how did the mac donalds ended up in Dalnawillan Caithness

[ronald paul mac donald]

Hello All,
Trying again as preparing to go to the region.This is what we already know. We visited Armadale and they could not help us to find out how The Maccoes (Mac Donalds) as we are called In Surinam came to live in Caithness.

1. JOHN1 MACDONALD was born Abt. 1752 in Scotland, and died March 3, 1840 in Caithness, Scotland. He married (1) ANN ROSS August 4, 1778 in Halkirk, Caithness, Scotland. She was born Abt. 1757. He married BARBARA GORDON Abt. 1790, daughter of ALEXANDER GORDON and ISABELLA SUTHERLAND. She was born Abt. 1764 in Scotland, and died May 24, 1850 in Pickering, Canada. More About JOHN MACDONALD:Burial: Dalnawillan, Caithness, Scotland, No.4 Table Slab. John McDonald, Achscoraclate 3.3.1840, 88, sJohn ed s Gordon, ('Caithness Monumental Inscriptions, Volume 3', eds. A. S. Cowper and I. Ross)Occupation: "Tacksman from 1790-1806 at Dalwillan, 1802 Scarclet, 1804 Scoraclate. He was a notedhighland drover." (Memorabilia Domestica or Parish life in the North of Scotland by Rev. Donald Sage, More About JOHN MACDONALD and ANN ROSS:Marriage: August 4, 1778, Halkirk, Caithness, Scotland More About BARBARA GORDON:Died 1: Announcement of her death in JOHN O’GROAT JOURNAL FRIDAY 23rd August 1850

[Bruce_H]

Ron Paul

I am hardly an expert by any sense, but I have been reading the old book:"The Civil and Traditional History of Caithness", and there are several occurrences where Caithness was attacked by highland raiders, including at least two references to "Lord of the Isles".

Likewise MacDonald in addition to being a clan name is the Gaelic form of "son of Donald", meaning someone could take the surname of MacDonald because their father's forename was Donald, and possibly having no affiliation with the highland clan of the same name.

In fact my own surname - Henderson (meaning the son of Henry) came into use in at least 5 different places in Scotland, without there being a definable blood connection (that I can tell) between them.

Bruce H

[Bruce MacMillan]

In the 1904 publication "Clan Donald" by the Rev's A & A MacDonald it mentions that Hugh, youngest son of Alexander, Lord of the Isles, led a raiding party to the Orkneys in 1460. After the successful raid he landed in Caithness and became the guest of a prominent member of Clan Gunn. Hugh married his daughter and had a son there, Domhnull Gallach. It is possible that other members of his raiding party also "blended" with the locals thus introducing the MacDonald name to the area.

[ronald paul mac donald]

thx guys everything helps I will follow up on your info

[fammac]

hi all,
we're descendants of alexander who went from caithness to surinam. ronald paul, are you stil on the forum? or did anyone else find out more? we always heard that alexander said he came from glenmoriston. did john mac donald and barbara gordon and their kids move to glenmoriston?
mac donalds from the hague