Flora MacDonald Grave and Monument

Historic Site in Isle of Skye

Isle Of Skye (Inner Hebrides, Scotland, UK)
CC BY-SA 4.0 / PaulT (Gunther Tschuch)

Near the tip of the Trotternish Peninsula is one of Scotland’s most fascinating – and most beautifully located – graveyards. Kilmuir Graveyard is famous because of the grave of Flora Macdonald. The inscription on the tall Celtic cross at the monument reads “Flora MacDonald. Preserver of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Her name will be mentioned in history and if courage and fidelity be virtues mentioned with honour”, was written by the eminent celebrity writer of the time, Samuel Johnson.

The story of Flora Macdonald is well known and her courageous support for Bonnie Prince Charlie. Ms MacDonald, who was born on South Uist, was a member of the MacDonalds of Sleat clan, helped Charles Edward Stuart – or Bonnie Prince Charlie – escape government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. While her family supported the government during the 1745 uprising, Ms MacDonald claimed to have assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie out of sympathy for his situation. For her efforts, she was arrested and held in the Tower of London. She was later released under a general amnesty in June 1747. She later married Allan MacDonald, of Skye, and the couple emigrated to North Carolina in 1773. The couple’s support for the British during the American War of Independence meant the loss of their American estates, and they returned to Scotland. She died in 1790 and is buried in Kilmuir Cemetery.

The Flora MacDonald Grave and Monument appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Isle of Skye!

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Visiting Flora MacDonald Grave and Monument

Duration: 20 minutes

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