being two years younger than
the Prince. She was patronimically designated "Fionnghal nighean
Raonuill 'ic Aonghais Oig, lui' Airidh JNIhuilinn;" that is, "Flora the
daughter of Eanold, the son of Angiis the younger of Milton." Kanold
was a cadet of the Clanranold family, and not very distant in relation.
Flora's mother was Marion, daughter of the Eev. Angus Macdonald, who
had been for some years Parish minister of the Island of Oighu, but was
afterwards translated to the Parish of South Uist. lie was designated as
" Aonghas Mac Uisdein Ghriminish," that is, " Angus the son of Hugh
of Griminish," in the Island of North Uist. This clergyman was noted
in the country as a man of extraordinary muscular strength. He had no
equal in the place for lifting ponderous weights, or for any of those
athletic exercises that required great bodily power. He was a mild,
generous, and much respected gentleman. The natives of the Hebrides,
or "Western Isles, have always been noted for their attention and kindness
to strangers, but the Eev. Angus INIacdonald was proverbial in the place
for his genuine Highland hospitality. He was known in the Island as the
" Ministear laidir," that is, " The Strong Minister," and the name was by
no means misapplied. This clergyman's wife was a talented and accom-
plished lady, and was a daughter of Macdonald of Largie, in the peninsula
of Cantire. Flora was the only daughter of the family, but she had two
brothers. The elder, named Eanold, was a very promising youth, who
appeared to inlierit no small portion of his reverend grandfather's activity
and strength. He went to pay a visit to his relatives at Largie in Argyle-
shhe, where the gallant youth lost his Life by the bursting of a blood
vessel. It is said that he strained himself by rowing a boat against an
adverse wind, and this caused his own death, to the deep regret of a
numerous circle of relatives and friends.
Flora's younger brother, Angnis, succeeded his father in the tenement
of Milton, while her mother, in the year 1728, married, as her second
husband, Hugh Macdonald of Armadale m Skye, who was Captain of
Mihtia in the Long Island during the Prince's wanderings there. t Had
it not been for the friendly disposition of Hugh j\Iacdonald towards the
Prince, in all probability his Eoyal Highness could never have effected
his escape from the Long Island. Through Hugh's instrumentality,
■which -wiU be spoken of afterwards, the Prince was rescued, and it is
thought that his friends, with aU their ingenuity w'ould utterly fail to
de"\dse any other plan or scheme whereby his life could be saved.
When Flora's mother, after her marriage, was to remove to her new
* The recess or cave where the Prince was concealed was about ten miles from
Ormiclade, at a place called Coirodale, on tho east side of Beiun RIbor, near the point
of Uisiuish, and situated between Loch Boisdaleand Loch Skipport. The spot|is rugged,
wild, and sequestered, and almost inaccessible to strangers.
t See account of Hugh Macdonald of Armadale in No. xx., page 305 of the Celtic
Marjazine. Armadale is situated in the Parish of Sleat iu the south end of Skye, and
is the residence of " the Macdonalds of the Isles."