An Outline History

3 Responses

  1. David McDonald says:

    How can I purchase a copy of the booklet: Clan MacIain, The MacDonalds of Ardnamurchan?
    Thank you.

  2. John Macdonald says:

    As you can see I am a Macdonald born and brought up in Speyside where my family have been tenant farmers for > 300 years. I am now resident in Wigtown but my older brother still holds the tenancy of Byres farm the last farm on the east bank of the Spey on the Crownlands Fochabers estate. The family have held the tenancy for over a hundred years but he is likely to be the last Macdonald incumbent as none of his children are interested in succeeding him. My Father was very interested in our Macdonald genealogy. The original family myth was that we were dispersed to Speyside after the Glencoe massacre but my father never believed that this was true. He knew that we had gradually migrated down Speyside Marypark before Byres, Tormore before that. He believed that at one time we had held tenancy of Dreggie from Earl of Seafield but were evicted to make way for the building of the planned town of Grantown in the 1760-70, ie before the massacre. Prior to that there was somme oral tradition that we had held a small tenancy around Ruthven. Over 50 years ago when I was about 10 or 12 years of age my father led an expedition with his cousin , my siblings and my second cousins to a Macdonald plot in the old cemetry in Grantown. After a deal of probing around he succeeded in uncovering a grave slab referring to a John Macdonald born in Ruthven. Unfortunately as the graveyard was partially involved when the Grantown bypass was built along the west bank of the Spey some years later, the stone was lost. Photos of the slab and the expedition were taken but are not within my father’s papers. Hopefully the y have been retained by some other member of the family.

    However I do have a copy of the inscription:

    ” Jo. McDonald in Ruthven S Alex 23.4,1719 (presumed father’s date of death) also Alex and Alex MacDonald his father and uncle sometime representing the ancient family of Ardnamourach (Ardnamurchan).”

    There thus seems to be a direct connection with my known and confirmed ancestry with the 2 McIain graves discovered in Kingussie. From the inscription it implies that there were 2 sons of same generation with same first name. That was not uncommon at that time if one died young a subsequent sibling could be named for the one that had been lost, Either that or the relationship to John was Father and Grandfather rather than father and Uncle. I believe that I am indeed a descendent of the Kingussie “representatives of the ancient family of Ardnamourach”.

    One of my sons has a strong interest in medieval history and i think is probably getting to a stage in life where he is becoming interested in his family heritage. Unfortunately when I wa younger I did not pay much attention to my father’s tales transmitted to him as an only child by his elderly relatives and he died relatively young before I had the time to learn more. Much family information therefore died with him> I was alsfairly sceptical because, as a a good Highland story-teller he couldn’t resist embellishing the tale a little more each time he told it and it was very difficult to follow dates and generations from an oral history. It was only when I came across the official Clan Donald History that I realised there was considerable written and recorded evidence which backed up his tales. I have much more respect for the oral Highland culture now.

    Like your previous respondent I would dearly like to buy a copy of the Clan MacIain booklet but can’t find a l;ink to it on the website.

    Thanking you in anticipation,

    John Macdonald

  3. Stan massey says:

    Hello All,

    I’ve had an opportunity to read the comments as to the history of Mingary Castle and I’ve learned & hearted often the tales related to this ancient castle, over the last 50 years or so, I was a young boy at the time.

    My lineage comes down from the McDonalds (MacDonald) living in NSW Australia and my Grandather & Grandmother had a property named Mingary between Taralga & Oberon NSW
    .
    In reading the reviews it would seem that my distant cousins in the earliest years emigrated from Scotland to the U.S..and I wondering how many other cousins also emigrated to Australia.

    It’s only been with the advent of the internet that I started really discovering more of the History of Mingary castle where I found it unfortunately going to ruin and then discovering the trust with the restoration of our ancient family landmark & also further discovering in becoming a bnb.

    It would be a dream realised to visit this ancient landmark and fully appreciate our connections to the past

    Im placing my contact details within this post that someone may like to further chat further either by phone or Zoom

    +61 02 62551376
    +61 0414 575 675
    +61 0429 996 472
    +61 0498 868 219

    Cheerio

    Stan

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