Flora MacDonald

Flora MacDonald

ID: QZP40_914_117_P011 DESCRIPTION: Flora MacDonald was a native of South Uist but was brought up on Skye. She is famous for her part in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie after the defeat of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. When she met the Prince she was initially unwilling to help but was persuaded to get him to Skye. She disguised him as her Irish maid, Betty Burke, and they rowed from Benbecula to Portree where the Prince was able to sail to France. Flora was arrested but later released. Flora married Allan MacDonald of Kingsburgh and they emigrated to North Carolina in 1774 where they were active in recruiting Scots to fight for the British during the American Revolution. After the British were defeated they returned to settle on Skye. Flora died in 1790 and is buried in the churchyard at Kilmuir. This illustration was taken from 'Boswell's Journal of the Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson' (1852 edition) PLACENAME: N/A DATE OF IMAGE: 1852 PERIOD: 1770s SOURCE: Highland Libraries COLLECTION: Fraser Mackintosh Collection (illustrations) Asset ID: 31353 KEYWORDS: