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Flora MacDonald Grave is at Kilmuir Cemetery
in the northwest of the Isle of Skye, in the
area of Kilmuir, 21 miles northwest of Portree, 7 miles
north of Uig, just up past the Skye Museum of Island Life. Postcode:
IV51 9YU
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The image top is of the sign 7 miles north
of Uig pointing to the Skye Museum of Island
Life and Flora MacDonald Grave, with the Car
Park for the Grave just up past the Museum.
Flora Macdonald is famous for helping Bonnie
Prince Charlie escape from Scotland back to
France after the Jacobite defeat at the
Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Kilmuir Cemetery also has other Graves to
visit such as Charles MacArthur a famous piper
of the MacDonald's, Dr John MacLean who looked
after the MacDonald's, and Angus Martin born
around the 1560s with a Grave Slab of a
Scottish Knight.
It is unclear if the Angus Martin Grave Slab
was made for him, or if he took it from the
Grave of an early Scottish King.
The Grave of Lee Alexander McQueen, a
Scottish Fashion Designer 1969 - 2010, can also
be viewed in the middle section, just across
the road from this older section.
Early Grave Markers in Scotland were Flat
Slabs with engravings showing their occupation,
such as a King, Knight, Stone Mason and so
on.
Upright Grave Stones began in the 1600s,
some with Scull and Crossbones, a warning that
death comes to everyone. Then in the 1700s,
Graves with Walls and Gates were being built to
stop Body Snatchers from taking Bodies to be
sold to Universities for their Anatomy
Courses.
Flora Macdonald History
1400s - Clan MacDonald took control of the
far north area of Skye with their Duntulm
Castle being 2 miles north of Kilmuir
Cemetery.
Clan MacDonald and Clan MacLeod of Dunvegan
Castle, 38 miles southwest, fought over
land for hundreds of years, with them ending
their feuds in the early 1600s on orders of the
King.
1689 - the first Jacobite
Risings started after the Catholic King
James II was overthrown by his Protestant
daughter Mary and her husband William of
Orange.
1722 - Flora MacDonald was born on South
Uist, 43 miles west of Skye.
1728 - Flora's father died, with her mother
later marrying Hugh MacDonald of Armadale
Estate on the southeast of Skye.
1746 - the Jacobite's led by Bonnie Prince
Charlie lost their final Battle at the Battle
of Culloden. Flora MacDonald then helped Bonnie
Prince Charlie flee back to safety in France.
This Romantic Event led to Skye becoming the
most famous of all the Scottish Islands.
Flora was imprisoned for about 1 year for
helping Charlie, some of that time at the Tower
of London.
Clan MacDonald and Clan MacLeod of Skye
supported the Government at the time of
Culloden, but remained in Skye, so never fought
at the Battle. Many other Clan MacDonald and
MacLeod, from other areas, fought for the
Jacobite's at Culloden.
After the Battle of Culloden, Clans people
were refused the right to wear Tartan or own
Weapons.
The Highland Clearances began soon after
with small scale Farmers being forced off their
land to make way for large scale Sheep Farming,
also, to reduce the population so Risings would
be less likely.
Many Crofters moved to Villages for Fishing,
to Cities for Industry, or emigrated to North
America and Canada.
1750 - Flora MacDonald married Allan
MacDonald, a Captain in the British Army,
having 7 children at a small Farm they rented
at Flodigarry northeast Skye.
1772 - Alan MacDonald inherited his fathers
Estate at Kingsburgh on the northwest of Skye,
with them moving to Kingsburgh House.
1774 - Flora and Alan emigrated to North
Carolina in America where they bought a large
Farm of about 525 acres.
1775 - the American War of Independence
broke out as Americans fought to put an end to
British rule in America. Alan MacDonald fought
for the British with him captured and
imprisoned in 1776.
1779 - Flora traveled back to Skye, with
Alan returning in 1783 after his release from
prison, with them living at Kingsburgh House on
the northwest coast of Skye.
1783 - the American Revolution ended with
Britain losing control.
1790 - Flora MacDonald died at Kingsburgh
House on the northwest coast of Skye, with her
burial at the Kilmuir Cemetery, 13 miles north
of Kingsburgh.
1792 - Allan MacDonald died at Kingsburgh
House, buried at the Kilmuir Cemetery.
1965 - the Skye Museum of Island Life was
created next to the Kilmuir Cemetery by using a
Croft that had been on the site since the early
1800s. That Croft had been lived in up to 1957.
More buildings have been added over the years
to show all the Trades that were part of
Village Life in the 1800s.
Records seem to show Flora MacDonald and her
husband owned African Slaves in America.
They also paid for the transport of other
Scots, with them having to work for them for a
set time to pay off their debts.
Descendants of Flora MacDonald can be traced
throughout America, Canada, Scotland, and
England.
Kingsburgh House where Flora died is now a
ruin, it may be restored after being sold by
the Clan Donald Lands Trust in 2025.
The Flora MacDonald Farm Cottage at
Flodigarry is now part of the Flodigarry
Hotel with it being available for
holidays.
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